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How House of the Dragon Added Fuel to its Marketing Fire
There was a dragon on top of the Empire State Building.
The 270-foot inflatable dragon was a promo for the latest season of “Game of Thrones” spinoff “House of the Dragon.”
It’s part of a partnership between HBO and the Empire State Building creating an experience including a photo op with the Iron Throne.
HBO also posted photos of banners hanging from the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge proclaiming allegiance for Team Black or Team Green (#TeamBlack all the way). Similar posts popped up on other landmarks, including in Brazil and Spain.
Here’s the thing: The inflated dragon is really on the Empire State Building. The banners are computer-generated.
The posts promoting the banners got a lot of attention – thousands of likes and shares. The campaign prompted a fact-checking article from the AP, which even sent a reporter to DUMBO to see the Manhattan Bridge.
Augmenting Effective Campaigns
Nothing beats a strong visual. Whether you’re looking to create chatter with TV, print or social channels, communications pros are always on a quest for the visual that is going to excite the media and the masses.
HBO hit on that with Vhagar the dragon, garnering coverage from The Architect’s Newspaper to the Today Show.
The quest for that meaningful visual is the first step. But with any significant communications investment, the challenge becomes maximizing its return.
HBO hit on a winning combination with the “real” dragon combined with digital materials that made the whole campaign feel bigger and even more all-encompassing. That the digital assets used tech to blur the lines between real and fake created even more interest – and coverage.
Not every brand is going to have Iron-Bank-of-Braavos-level budgets for their campaigns. But with any marketing investment, from a life-size dragon to an e-book or a trade show sponsorship, look to maximize the reach and impact of the campaign. That could be an email series, a robust social push or anything else that helps amplify the message.