The Empire State Building was completely changed for ‘House of the Dragon’ marketing stunt
- The New York skyline has been altered for the week
- As part of the promo for House of the Dragon, a giant inflatable dragon has been wrapped around the Empire State Building
- Visitors can go to the viewing deck to see it up close
Published on Jun 17, 2024 at 4:22 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Jun 18, 2024 at 5:33 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
The hype around the second season has House of the Dragon has reached new heights, this time with a massive inflatable dragon on the Empire State Building in New York.
HBO is celebrating the premiere of the second season of its Game of Thrones prequel series, which aired on 16 June.
To generate hype, the marketing team chose one of New York’s most iconic and recognizable skyscrapers: the Empire State Building.
They planted a giant, inflatable dragon on its spire, and reactions have been mixed.
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Advertising for the new season of House of the Dragon has been popping up all over, from posters to billboards.
But one publicity stunt really captured the world’s attention.
A massive dragon has been spotted curled around the topmost point of the Empire State Building.
It’s a nod to the stars of the series, House Targaryen, and their beloved scaly companions.
The ultimate ‘House of the Dragon’ publicity stunt
A dragon called Vhagar appears to have taken over the top of the Empire State Building.
It’s 270 feet long and made up of 1,700 individual pattern pieces and 600,000 inches of seams.
For anyone worrying about this dragon going flying over the city, don’t worry: it’s fixed with 153 rigging points.
Vhagar will be perched atop the famous skyscraper for a week, and New York residents should head to the south of the building to get the best views.
Superfans can get the ultimate view of the dragon by entering the pop-up exhibition in the building.
Visitors can ride up to the 86th floor and face the beast up close and personal while enjoying 360-degree views of the city.
A bit of fun or a marketing flop?
New York is the perfect place to pull off a stunt like this.
It’s the same city where developers want to hang a skyscraper from an asteroid over.
And it’s where the public portal that connects the city to Dublin was installed.
The Empire State Building’s lights are known to change color for special occasions or organizations.
Sometimes it even plays the role of a giant billboard, like it did during the campaign for season four of Stranger Things.
The internet was quick to critique the inflatable installation for not looking dragon-like enough though.
“Is Hulk hugging the tower? I don’t see any dragon,” one commenter said.
But others were delighted with the playful and impermanent change to the New York skyline.
“That’s King Kong’s perch!” another commenter said.
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Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
