Many characters in HBO's epic fantasy series Game of Thrones have sacrificed everything in the quest for the Iron Throne.
Now Mountain Dew is sacrificing its brand (in a manner of speaking).
Fans in the US can use social media – and their real-world scavenging skills in New York and LA – to get limited-edition cans inspired by the show. Mountain Dew opted to focus on the character of Arya Stark, who as part of her training as an assassin with the Faceless Men of Braavos had to relinquish her identity to become "no one."
A can has no name: Mountain Dew pays tribute to Game of Thrones.
These special cans, which cannot be bought, have no visible markings and are an icy white colour. But when the cans are chilled, the names on Arya's kill list, including characters who killed some of her family, will emerge.
Erin Chin, senior director of marketing for Mountain Dew, said while it was a big decision to drop the company's branding and colour on A Can Has No Name, it was ''absolutely the right thing to do. This is a major moment in culture to tap into."
Demand for the final season, which airs in Australia on April 15, is building, and brands have been jumping on board.
Arya Stark in season seven of Game of Thrones.Credit:HBO
HBO's relatively new parent company AT&T, which has closed its $US85 billion acquisition of Time Warner, is involved too. AT&T flagship stores in Boston, Chicago, New York City, and San Francisco will be taken over by Thrones, with series memorabilia and costumes on display, digital games and special videos.
Last year, a special Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky called The White Walker had blue thermochromic ink that glowed when chilled, reminiscent of the glowing eyes of the show's supernatural villains, the white walkers.
A white walker.
But Mountain Dew's overall strategy "fully embraced our final season marketing campaign", said HBO marketing director Alex Diamond. "We were inspired by their act of devotion and are excited to collaborate on a limited edition product that connects to one of our show's most popular storylines."
Inklings of Mountain Dew's grand design began emerging last week when NBA All-Star Joel Embiid posted a short video on Facebook of him sitting on the Iron Throne sipping a Dew. The drinks company also posted the video to its accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
A day later, all those social accounts adopted icy blue Thrones iconography. With the coveted cans revealed, now fans can go onto those sites and use the hashtag #ForTheThrone to tell Mountain Dew what they would sacrifice to have one of the tens of thousands of special cans delivered to them.
Clues to the locations of the special Game of Thrones destinations will also appear on the brand's social network accounts.
Also due to crop up is a special password that must be given to the Masters of Coin at the destinations. That will earn fans a special coin that can be used to get a can from the Iron Vending Machine.
USA Today
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