90s Marketing and the Image of the Iconic Tomb Raider
When the original Tomb Raider debuted in 1996, it instantly became a global phenomenon. Although the project received acclaim for its revolutionary 3D gameplay and exploration of hazardous locations, the lion's share of media attention was drawn to Lara Croft herself.
In the second half of the 1990s, advertising for the series often had explicit undertones: provocative poses of the heroine and excessively revealing outfits became a common sight in glossy magazines and promotional videos.
Position of the Original Developers
In an interview with The Guardian, level designer of the original game Heather Stevens recalled publisher Eidos's approaches to promoting the game and expressed criticism of the strategy at that time:
- Focus on the character: the publisher placed its bet on a striking heroine, which was a sound strategic move;
- Overdoing the eroticism: the aggressive emphasis on sexuality demonstrated a lack of imagination among marketers;
- Legacy: the image was often perceived through the lens of her appearance rather than her archaeological adventures.
“Eidos saw the potential of Lara rather than the game itself, so they focused on her. It was the right decision, but I think they went too far with her outfits and poses for some of the marketing campaigns. The over-sexualization showed a lack of imagination,” Stevens concluded.
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