7 seats left:

Join us Dec. 1-3 in New Orleans for the Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit

SECURE YOUR SEAT

Game of Social: Brands welcome the new ‘Game of Thrones’ season

Brace yourselves, “Game of Thrones” fans: the wait for the HBO hit series’ fifth season is almost over, with the premiere slated for Sunday night.

But you aren’t the only ones preparing for your Sunday nights to get bloody and sexy again. HBO itself is luring its fans and tapping into their excitement, asking them to catch Daenerys Targaryen’s missing  dragon Drogon on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by capturing a GIF of his using the hashtag #CatchDrogon.

Moreover, like last year, several brands, platforms and publishers spinning their own puns and references — this time, several days in advance.

Here’s how some brands are preparing for #ThronesDay.

Hootsuite

The social media management platform went all out, creating its own rendition of the Game of Thrones’ theme song and replacing the kingdoms of Westeros with the “social kingdoms” of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn. Some sleek marketing there, Hootsuite. But negative points for recycling it from last yearDisqus

Disqus hedged its bets: While GoT is the current flavor on the Internet, puppies and kittens are evergreen. And so the commenting system merged the two.

Someecards

Living up to its reputation for making tongue-in-cheek e-cards, Someecards celebrated the series’ return and “National Siblings Day” on Friday poking fun at the incestuous relationship between siblings Cercei and Jamie Lannister on the show.

Comedy Central

The channel enlisted its famous comedians Key & Peele to hilariously recap the fourth season of Game of Thrones.

MTV

Game of Thrones can get pretty nuts and MTV illustrated that very well, roping in Steve Casino — a painter of nuts in real life — to carve out the defining moments of season four.

Brewery Ommegang

This brewery loved the series so much, it crafted an entire new brew of ale inspired by it. Let’s hope it sets their fans’ beer glasses clinking as they watch the latest season.

Sesame Street

In this parody of Game of Thrones, the fictional setting of the show “Westeros” becomes “Jesteros” and Sesame Street battles it out for chairs instead of thrones.

More in Marketing

How Kind snack bars is using AI to curb creative, marketing costs at business ‘inflection point’

Adopting generative AI and synthetic audiences, Kind North America’s marketing overhaul is cutting creative time and shifting agencies into strategic partners.

As would-be buyers and critics circle, WPP’s siege mentality deepens

The London holding company is beset by challenges and critics. A bunker philosophy and pushback may be emerging in response.

‘We’re in a league of our own’: How X is planning to take over the World Cup, starting with Draw Day

The platform is using the tournament’s draw as an early proving ground for a broader strategy to reassert its creator content around live events.