SKY Television uses the power of social media to topple Game of Thrones’ King Joffrey via DDB NZ
In anticipation of the launch of the fourth season of the cult TV series Game of Thrones, DDB New Zealand and SoHo, SKY New Zealand’s premium entertainment channel, are giving audiences across the globe a unique opportunity to bring down one of the most hated fictional characters of all time, King Joffrey.
Through an experiential and social media event, Game of Thrones fans are challenged to use their collective voices through the power of social media to topple the king, using the hashtag #bringdowntheking.
DDB has coordinated the production of a giant seven meter statue of King Joffrey, with the help of production company, Finch, which has been erected in Aotea Square, one of Auckland’s largest public squares. The statue has a rope positioned around the King’s neck, attached to a winch, and fans are encouraged to pull the statue down by using the hashtag on Twitter. With every tweet, the statue will be one cog closer to toppling.
Says Travis Dunbar, SKY’s director of programming: “Game of Thrones is a worldwide phenomenon and King Joffrey is quite possibly the most hated fictional television character of all time. It’s exciting to give fans an opportunity they are dying for; to assist in the demise of the King of the Iron Throne.
“First we saw a giant 40-foot-long dragon skull wash up on a beach in Dorset, England* and now it’s New Zealand’s turn to spark the fury.”
Says Shane Bradnick, DDB executive creative director: “It’s great to be working with clients that want to create ideas that bring the fictional, digital and real worlds together. Let’s bring the bastard down!”
Fans will be able to stay abreast of the campaign progress and Twitter feed via bringdowntheking.com and watch as the boy-king statue eventually falls via the webcam live stream.
Agency: DDB Group New Zealand
Client: SKY Television
SKY Television:
Marketing Director: Mike Watson
Product Marketing Manager: Amber Cooke
DDB Group New Zealand:
Executive Creative Director: Shane Bradnick
Creative Director: Chris Schofield
Digital Creative Director: Haydn Kerr
Art Director: Adam Thompson
Copywriter: Rory McKechnie
Senior Account Director: James Blair
Account Manager: Georgia Newton
Agency Producer: Tania Jeram
Executive Producer: Judy Thompson
Digital Business Director: Paul Pritchard
Digital Executive Producer: Liz Knox
Lead Digital Designer: Sam Schrey
Lead Digital Designer: Jason Vertongen
Senior Technologist: Cameron Crosby
Developer: Cain Coulton
Mango Communications:
Senior Account Director: Sean Brown
Senior Account Manager: Eleisha Balmer
Film Company (production) – Finch
Executive Producer: Rob Galluzzo
Executive Producer: Michael Hilliard
TV Producer: Camilla Dehnert
Camera Operator: Sam Britten
Production Designer: Bruce Everard
Prop maker: Phil Gregory
Construction Manager Grant Bailey
CNC Machining: Styrotech Limited
3D character modeling : Michael Ulloa
Engineer: Nick Barnfield
Live Streaming – Slip Stream
Managing Director: Aaron Crabb
Troy Goodall – Troy Goodall Photography
46 Comments
Cool idea, guys
Yes please
This is simply amazing.
This will win Gold at Cannes this year and without doubt will win Grand Axis next year.
I bet my balls on it.
I know how he feels.
Cheers for the above feedback on your own work guys.
Gold at Cannes.
Finalist at Axis.
And you need to promote Game of Thrones why?
It’s a very cool idea and lots of fun but I don’t see the point. Will it drive sign ups ?
Why would you get an Australian prod co to build you a statue? seems a very expensive way to do it. Maybe they put some go pros on it.
Is that this happens in 3 days time, and they are waaaaay short of their total. What happens if you guys don’t hit the 1 million tweets required? I mean, we all know what will happen, you’ll just pull down the statue and declare it a success, but how will you justify not hitting the target?
Love.
Should use a M88 armored recovery vehicle to pull down the statue… oh and re-named it Firdos Square….
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But at least I had a reason for being.
the new digital idea: contribute your clicks, likes, tweets for reaction
saying something will win metal doesn’t make it magically win metal. it still has to be good.
this isn’t for a reaction, it is for an action.
This is not some scam like Colenso’s Samsung line that no one heard about. Its legit, it’s going global and its bloody good work.
And yes I work at DDB and I am fucking proud to say so. I didn’t work on this idea but wish i did.
Thanks Samsung line. I’m flattered.
Another ‘if you do this, we will do this idea.’ Epic engagement. Lazy idea.
This is genius and I am jealous
best Sky work since Catmur days, well done DDB.
Saw this today at the Square, it’s fricken brilliant and nicely done.
‘Lazy Idea’ OMFG ROTFL URAFNCNT!
Good if you already watch game of thrones……not very relevant of you don’t. can see it attracting viewers if that is want it is supposed to do.
We need one million tweets proclaims the microsite, in order to bring down the king.
To date, there have been less than 2,000 unique uses and yet the ‘tracker bar’ on the website is half full. So that is 2,000 tweets, not the 500,000 they should actually be at.
Don’t get me wrong – I actually love this idea. Just whoever is in charge of advising on social metrics/KPI’s at DDB should be in another job. One that has nothing to do with advertising or social media.
does one idea being a good one mean that another idea cannot also be a good one?
The Samsung Smartline was a great idea. It got people pushing the key product benefits into their social networks and helped Samsung launch the S4 in a market where they do not have a flagship store for people to form a physical queue.
This launch piece for Sky (specifically Soho channel) has tapped nicely into the genuine, real world hatred for the character of Joffrey in a way that will get people sharing this campaign around the world through a simple yet clever real world action.
There we go. They are both great ideas. Neither a rip off. Neither a scam. Neither old hat. Both likely to win their respective agencies loads of awards and deservedly so. Prefer which ever one you want. But maybe we can act like adults and not belittle the work of other people within the industry. Wouldn’t that be refreshing?
I saw the statue this morning, the whole thing is very well put together.
half of the tweets are from paid bots. copy the names when they come up and have a look. the samsung line was more legit than this.
‘It’s shit, it’s getting no tweets!’
‘It’s shit, all the tweets are from bots’
Wow, such commitment to trash the idea that you’ve spent your weekend researching the Twitter feed. It’s a bit of fun, get over yourself.
More legit eh? Did you not see the uniqlo grand prix winner from only two years ago? Schucks. Anyway back to your clever analyses.
Saw this down in Aotea Square yesterday. Yes, real-life, non-advertising people with souls (the target market) were absolutely loving it. Job done. So belittle and condemn all you like, but I’ve never seen witnessed that many people taking selfies and engaging with a print ad.
Woof I like it.
@lol – I’m calling bullshit on your jealousy.
Pity the site kept crashing.
http://static.viewer.dacast.com/b/7613/c/42770
EPIC EPIC FAIL, DDB.
THE WHOLE LINK BROKEN AND NOTHING AT ALL TO SEE.
IF YOU CAN’T DO DIGITAL, DON’T DO IT AT ALL.
WHAT A COMPLETE WASTE. AND I SEE, GETTING MUCH DESERVED TWITTER ABUSE TOO.
**Rolls eyes and walks away**
Joffery is no longer king
A million tweets my arse
Aah yes, here come the whingers who sat hoping it would fail. But it didn’t. Nice work DDB, you had me on the edge of my seat.
Makes for a great line in the awards video but not so much for the client.
I followed the whole thing from start to finish. Magic work fullas.
The number of comments simply reinforces the fact that this was a brilliant idea. The fact that the site crashed (clearly due to demand if you followed the feed in the lead up to the final event), and they were able to bring it back up again just in time is a phenomenal effort. Ignore the haters boys, they’re grasping at straws. A simple well done would be far more gracious.
Yep, the site crashed which was pretty frustrating for a bit
But so did HBO on demand when the episode aired.
Anyone know when the next episode of Myth Busters starts?
I see what you did there. DDB, classic.
Speaking of IT, your caps lock key appears to be broken.
Hugs.
Rory you legend!!
BTW did you torrent Monday’s ep for me?
Will pick up tonight..Cheers mate.
That’s illegal.
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