Title	GLASS OF THRONES
Brand	TOURISM IRELAND
Product/Service	TOURISM IRELAND
Category	A04. Travel, Leisure, Retail, Restaurants & Fast Food Chains
Entrant	PUBLICIS LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Idea Creation	PUBLICIS LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Media Placement	OMD UK London, UNITED KINGDOM

Name	Company	Position
Dave Monk	Publicis•Poke	Executive Creative Director
Josh Norbury	Publicis•Poke	Creative Director
Katie Edwards	Publicis•Poke	Managing Partner
Ben McKee	Publicis•Poke	Senior Account Director
Oliver Berrell	Publicis•Poke	Account Manager
Eloise Liley	Publicis•Poke	Strategy Director
Will Eliot	Publicis•Poke	Strategist
Radd Nadesananthan	Publicis•Poke	Data Strategist
Kal Parmar	Publicis•Poke	Producer
Tim Walker	Freelance	Director
Jack Dawkins	Freelance	Editor
Sam Stocking	Freelance	Producer

Why is this work relevant for PR?

The production of Game of Thrones called Northern Ireland its home for over a decade. So in 2019, as the show finally drew to a close, we wanted to ensure its legacy would be forever connected with Northern Ireland’s own history and heritage. With the help of Northern Ireland’s finest artists, artisans and craftspeople, we took Northern Ireland’s cultural heritage of stained-glass and glass production, and brought it full circle to their latest and biggest cultural export to date. Driving screen-tourism to her shores, and ensuring the iron-clad bond between Game of Thrones and Northern Ireland will never be forgotten.

Background

Although Northern Ireland had been home to Game of Thrones for over ten years, fans didn’t consider it a tourist destination. In 2019, as the show drew to a close, we ensured its legacy would be felt long after the final episode had aired by connecting it with NI’s own history and heritage. The key objectives for the campaign were to: 1) Make Northern Ireland’s role in creating GoT known to the world; 2) Turn love for GoT into love for Northern Ireland; 3) Shift interest in GoT into interest for Northern Ireland as a travel destination. We would do this by: 1) Using Northern Ireland’s craft heritage to highlight the country’s role in creating the show; 2) Depicting the scenes the fans would miss the most for authenticity; 3) Ensuring the ideas lived and breathed both offline and online.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

In 2019, as the world’s favourite TV series finally drew to a close, we took fans most searched, shared and talked-about Game of Thrones moments from the last decade, and turned them into a brand new tourist trail comprising of 6 beautifully crafted, free-standing, Northern Irish stained-glass windows. An age old artform befitting the show and Northern Ireland’s own history and heritage, but with a modern data-driven twist.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

The strategy in a sentence was to: GET: GoT fans from all over the world TO: Reconsider NI as a travel destination BY: Turning NI into GoT Territory

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Using a decade’s worth of fan data, we crafted 6 beautiful stained-glass windows. Each depicted the world’s most searched, shared and talked-about moments from across the entire GoT saga. In doing so we created a new attraction in the heart of Belfast. Over 6 weeks after each new episode of the final season aired, we unveiled a new window in the heart of Belfast. The glass, acting as a trail, eventually led visitors across the city, from its traditional stained-glass roots in the City Hall, to the home of the show’s production in the Titanic Studios. This was more than just a physical installation - this was an idea that seamlessly lived in the real and digital world – like the show. With each window, we shared more of the story online, giving fans the chance to explore each and every scene, including where they were filmed in Northern Ireland.

List the results (30% of vote)

• Tier 1: Media Outputs - coverage depth (quality / quantity), tone and message delivery, purchase intent (survey) • Tier 2: Target Audience Outcomes - measurable changes in awareness, comprehension, perceptions / attitudes / opinions, and target behaviors / actions / responses achieved • Tier 3: Business Outcomes – campaign's measurable effect on sales / revenues / profits, market share, stock valuation, brand equity, reputation scores and other traditional marketing and business metrics The campaign was a success for Tourism Ireland, achieving talk-ability with 87 million impressions. Fans couldn’t help but engage, leading to 8 million video views. Additionally, we drove them to find out more, propelling 247k worth of visits to Ireland.com. But most of all, Northern Ireland will forever be known as Game of Thrones of Territory.