HBO

Bleed for the Throne

When Giant Spoon sought an immersive technology and experiential fabrication partner for the HBO Game of Thrones finale activation at SXSW, they needed more than just a vendor. Giant Spoon came to us with a vision to combine immersive technology and wonder-inducing digital touchpoints with detail-oriented physical fabrication. To deliver Giant Spoon’s vision of Westeros, Accomplice deployed a massive team of technologists, architects, and skilled craftsmen, wielding unique disciplines to create audience touchpoints with awe-inspiring dimension, color, and impact.

From Warehouse to Westeros

Following an award-winning Westworld immersive installation in 2018, HBO once again sought to deliver a show-stealing experiential experience to SXSW 2019, this time through the fantastical backdrop of Game of Thrones. Agency partner Giant Spoon spearheaded the campaign’s “Bleed for the Throne” experiential concept and design, combining a harrowing journey into the world of Westeros with a real-world call to arms through the American Red Cross. An activation so immensely complex required every detail to be perfect, so we rose to the challenge by helping Giant Spoon bring the gravity of Westeros from fantasy to reality with precise focus and team integration.

What We Did

Immersive Media
Design Engineering & Fabrication
Sound & Lighting Design

Our Approach

The key to engaging fans with the fictional world of Westeros laid in the novel use of immersive media and invisible tech integration. Upon entry, visitors were immersed in a virtual tour from the perspective of focal Game of Thrones characters. We leveraged an arsenal of interactive technology, such as a custom iOS App that guided guests through the experience, to captivate participants and allow them to not just imagine themselves in the Game of Thrones universe, but to walk within it in every step.

01EXPERIENTIAL

Transforming an empty warehouse into a new world.

The key to immersing visitors into the world of Westeros at onset was to overlay every single detail of Austin’s Fair Market space with carefully chosen elements that commanded the authority of the Iron Throne. As a space where actors would greet visitors, our team captured every painstaking detail of the HBO show’s signature environment, including archways painted by hand, and scaffolding shrouded in totality with crimson fabric amidst lighting arrays set to stun.

02IMMERSIVE MEDIA

From set to stage.

To create an added layer of depth to the environment of the Bleed for the Throne activation, we created a custom app that united deployed beacon technology, an array of immersive visuals, and audio with sophisticated motion graphics. As this technology interfaced with live-action actors, we facilitated the illusion of a world where magic comes to life alongside visitors in a perfect facsimile of Westeros. The full network of responsive technology created for this activation included beacons, body recognition sensors, and projection mapping, enabling spectral characters to come to life and interact with the participants.

The Outcomes

Bringing the fanfare, form, and reverence for the Iron Throne to SXSW proved no small feat. By uniting design, fabrication, and immersive technology, we rose to the challenge with Giant Spoon to execute a fully immersive experience for HBO that not only tossed audience members into the fantastical world of Westeros, but also called them to take part in something greater.

HBO