Bleed for the Throne, for HBO

HBO

Bleed for the Throne

Fans proved their devotion by giving blood.

Task
Drive cultural conversation for the final season of Game of Thrones.
Insight
Game of Thrones fans have proven they will do anything for the throne.
Strategy
Celebrate the fans who would devote their blood for the throne.
Platform
Bleed for the Throne, with the American Red Cross.

We immersed fans in the show’s most memorable, and bloodiest, moments.

Donors walked the Red Keep past tapestries of the show’s bloodiest scenes, made Cersei’s walk of atonement under Septa Unella’s glare, and faced the spectral armor at Tyrion’s Mud Gate.

Dozens of actors brought the factions to life.

With 108 pages of script, Dothraki, Lannisters, Starks and wildlings played out the show’s real rivalries, barbaric behavior, accents and languages, for fans to step right into.

A live choir gave the Red Keep its eerie air.

Beside medieval musicians, they sang the show’s score in English and Valyrian, adding drama to every room donors walked through.

Four tracks from Ramin Djawadi’s score, arranged for the choir and medieval musicians. We recorded the full set and pressed it on a limited‑edition CD.

A Red Priestess called donors by name, honoring them in front of the throne.

Every 30 minutes, donors knelt to receive a limited-edition Hand of the King pin, its forearm wrapped like a donor’s.

Fans donated ten times more blood than the show had spilled in seven seasons.

From one warehouse in Austin to 18 countries.

The drive went national across the U.S., then spread to 17 more countries. It refilled the Red Cross after a winter shortage, honored fans as heroes, and put the final season’s launch in Wired, CNBC and Business Insider.

Pull this CD in the roomWatch the case film

The choir and the Iron Throne at SXSW, under the Red Cross window.
The choir and the Iron Throne at SXSW, under the Red Cross window.
Giving blood for the throne.
Giving blood for the throne.
One more donor, mid-donation.
One more donor, mid-donation.
The Red Priestess.
The Red Priestess.
A knight of the war camp.
A knight of the war camp.
Tapestries of the show’s bloodiest moments.
Tapestries of the show’s bloodiest moments.
Gian Galang’s portraits, hung as banners.
Gian Galang’s portraits, hung as banners.
A bloodmobile, wrapped in Tyrion.
A bloodmobile, wrapped in Tyrion.

Lead strategist: Joe Bae

Agency: Giant Spoon