PRINTER IS COMING!
Thrones fans up in arms over inkjet product placement
THERE was a storm brewing in the Twittersphere last night, after HBO announced a multimillion dollar product placement deal for Game of Thrones, which fans say is inconsistent with the show’s feel and tone.
A spokesman for the series yesterday revealed that the much anticipated final season will be sponsored by EPSON Printers, and is set to feature “at least one scene” in which GoT characters use – and then briefly discuss the merits of – a wireless inkjet printer.
HBO’s Embedded Marketing Executive, Neville Largethumb, told reporters: “We are thrilled to unveil our new product placement deal with Epson. We feel that Game of Thrones and Epson are a match made in product placement heaven, and we believe it will feel perfectly natural to see everyone’s favourite GoT protagonists operating an Epson as part of their daily routine.”
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The scripts for the new season are being kept firmly under wraps, but sources indicate that the scene in question will feature none other than Warden of the North, Jon Snow, who will be seen scanning some pamphlets on an Epson WorkForce WF-77 All-In-One Wireless Inkjet, before turning to Daenerys Targaryen and saying, “Whether I’m in the office or at home, I always use an Epson. Text and images have NEVER looked sharper.”
“The exchange will last all of ten seconds”, Largethumb claimed. “It will be so subtle that fans will barely notice it.”
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However, a quick glance at social media this morning would appear to suggest otherwise.
Twitter user @GrahamOfThrones78 fumed: “There is NO INDICATION in any of George RR Martin’s source material that wireless inkjet printing technology even exists in the GoT universe. Seeing the Bastard of Winterfell scan, Xerox, photocopy or print – even for a short period – will be extremely jarring and will ruin my enjoyment of the show #Despicable #BoycottSeasonEight.”
Fellow GoT fan @FellowGoTfan chimed in with: “Never seen a plug socket ANYWHERE in Westeros, Essos or Sothyros #HowsJonGonnaPlugItIn? #ThisIsBullshit #FuckHBO.”
News of the controversial deal follows a similar product placement tie-in arranged by Netflix for season three of its regal drama The Crown. The series, which follows the Royal Family throughout the 1970s, will be sponsored by Rockstar Video Games and is set to feature “at least one scene” in which the Queen plays – and then briefly discusses the merits of – Red Dead Redemption 2.