HBO sending out cool presentation packs

[Werthead]

From the Televisionary blog, it looks like HBO are sending out sweet presentation boxes complete with cloth maps of Westeros, scrolls and even scents (Pear Brandy, Wood Beams, Spice Market) to different critics. Cool stuff. Apparently it's just the start of 'interactive' GoT marketing stuff being sent out over the next few weeks. Interesting!

[Lady Cheesevillage]

I saw this and the girly-girl in me immediately fixated on the scents. My head is buzzing with questions. Are they oil based scents? Incense blends? Alcohol based perfumes? Who made them? A known perfume house, an indie house, a single artisan? And most importantly how can I get some?

I already own perfume based on The Last Unicorn, Neverwhere and American Gods, I neeeeeeeeeeed some based on Westeros!

[Ran]

From the picture, they look like incense blends. I shall know more tomorrow, as Linda and I (and quite a few critics and journalists, from the tweets I've seen) had a note from FedEx saying a package would be delivered on Thursday. Me, I'm most curious about the scrolls, and whether they contain any information.

ETA: Oh, and I'm pretty sure they are a one-off blends, although maybe one can find out where they were made. Although it looks like its arriving today will be tight for us, so may be tomorrow -- right now I see the package is in transit from Denmark, and FedEx says it may well arrive today, but their estimate is for tomorrow. Oh well.

Some LA-based critics (well, at least one, Lacob's the only one who's mentioned having it) got theirs yesterday, everyone else in the U.S. should get it today (saw two critics tweet that they had a message about delivery, and I know WiC is on the list as well).

[Lord Godric]

Wow, that looks very interesting. It's a cool marketing campaign.

[LugaJetboyGirl]

Holy shit. That picture is awesome. I totally want one. The scrolls and maps!

[aimlessgun]

Wow, high five for the people who put that together. Looks super cool.

[fitheach]

Wow, looks like HBO really got their shit together this time with marketing!! Although, it looks like Dorne isn't on the map... Does anyone know if they did this with Rome, True Blood, Deadwood, etc.?

More importantly, I want I want! :bowdown:

[Brude]

Wow, nice swag! I never got any really amazing swag like this for anything I got to go to. Sometimes for big premiers they do awesome stuff like this (I bet they give these out at the premier, too - at least to the VIPs there). I always got really crap swag like a poster and a keychain, or whatever 'cause I was never a VIP. The best I ever saw was what my old boss got for the "Fight Club" premier, which included a whole fake catalog of fake consumer goods that were all based on the movie and had really clever, funny captions, oh, and they got fancy soap, too, of course. There was a ton of other stuff, but I can't remember now what it was.

I love the map with the Great House symbols in their regions. I wonder if that's a preview of how the map in the opening credits might look? It's possible it comes from the same artwork; I guess we'll find out soon enough. I also have to wonder what is printed on the scrolls. They could do little plot teasers, like one character writing to another hinting at plots and schemes in the story. Something to whet the appetite of the critics they sent this to.

[Padraig]

Looks super. Lucky Ran and Linda!

Just looking at the map, I'm sure some people will be delighted that the Tully fish features prominently. :) But what is written between the fish and Kings Landing?

[Werthead]

It's already been noted that the scripts omits all references to 'the Rhoynar' when listing Robert's titles, suggesting they might be downplaying Dorne to start with (maybe to bring it in more heavily later on - if ASoS is split into two seasons, then Dornish characters won't play any major role until Season 4, so there's no need to delve too deeply into them at the start). Dorne is mentioned, however, during Tyrion's breakfast conversation with Jaime, Cersei and the children, so I assume it's still in.

Was hoping we'd get a sneak preview of the Free Cities map on the show's maps of Westeros, since they might also decide to show Pentos and the Dothrak Sea, but no such luck ;)

[Padraig]

The map is very interesting as I look at it again. The regions are colour co-ordinated, so the Riverlands are a lot bigger than I expected. The Crownlands are a lot smaller to a degree, except I never thought they controlled both sides of the bay.

The Stormlands are bizarre since its almost as if they go below the Reach.

[Werthead]

The map is very interesting as I look at it again. The regions are colour co-ordinated, so the Riverlands are a lot bigger than I expected. The Crownlands are a lot smaller to a degree, except I never thought they controlled both sides of the bay.

The Stormlands are bizarre since its almost as if they go below the Reach.

The Crownlands should extend along the Blackwater to Gods Eye, I believe, but aside from that they are accurate, I believe. The Crownlands technically includes Dragonstone and all the lands sworn to it (including Massey's Hook and some other nearby mainland holds), though not the entire coast of the bay, but that's a minor change.

The Stormlands control the Dornish Reaches as well, so they extend between the borders of the Reach and Dorne for quite some distance (interested to see if the World Book explains this: were the borders redrawn by Aegon to introduce a buffer zone between the traditional enemies of the Reach and Dorne?). Beric Dondarrion's castle, Blackhaven, is in the foothills of the Red Mountains many hundreds of miles to the south-east of Storm's End, but he is still sworn to the Baratheons, not the Tyrells.

[Ran]

Yeah, the map seems to cut off and not show Dorne -- don't want to confuse things. I've noted before that it looks like there may be a Dornishman at Dany's wedding (striped robes, orange-and-red turban, he's even holding a snake), and yeah, Tyrion mentions it.

[Werthead]

Thinking about it, it's obviously essential to show the Wall, the North and Winterfell, King's Landing, the Vale and the Eyrie, and perhaps the Riverlands (though, unless I'm going blind, they've marked the Crossroads Inn but not Riverrun) for the show. Showing the Westerlands, Iron Islands, Stormlands and Reach is also a reasonable idea as we have characters from those lands (the Lannisters, Theon, Renly and Loras). But there are neither scenes set in Dorne nor are their any characters of note from there in AGoT, ACoK or the first half of ASoS. Keeping it off the map and perhaps having it mentioned with some trepidation sets up some nice tension for when Oberyn shows up and then the action moves to Dorne in Season 5 or thereabouts.

Actually, they probably could have cut the map off at King's Landing in the south and the Wall in the north and it would have worked pretty well.

[Padraig]

Showing the Westerlands, Iron Islands, Stormlands and Reach is also a reasonable idea as we have characters from those lands (the Lannisters, Theon, Renly and Loras).

Right. The Inn at the Crossing. I couldn't read that earlier. And yes, I think it makes sense to show where Loras and Renly are from since they are relatively prominent.

To me the Stormlands seems to extend almost as far as Highgarden and Horn Hill, which surprises me but it does mean that the Reach isn't as massive as I thought. From a strategic point of view, keeping the Reach contained would make sense. Especially since originally the new head of the Stormlands was apparently a bastard son of Aerys, so trusted. And it also means that Dorne has significant borders with both the Reach and the Stormlands. That would be good too, given the initial independence there.

[Werthead]

Right. The Inn at the Crossing. I couldn't read that earlier. And yes, I think it makes sense to show where Loras and Renly are from since they are relatively prominent.

To me the Stormlands seems to extend almost as far as Highgarden and Horn Hill, which surprises me but it does mean that the Reach isn't as massive as I thought. From a strategic point of view, keeping the Reach contained would make sense. Especially since originally the new head of the Stormlands was apparently a bastard son of Aerys, so trusted. And it also means that Dorne has significant borders with both the Reach and the Stormlands. That would be good too, given the initial independence there.

Yeah, the Stormland borders are way too far to the west, almost to the Mander (Ashford would be in the Stormlands on this map). I get the impression this is a very rough map as you might see someone in Westeros actually create rather than a really accurate one. Since the average viewer won't have a map next to them when they watch (presumably), it's not too big a deal, I imagine.

[Brude]

It's a wee bit odd that the Vale and Mountains of the Moon don't seem to have House Arryn's coat of arms on them. All of the other regions have their symbols depicted.

[Jonias Snow]

Did anyone notice that the map placed Storms End in the Middle of the Stormlands and not on the coast. Either the illustrator didn't pay attention to the official map of Westeros, hasn't read the books, or a more ominous thought, they have moved Storms End and done away with Davos, lol. Afterall no water, no onion knight. Bright side, one less role to fill, money and expensive CGI (fantastical fortress, set high above stormy seas on a cliff) saved.

GRRM did say quite a long time ago, that HBO might make some small changes early on that wouldn't impact the show till later in the series, in terms of keeping true to the books.

[Ran]

Ah-ha, they are scented oils, not incense as I thought -- blurry photo. Violet Blue (who some may know best as a sex columnist and blogger, and some may remember as the contributor to Boing Boing who was mysteriously disappeared for unknown reasons) has gotten it and shared a gallery of photos.

So far scents are the ones you'd guess from the initial scroll: Winterfell, the Inn at the Cross Roads, King's Landing, Pentos, the Dothraki Sea.

Due to unfortunate circumstances, Linda and I did not get ours yesterday, but should have it today.

[Padraig]

Did anyone notice that the map placed Storms End in the Middle of the Stormlands and not on the coast.

Fair point. I'm spending way too much time looking at that map.

They could get rid of Davos (if they really wanted to) and still leave SE on the coast. I could see them downplaying Davos role but Stannis does need somebody in his forces beside Mel. So I imagine its just a very rough map. Done by somebody from the North who has not been south. :)