The dark harbinger
delivers antique
scrolls announcing
an event with
“Game of Thrones”
author
George RR Martin
FCB Chicago captured an airborne fantasy to help the Chicago Humanities Festival spread the word about its October 11 event, An Evening with George R. R. Martin. To advertise the engagement with the legendary Game of Thrones author, the agency created a spot starring a Raven.
The dark, flapping harbinger is a nod to a common form of communication featured in the HBO show based on Martin’s ongoing series of novels, A Song of Fire and Ice. Flying from downtown Chicago to nearby neighborhoods, the winged messenger delivers antique scrolls that announce the writer’s impending arrival.
The Chicago studios of Dictionary and Cutters handled production and post.
CHICAGO HUMANITIES FESTIVAL
GEORGE RR MARTIN IS COMING TO CHICAGO HUMANITIES FESTIVAL
Unique and authentic
“Chicago Humanities Festival brings such amazing speakers to Chicago,” said Avi Pinchevsky, FCB Chicago SVP, Executive Creative Director. “When we heard that George R.R. Martin was coming, we knew we had to spread the word in a way that speaks to his work — the first-ever direct mail campaign delivered by raven.”
Chicago Humanities Executive Director Philippe Bahar is pleased with the results of the effort as well as FCB’s technique for getting it done.
“We knew we had to celebrate having the brilliant mind behind A Game of Thrones as an upcoming speaker in a unique and authentic way,” he says. “Utilizing trained ravens to deliver our announcements felt like the perfect way to tap into the beloved series while also inspiring the community to discover what we’re all about.”
“Our organization hosts more than 130 events a year that we know people who enjoy creative and thought-provoking topics would love to participate in,” he adds.
Other fans of the spot include the author himself, who mused about it in a September 25 Tweet to 1.36 million followers.
Dear Chicago friends, I’m coming to speak at the Chicago Humanities Festival on October 11. https://t.co/L8Qaej5Uwk Can you believe they sent real ravens to deliver the invitations? @chihumanities pic.twitter.com/AWlhpOsA6e
— George RR Martin (@GRRMspeaking) September 25, 2019
The Chicago Humanities Festival
Founded in 1990, The Chicago Humanities Festival is a series of lectures, concerts, and films in Chicago.
The organization’s 2019 Fall Program runs from October 1 through November 10. Besides Martin, it will feature cultural icons like Patti Smith, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and John Hodgman. To purchase tickets and view the full schedule, click here. To download the Fall 2019 Program Guide, click here.
Credits
Agency: FCB Chicago
Chief Creative Officer: Andres Ordonez
Executive Creative Director: Avital Pinchevsky
Creative Director: Justin Enderstein
Senior Copywriter: Adam Repp
Senior Art Director: Christopher Terry
Copywriter: Derrick Yousefi
Senior Producer: Ellen Israel
Chief Strategy Officer: John Kenny
Executive Creative Producer: John Bleeden
Director, Strategic Planning: Brian Asner
Account Supervisor: Lauren Snider
Senior Producer: Michael Bryers
Creative Producing Intern: Matt Albertini
Production Company: Dictionary
Director: Austin Walsh
Executive Producer: Chris Rossiter
Line Producer: Cody McGuire
Editorial Company: Cutters
Editor: Tom Brassil
Colorist: Patrick Kujawski
Send your campaign updates to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.
