With Westeros and Middle Earth both back on our screens, 2022 is arguably the year of the dragon. And while Amazon's Rings of Power is currently soaking up the headlines thanks to its outrageous budget, HBO's House of the Dragon is already a huge success – and has spawned some ingenious marketing stunts.
Reddit is currently going wild for what, at first glance, looks like a poster that's melted in the sun. But it's clearly rained recently, so what other explanation can there be for the heat damage? Why, it must have been breathed on by a dragon, of course. (Looking for more inspiration? Check out the best print ads of all time.)
The melting bus stop poster was installed by HBO Brazil on the streets of São Paulo to promote the launch of House of the Dragon (or A Casa do Dragão), and it's already lighting up the internet. Some are big fans of the stunt. "That's some great marketing right there!" One Redditor comments, while another adds, "this is literally lit af."
Of course, the fun police has also made its presence known, with many complaining that dragon fire would likely melt the poster from the top, not the bottom. Others meanwhile, have shared their (arguably valid) concerns that the poster is a trip hazard. And it's hard to disagree with one Redditor who suggests that the melting poster "just looks like it didn't fare well in the recent heatwave".
Still, it's always fun to see creative takes on out-of-home advertising. From that ingenious lockdown Kit-Kat ad to KFC's shameless Ikea rip-off, we've seen no shortage of ingenuity over the last few years. For more traffic-stopping examples, take a look at our roundup of the best billboards of all time.
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