The Intro of '80s TV Classic Dallas Has Been Perfectly Recreated for the City's First NFL Draft

Add an homage to Dallas, the soapy prime-time drama, to the ever-growing list of nostalgic ‘80s references continuing to sweep pop culture and advertising. But the stars of this new digital short—from Stun Creative in Los Angeles—aren’t Bobby, Sue Ellen or any of the landed gentry from the Ewing clan. They’re the hottest young prospects in football. The show's iconic intro is reborn as an NFL Draft 2018 promo that recreates, nearly shot for shot, the Dallas opening credits, from the sweeping city views to the bombastic theme music. And no, they did not forget the oil rigs. [kickout id="1"] Taking the place of actors like Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray are prospective pro ballers Sam Darnold, Lamar Jackson, Saquon Barkley, Josh Rosen (as the newly minted “J.R.”) and NFL bigwig Roger Goodell as the “Commish." Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones even makes a special cameo. Of that lineup, by the way, the latter two would be the only guys alive when Dallas was a TV juggernaut. Here's a look back at the show's original opening: [kickout id="2"] Chances are a lot of folks of all ages will recognize the scenario, though, conditioned as audiences are now to Ready Player One’s plethora of '80s Easter eggs, revivals of New Age bands and, seemingly every other day, some call-out to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Ads are steeped in the ‘80s, too, from the Stranger Things remakes of classic movie posters to the Ferris Bueller salute from Domino’s. “It’s obviously a parody, but it’s such a respectful nod to one of the most popular shows of all time, and there’s the unexpectedness and the twist of having the players as the stars,” said Julie Haddon, svp of marketing, NFL Media. “It’s fun to bring back those visuals, that style and music and the sense of drama and intrigue.” And taking a cue from Dallas (both the classic show and the town), the NFL has been making everything big for this event, which will air for the first time on Fox on April 26 and 27. The league wants to outdo itself from last year, when it logged the best-watched draft ever on the NFL Network and its digital properties. The draft offers up “the moment where dreams are made” and former college standouts and hometown heroes start to become household names, Haddon said. “It’s when people go from unknown to superstar.” Marketing around the event has already been in full swing for more than a month, including personality-driven content in the “Know My Name” campaign that, similar to the arc of reality competition shows like American Idol, allows viewers to learn about the players’ back stories and follow their athletic journeys. To reach various demos, the NFL has launched college and grassroots marketing, geotargeted the areas with strong potential draft picks, and hit hard on social media. And in another project with Stun, the league commissioned graffiti artists to paint murals around Dallas of the top draft hopefuls. NFL Films shot video of the street art in the making for the league’s social channels. “We’re super-sizing how we beat the drum for this event,” Haddon said. “Outside of the Super Bowl, we have a few massive moments for football. This is one of them.”

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The Intro of '80s TV Classic Dallas Has Been Perfectly Recreated for the City's First NFL Draft

Featuring 2018's top prospects as the stars

T.L. Stanley

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T.L. Stanley