MARKETING TECHNIQUES OF

- AMIT SEKHAR

• An American fantasy drama television series• Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss• Adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy novel “A song of Ice and Fire”• It has attracted record numbers of viewers and obtained an exceptionally

broad and active international fan base

• Game of Thrones is broadcasted on HBO.• The promotions of the series are some of HBO’s finest advertising work in the

thirty-plus years the network has existed.• Simple but brilliant trans-media executions.• It invites fans to engage in ways one never would’ve fathomed

The first season came in early 2011. There were posters of Sean Bean on a throne all over New York City, not to mention the ominous catchphrase “Winter Is Coming.”

Considering that the whole series is about families competing to sit on the Iron Throne, it was a genius move to actually set up replicas

in NYC, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco

Further proving that they really know the culture of the major cities that they’re headquartered in, HBO also rolled out Game of Thrones-themed food trucks in NYC and LA that first winter.

And for those who wanted to feel even more like a king, San Diego Comic-Con gave its attendees free rides in Iron

Throne pedicabs!

MARKETING TECHNIQUES OF GAME OF THRONES

SEASON 1

SEASON 1

The marketing executives caught on to how meme-worthy “Winter Is Coming” became and decided to make their next poster—“War Is Coming”.

SEASON 2

New York Ink star Ami James to ink the various house sigils on fifty-odd fans who waited in line from as early as 2 a.m.

MARKETING TECHNIQUES OF GAME OF THRONES

SEASON 2

The season 3 advertising was a bit underwhelming at first. In comparison to the fiery, eye-catching posters of the past few years, the shot of a dragon’s shadow across a wall came across as a bit disappointing.Suddenly, there were dragons flying over our New York Times.

Really, this was such a brilliant move, a clever callback to the official poster.

Further proving that they really know the culture of the major cities that they’re headquartered in, HBO also rolled out Game of Thrones-themed food trucks in NYC and LA that first winter.

Moving a step forward, the HBO building in LA also wore the shadow of

the dragon.

SEASON 3

MARKETING TECHNIQUES OF GAME OF THRONES

SEASON 3

• This is the first time that HBO has taken one of their series episodes and released it in IMAX.

• Some episodes of Season 4 of Game of Thrones were showcased on IMAX theatres.

• The gross collections of $1.5 million from 205 play dates for a per-theater of $7,323.