HBO Invites GAME OF THRONES Fans to Bleed For The Throne in National American Red Cross Blood Drive

HBO today announced the next major phase in the For The Throne global marketing campaign, which asks fans what they would do for the throne in celebration of the final season of the hit series, Game of Thrones, premiering April 14, 2019.

In partnership with the American Red Cross, HBO is inviting fans to prove their devotion and Bleed For The Throne-a gesture worthy of one of the biggest shows in television, and one designed to harness the cultural power of Westeros to help end blood shortages in the real world. HBO will kick off Bleed For The Throne -- the largest blood donation promotional effort by an entertainment company in American Red Cross history -- with six days of coordinated giving from fans across the entire country. The partnership will include an immersive experience at SXSW from March 7-9, in addition to blood drives in 43 states and 9 colleges and universities across the U.S. from March 7-12.

For seven seasons, the characters of GAME OF THRONES have bled for the Iron Throne. Through this initiative, HBO is asking fans to do the same. Fans who present to donate during this time will receive an exclusive Bleed For The Throne t-shirt, while supplies last. Additionally, those who present for blood donation at any Red Cross BLOOD DRIVE by March 17 will automatically be entered to win a trip to the season 8 world premiere of Game of Thrones.

To kick off the national blood drive, HBO is first calling on SXSW attendees to prove their devotion by participating in an immersive blood drive, open Thursday, March 7 through Saturday, March 9 at Fair Market in downtown Austin. After giving blood, donors will walk in the steps of the characters. Those who earn an audience before the Iron Throne will be recognized and rewarded for their bravery.

Blood donation appointments are available starting today at 11:00 am ET and are expected to fill up quickly, with a standby line available for fans who are unable to make appointments online. The link to register will be shared from the @RedCross Twitter handle.

To help interested donors easily make THE JOURNEY to Bleed for the Throne, Lyft will be providing rides (up to $10) at SXSW and to all 163 Red Cross blood donation centers across the country. Donors can visit the American Red Cross website leading up to the blood drives to learn more about how to access the Lyft rides.

SXSW Activation Location:
Fair Market: 1100 E. 5th Street, Austin, TX 78702

SXSW Activation Hours:
Thursday, March 7th: 12-6pm CT
Friday, March 8th & Saturday, March 9th: 10am-6pm CT

Fans interested in Bleeding For The Throne can visit www.forthethrone.com/bleed to find details about BLOOD DRIVE locations near them.

"We are incredibly excited to mobilize the global army of GAME OF THRONES fans to make a positive impact on the world" said Zach Enterlin, Executive Vice President, Program Marketing, HBO. "In partnership with the American Red Cross, we're creating a unique platform to engage our tremendously passionate fanbase, and ultimately showcase the bravery and VALOR of those fans who will go so far as to bleed for the throne."

"The American Red Cross is thrilled to partner with HBO and Game of Thrones. Every day, thousands of patients across the country are dependent on voluntary blood donors to help them fight for their lives," said Cliff Numark, Senior Vice President, American Red Cross Blood Services. "Winter is finally here, and the needs are dire. No matter who you're rooting for to take the throne, you can be a hero for patients in need."

Game of Thrones fans around the globe will also be able to participate thanks to additional partnerships with local blood donation organizations in fifteen international countries including: Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Botswana, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Serbia , Greece and Croatia.

Bleed For The Throne is the latest installment of the For The Throne global marketing campaign that kicked off in November 2018, which will include social stunts, experiential, international activations, brand partnerships and more, introducing the #ForTheThrone hashtag and galvanizing fans and brands to profess what they would do "For the Throne."

The For The Throne campaign and Bleed For The Throne were created in partnership with Droga5 New York. Giant Spoon, partnering with HBO for the second year, spearheaded the immersive experience at SXSW. Additional campaign touchpoints are expected to roll out until the season premiere on April 14 on HBO.

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