Ingenious House of the Dragon poster lights up the internet

House of the Dragon poster that appears to have melted from the bottom
(Image credit: u/EDIT_ID on Reddit)

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.

Read more:

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Daniel Piper
Senior News Editor

Daniel Piper is Creative Bloq’s Senior News Editor. As the brand’s Apple authority, he covers all things Mac, iPhone, iPad and the rest. He also reports on the worlds of design, branding and tech. Daniel joined Future in 2020 (an eventful year, to say the least) after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more. Outside of Future, Daniel is a global poetry slam champion and has performed at festivals including Latitude, Bestival and more. He is the author of Arbitrary and Unnecessary: The Selected Works of Daniel Piper (Selected by Daniel Piper).