We’re just 13 days away from the April 6 premiere of Game of Thrones Season 4 – and HBO is counting down to its most epic season yet with “Beautiful Death,” a series of 30 intricate illustrations of the most poignant deaths from each episode of the show.
HBO and 360i are using these beautiful illustrations to memorialize all the iconic deaths, give fans a way to catch up on the show and to support the overall campaign, “All Men Must Die.” We commissioned one of the show’s most ardent fans – artist Robert M. Ball – to create a visually arresting story, episode by episode, across all three seasons leading up to the Season 4 premiere. Hidden in each illustration are special clues, cues and surprises for Game of Thrones fans to discover as they gear up for the new season.
Season 1, Episode 1
In Game of Thrones death truly drives the narrative – each death is shrouded in greater meaning: a warning, an opportunity or a lesson. This was the key that unlocked the concept and became the inspiration for the series.
The program kicked off in Austin at SXSW, where Robert’s illustrations were featured next to the “In Memoriam” wall at the Game of Thrones exhibition. Following the exhibition was the launch of BeautifulDeath.com, where HBO is revealing one illustration daily and inviting fans to submit their own artistic interpretations. The illustrations were also featured at the NYC Red Carpet Premiere and Barclays Event. HBO and 360i also partnered with influencers such as Mike Wrobel (who did the popular ‘90s Game of Thrones character art) and Mr. GIF to have them submit their interpretations of a beautiful death. In addition, HBO is also releasing a corresponding death Vine daily for each episode.
The series is part of HBO’s ongoing efforts to tell stories with their fans through unique content experiences. “Beautiful Death” follows the wildly popular #ROASTJOFFREY effort which had fans abuzz last December via the Internet’s first-ever social media comedy roast. That campaign generated more than 60,000 fan-submitted roasts and garnered more than 850 million impressions.
View the “Beautiful Death” illustrations at www.BeautifulDeath.com, and be sure to check back daily for a new illustration and to guess which death is up next. The Season 4 premiere of Game of Thrones airs on Sunday, April 6 at 9pm only on HBO.
