Tourism Ireland’s 2016 Game of Thrones campaign has been selected by Campaign magazine as the UK’s Number 1 Outdoor Campaign of 2016 in its end-of-year review.
The State agency charged with promoting Ireland overseas has so far scooped more than 20 awards and accolades for its 2016 Game of Thrones campaign. Just last month, at The Drum’s Creative Out of Home Awards, in London, Tourism Ireland took the Chairman’s Award, as well as the ‘Best Use of Illustration/Animation’ and ‘Best Experiential/Ambient’ awards.
This spring, Tourism Ireland joined forces once again with HBO, to promote Northern Ireland around the world, capitalising on the huge success of Game of Thrones. An major feature of Tourism Ireland’s 2016 GoT campaign was a series of 10 intricately carved doors, depicting moments inspired by this season, the ‘Doors of Thrones’. Tourism Ireland unveiled the doors each week as season six unfolded – referencing key scenes and events from the latest episode and incorporating some of the iconic symbols of the show. The doors were carved from the trees blown down last winter in Storm Gertrude at the Dark Hedges in Co Antrim – which serves as the backdrop for the Kingsroad, perhaps the most iconic Game of Thrones location in Northern Ireland.
Tourism Ireland’s ‘Doors of Thrones’ campaign to attract visitors to Northern Ireland has reached an estimated 61 million people around the world, with the campaign’s short films being viewed 17 million times – generating coverage worth about £11.3 million. The campaign has not gone unnoticed by the marketing and advertising industry, racking up over 20 awards and accolades across Europe.
