Game on as HBO joins Ulster tourism push
Niall Gibbons of Tourism Ireland with Tourism Minister, Arlene Foster and some of the new, eye-catching advertising which will seek to leverage local links to the hit TV series.
Tourism Ireland has joined forces with HBO and its hit television series, Game of Thrones – much of which is shot in Northern Ireland – to launch a new advertising campaign.
HBO is lending its name and logo to new Tourism Ireland campaigns that aim to promote Northern Ireland as a top holiday destination in markets across the world.
The new campaign was launched recently through adverts on Facebook and Twitter and will run until early June in Great Britain, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Scandinavia.
Welcoming the announcement, Tourism Minister, Arlene Foster revealed that it followed months of negotiation with HBO, America’s most successful television company whose services reach more than 50 countries outside the U.S.
“The partnership is a major coup for tourism and offers a unique opportunity to promote Northern Ireland, the home of the Game of Thrones series, in a brand new way to the many fans around the world,” she added.
“As the fan base has grown substantially over the first three seasons, everyone now wants a piece of the action. The hype is incredible and on the same level as many Hollywood blockbusters, this month’s ‘Vanity Fair’ has even devoted its front cover to a photograph of the cast with the stunning Antrim Coast Road as their picturesque backdrop.”
The hugely anticipated fourth series will air on the UK very soon and some of Northern Ireland’s most scenic locations will once again be featured..
“Fans from around the world will see our mystical landscapes, crumbling castles, and hidden scenic gems as various local locations provide stunning and atmospheric settings for the cast,” added Mrs. Foster. “Images of the same landscapes will then be used in the advertising campaign to encourage fans to visit Northern Ireland themselves. This approach is to be commended as it is important that we maximise the tourism potential that the new series will generate.”
