Tourism Ireland: Doors Of Thrones
Tourism Ireland tasked Publicis London with leveraging the global popularity of Game of Thrones to increase overseas visitors to Northern Ireland. The challenge was to move beyond traditional advertising and create a lasting connection between the show's fictional world and the real-life locations, encouraging fans to explore the country beyond the main tourist hubs during the airing of Season 6.
Creative Idea
Carved fallen trees from a filming location into pub doors depicting new episodes in real-time.
Tourism Ireland transformed fallen trees from a Game of Thrones filming location into ten intricately carved pub doors, turning a natural disaster into a permanent, real-time pilgrimage that rewarded fans for exploring Northern Ireland's rural landscape.
Turning Storm Gertrude Into Ten Masterpieces
From Fallen Beech to High Art
When Storm Gertrude uprooted 200-year-old trees at the Dark Hedges in 2016, Publicis London and Tourism Ireland saw an opportunity in the wreckage. Over a 10-week production cycle, wood salvaged from two fallen trees was transformed into ten intricate doors. Illustrators Kieran McKay and Sam Dunn designed the pieces to serve as a "real-time" narrative of Season 6. As each episode aired, a new door was unveiled in a local pub near a filming site - such as The Cuan or Blakes of the Hollow - creating a physical trail that mirrored the show's progression.
Hidden Lore and Fan Passports
The craftsmanship went beyond simple carving; each door was embedded with "Easter eggs" for die-hard fans, including the Stark direwolf, the Lannister lion, and subtle hints regarding Jon Snow’s parentage on the final door. To gamify the experience, Tourism Ireland launched a "Journey of Doors" passport, allowing visitors to collect unique stamps at all ten pubs. This turned a marketing stunt into a permanent cultural landmark, contributing to an 8% increase in overseas visitors and generating up to £17.5 million in earned media value.
Setting the Screen Tourism Standard
The campaign is now considered the gold standard for "screen tourism." By 2018, the show was credited with attracting one in every six out-of-state visitors to Northern Ireland. This success paved the way for even larger installations, including the Game of Thrones Tapestry at the Ulster Museum and the Glass of Thrones stained glass trail in Belfast. As Brian Twomey noted, the project was born from "pure serendipity," proving that even a natural disaster can be leveraged into a €5.4 billion boost for the national economy.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Access to iconic filming locations and a sudden supply of fallen timber from the show's most famous natural set.
Category
Tourism boards typically rely on generic scenic photography and traditional TV spots to showcase landscapes without deeper engagement.
Customer
Hardcore fans crave immersive experiences that allow them to step inside their favorite fictional worlds and discover hidden details.
Culture
The global obsession with Game of Thrones and the rise of screen tourism where fans travel to filming locations.
Company
Access to iconic filming locations and a sudden supply of fallen timber from the show's most famous natural set.
Category
Tourism boards typically rely on generic scenic photography and traditional TV spots to showcase landscapes without deeper engagement.
Strategy:
Transform ephemeral cultural moments into permanent physical landmarks to anchor fandom within a specific geographic territory.
Customer
Hardcore fans crave immersive experiences that allow them to step inside their favorite fictional worlds and discover hidden details.
Culture
The global obsession with Game of Thrones and the rise of screen tourism where fans travel to filming locations.
Strategy:
Transform ephemeral cultural moments into permanent physical landmarks to anchor fandom within a specific geographic territory.
Results
The campaign achieved a global reach of 126 million people and generated over 250,000 social media interactions. Short films documenting the process were viewed 17.5 million times. The initiative produced an earned media value estimated between £11.3 million and £17.5 million ($15M–$22M USD). In terms of tourism impact, it contributed to an 8% increase in overseas visitors to Northern Ireland in 2016, a record year that saw 10.5 million visitors and a €5.4 billion economic contribution. By 2018, the show was credited with attracting 1 in every 6 out-of-state visitors. The campaign won over 35 major awards, including a Gold Cannes Lion, the Epica Outdoor Grand Prix, and was named the #1 Outdoor Ad of 2016 by Campaign Magazine.
£17.5M
Total earned media value generated
126M
Global audience reach
8%
Increase in overseas visitors to Northern Ireland
Strategy Technique
Borrow Equity
Tourism Ireland leveraged the massive global fandom of Game of Thrones to turn Northern Ireland into an immersive, real-world extension of the show's fictional universe, driving footfall to remote locations.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Turn Message into Product
By carving episode-specific narratives into physical doors made from fallen local timber, the campaign transformed ephemeral TV hype into a permanent, tangible tourism product that fans could physically visit.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign masterfully converted a natural disaster into a permanent cultural pilgrimage by blending traditional wood craftsmanship with real-time narrative marketing.
Intricate, bespoke designs by Kieran McKay and Sam Dunn embedded deep show lore and 'Easter eggs' into the physical wood.
The transformation of 200-year-old fallen beech trees into functional, high-art pub doors created a tangible connection to a fictional world.
The 'real-time' reveal strategy synchronized with weekly episode airings turned each door into a global news event.
Strategic placement of the doors in local pubs near filming locations gamified the rural landscape via a 'Journey of Doors' passport.
The magic lies in the intersection of physical heritage and digital fandom, turning salvaged wood into a permanent media channel.
