Need more Game of Thrones in your life? HBO and AT&T have launched a joint marketing campaign celebrating the highly-anticipated final season. AT&T is mounting a “360 degree” event that will include the company’s brick and mortar stores, retail activations, exclusive accessories, video-on-demand, a Magic Leap AR experience, AT&T THANKS and event sponsorships.
We’ll try and make sense of all this for you. Just keep in mind that it involves a chance to win your own Iron Throne. Valerie Vargas, SVP of advertising and creative services at AT&T, describes the size and breadth of this ambitious campaign:
"This is the biggest television event in recent history, in large part due to the show’s passionate, loyal and committed fan base. In celebration of that fandom, and as fans ourselves, we have created unique experiences across all of our platforms that only AT&T and HBO can offer. With this campaign we aim to celebrate the show’s superfans and its permanent place in pop culture."
Here’s the scoop, event by event, all beginning on April 1:
AT&T Flagship stores immerse you in the Game of Thrones universe
The AT&T flagship stores in San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and New York City will transform into Thrones-themed retail showcases, offering “limited-reveal video content,” custom digital games, VR and AR experiences, series memorabilia and authentic show costume displays. Each flagship store will channel a major GoT House: Chicago is Stark, San Francisco is Targaryen, New York City is Lannister and Boston is Targaryen vs. Lannister, which is kind of a cheat but whatever. You couldn’t have gone with Greyoy or something, Boston?
Enter the AT&T exclusive Game of Thrones Magic Leap Encounter “The Dead Must Die”
Want to face off with those nasty White Walkers? Get to the participating AT&T Flagship stores when the experience is featured: in Boston on April 1, in Boylston; in Chicago on April 3, on Michigan Avenue; and in San Francisco on April 6, at 1 Powell. Once there, you’ll have the opportunity to enter “The Dead Must Die” Magic Leap Encounter.
In “The Dead Must Die,” visitors don AR headsets and enter the environs of King’s Landing, which instantly transform into an icy hell. The visitors grab torches and investigate the scene. A frozen portal reveals the land north of the Wall, resulting in a nasty confrontation with a White Walker.
Find out more about Magic Leap here.
HBO and DIRECTV challenge your Thrones knowledge
Explore more about your favorite show with the Game Of Thrones® Challenge1, a free (no HBO subscription required) set-top-box application presented by DIRECTV & HBO. This is an interactive trivia app you can access on DIRECTV channel 512. Impress your fellow Thronies with your knowledge and unlock videos along the way.
Win your own Iron Throne!
Beginning April 1, AT&T customers will have a shot to Own the Throne. One lucky fan is gonna win an authentic Iron Throne exactly like the one on the TV show. All you gotta do is download the AT&T THANKS app, which also includes more sweepstakes and GoT content.
Check out the AT&T Game of Thrones Online Hub
HBO and AT&T know the hardcore GoT fan can never get enough content, so they’ve designed the Game of Thrones online entertainment hub. The “ultimate fan destination,” the hub will be rolling out exclusive videos during the week before the GoT season premiere, and also offers “episode recaps, quizzes, in-depth character profiles, downloadable content and behind-the-scenes content.” “ online destination is built by superfans, for superfans.”
Pick up exclusive accessories
Populate your everyday life with exclusive GoT-themed items like phone cases, t-shirts, wireless chargers, water bottles, PopSockets, socks, watchbands, pint glasses and so much more by visiting AT&T.com and AT&T retail stores across the USA.
Mix Thrones with your NCAA Final Four
Fans at the Minneapolis basketball stadium will witness an “augmented reality experience” that turns spectators into White Walkers on the big screen. The Minneapolis Convention Center’s AT&T Fan Zone will allow fans to shoot hoops in a game of G-O-T, plus there will be a Throne Room and a Fire & Ice Room where you can take pics with “authentic show props and costumes.”
Whew.
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“There’s no better way to celebrate the finale of this epic HBO show than to give its devoted, passionate fans opportunities to immerse themselves in the Game of Thrones world leading into the final season,” says Zach Enterlin, Executive Vice President of program marketing at HBO. “Together with AT&T, we are committed to giving superfans a fun, memorable way to experience Westeros and the characters they love so much.”
There’re plenty of opportunities to join HBO and AT&T in their big PR countdown to the Game of Thrones premiere on April 14. You can follow @ATT on Twitter (#ForTheThrone), Facebook and Instagram.
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