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Journalism of Courage
As the second season of House of the Dragon premiered on June 16, and became a global hit, a unique marketing campaign for the show has taken over New York City. Landmarks and brands have even picked sides — King Aegon Targaryen (Team Green) or Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Team Black).
New York City landmarks were central to the campaign. The video shared on Instagram by @secret_nyc gives a glimpse into the Empire State Building wrapped with a giant 270 ft inflatable dragon. The Grand Central station was decorated with green banners, featuring the skull of King Aegon’s dragon, Balerion.
The caption of the video read, “From NYC pizzerias to the NYSE, Westeros took over this weekend for the season premiere of @houseofthedragonhbo.” Oh, and let’s not forget—the video features the iconic Game of Thrones background music, which still sends chills down our spines.
Despite how real they seem, the banners are actually part of HBO’s video campaign and are computer-generated. Clever editing and placement make them look convincing, but you won’t see these banners on the Brooklyn Bridge or the Empire State Building in real life.
Watch the video here:
With lots of editing and CGI, they showed a banner on the Manhattan Bridge with the caption, “The Manhattan Bridge is for those loyal to Queen Rhaenyra.”
While the banners on landmarks are computer generated, local businesses joining in with themed products is real. The video featured Roberto’s Pizza and Bakery supporting Team Black with pizzas creatively topped to resemble dragons. Meanwhile, Murray’s Bagels supports Queen Rhaenyra with the Dragonstone Delight, an all-black bagel filled with smoked salmon and dragon eggs (black tobiko caviar), which fans adore. Custom merch is also available for fans at the store, adding to the excitement.
Reacting to the video, fans and social media users flooded the comments. One user wrote, “Put team green banners on my ex window since she always on the wrong side of everything.” A second user commented, “Saw the cranes putting the Team Black banners up at Citi Field this past week. Team 🖤all the day.” A third user wrote, “Does anyone know of if we’re still able to get those hats? That’s so cool!”
“Team Black!! NYC will never bend the knee to the greens!,” said another fan. Another Instagram user said, “This made my whole day.”
House of the Dragon takes us back about 200 years in Westeros history, focusing on the peak of House Targaryen‘s power during King Viserys I‘s reign. The series begins with the controversial decision to name Viserys‘s daughter, Rhaenyra, as his heir — a first for a woman in Targaryen history. This narrative is based on George R R Martin’s Fire & Blood, a pseudo-historical account written by a Westeros Archmaester, detailing the events of Targaryen rule. This timeline predates Daenerys Stormborn and the Mad King Aerys by approximately 172 years.
