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Merch, AI and international incidents: HBO's House of the Dragon marketing campaign is epic

HBO angers Mexican officials by draping buldings in digital banners, allows fans to insert themselves into House of the Dragon posters, and more. The marketing for season 2 has been wild.
ByDan Selcke|
House of the Dragon season 2
House of the Dragon season 2

The second season of House of the Dragon is only a few days away, and HBO is going hard to make sure you know it. They've mounted some pretty elaborate PR stunts over the past week, starting with banners for either the Blacks or the Greens — the two sides fighting in the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons — hanged from buildings all over the world. For instance, here they are in New York City...

...at Chapultepec Castle in Mexico...

...and in Spain at San Juan de Gaztelugatxe and in the city of Cáceres, which have been used as filming locations for Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon:

The Greens even claimed a gondola on Sugarloaf Mountain in Brazil:

Now, you might ask: how did HBO get permission to hang giant banners on the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building in New York City? Well, it didn't; these videos incorporate computer-generated graphics, but they're convincing to the point where a lot of people online were fooled; I feel bad for any New Yorkers who saw the videos and ran outside only to find that, no, the Manhattan Bridge has not actually declared for Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen.

Not everything is fake, though. The actors behind King Aegon, Aemond Targaryen, Alicent Hightower, Criston Cole and Helaena Targaryen really did stop by the Empire State Building to claim the iconic tower for the Greens:

And that does appear to be a real Iron Throne at the Empire State Building:

Between now and June 16, you can even head to the 80th floor of the building for "a one-of-a-kind Game of Thrones universe photo opportunity," and be among the first to play the upcoming video game Game of Thrones: Legends before it comes out in July. You can even enter for a chance to have your likeness designed into a character that will appear in the game.

So the Empire State Building is basically home base for the Greens in NYC. Not to be outdone, the Blacks have claimed Rockefeller Center:

The battle has spread to local restaurants, as well, with eateries partnering with HBO to serve specialty menu items like a Bacon, Aegon and Cheese breakfast sandwich or a Slice of the Seven Kingdoms pizza:

HBO angers Mexican government with House of the Dragon marketing campaign

Obviously HBO is having fun with this marketing, but not everyone is laughing. Remember the Black flags flying about the historic Chapultepec Castle in Mexico? Well, Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History, which is responsible for the country's historical buildings, is threatening to sue. “The reproduction of images of this site for use in promoting this series has not been authorized,” they said in a statement, per ABC News. “For this reason, the INAH legal department will take all necessary legal measures, because this constitutes an improper use of images of a historical site.”

The castle was the site of the battle of Chapultepec in 1847 during the Mexican-American war, so I can see why the Mexican government would at least have liked to be asked permission to use the castle in a promotional campaign for a show about dragons. It's unclear if they would be able to win a lawsuit. I imagine those images were produced using AI technology, which courts are still feeling out how to handle.

Maybe House of the Dragon could be at the center of an international legal case that advances the laws understanding of AI technology! You can't buy that kind of press. And speaking of AI, HBO is incorporating it into House of the Dragon marketing in other ways:

Insert yourself into a House of the Dragon poster

Over on the "Raise Your Banners" website, HBO is letting people create their own customized House of the Dragon posters; users can take a selfie and pick which side of the war they want to join: Green or Black. Then you get an auto-generated poster that recasts you as a character in the story. The setting changes from poster to poster and you can add dragons to the background. Take a look at what some people have come up with:

You can toy with this all the way through the season 2 finale on August 4. There will be a leaderboard that, according to Variety, will show "which of the Green or Black council is currently reigning." And you can switch sides at any time.

Finally, what marketing campaign would be complete without...

House of the Dragon season 2 merch

HBO has a whole new swath of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones merch ready to go at the WB Shop, including:

  • The “All Must Choose” Collection: "Hightower and Targaryen apparel, accessories, mugs, and home goods available now, with more new items dropping June 14th and beyond"
  • The “House of the Dragon” capsule collection from Nalebe: "two made-to-order boots to represent the two Houses, each with bold, custom hand-placed crystals, meticulously crafted to mimic the dragon scales. This collection launches on June 16. You can preorder here.
  • New House of the Dragon Funko POP! collectibles will be announced over the course of season 2. Keep tabs on them here.

HBO is going all out to make sure people tune in to House of the Dragon when it premieres this Sunday, June 16 on HBO and Max.

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