Advertiser: HBO
Agency: PHD
Category: Best Use of Outdoor
Advertising campaign: GAME OF THRONES DRAGON SHADOW LAUNCH
Digital Strategist: Anne Lutin (PHD)
Campaign Manager: Djamel Beldjilali (PHD)
Connected Platforms Senior Strategist: Jamie Silverman (PHD)
Digital Supervisor: Nathan Brendal (PHD)
Associate Director: Lauren Foley (PHD)
Group Account Director: Andrea Cardamone (PHD)
Execution
Identifying the dragon as the cornerstone of the launch campaign served as a passion point for fans and imagery that could provoke visceral reactions from a broader audience. How could we release the dragons across media landscapes to signal the return of Game of Thrones.To force a suspension of disbelief, the dragon creative took on a figurative and literal translation of foreshadowing the narrative. Infusing the extraordinary into the ordinary to instigate a second-look from the public, a dragon “shadow” was cast over reimagined backdrops of wallscapes, bulletins, buses, shelters and newstands. We created the illusion of a gigantic dragon soaring through the cityscape over the HBO HQ in LA, the creative including the design of the building’s windows to make it seem real. It’s presence could be felt for miles. This guerilla-like manipulation of the landscape caught millions of onlookers by surprise across 5 cities.
Effectiveness
Casual and hard core fans clamored to see which town would be “dragon shadowed” next. Utilizing less < 2 % of our OOH budget, we generated massive reach and within 1 week:•Over 21 million people were reached in OOH bulletins and wallscapes.•‘Dragon Shadow’ was touted as breakthrough creative execution by numerous industry sources.•Social commentary generated on GOT Facebook & Twitter pages surpassed previous benchmarks set.•TruView view-through rate surpassed Google Entertainment benchmarks by 1400%.•6.7 million viewers watched the premiere, a record for the GOT Franchise (previous high of 4.2 million was set with last year’s finale).
Strategy
For the launch of season 3 of HBO’s successful franchise Game of Thrones, the expectations for awareness and growth were high. We recognized in a competitive market saturated with similar genre programming, we really only had "one chance to make a first impression.” We had to be big, bold and most importantly, unexpected.Our primary objective was to excite the already rabid fan base and generate interest on a broader scope to drive growth. We wanted to use signature imagery of the show as our conduit to turn the series into a pop culture phenomenon. HBO recognized there was one story arc that drew significantly higher speculation and fervor among viewers. The “waking of the dragons” foreshadowed a symbolic shift in power among principal characters. Viewers hypothesized for months how these dragons would alter the legacy of the throne. Social conversation amplified around any dragon reference.