May 1, 2008 12:00 PM, Richard Tedesco
A Midtown Castle for The Tudors
To provide the right ambiance for its premiere screening of “The Tudors” second season, Showtime commissioned a castle for midtown Manhattan.
The premium cable network didn't actually have one built. But it did the next best thing: it had the Sheraton Towers Hotel “wrapped” as a medieval castle, complete with turrets.
The objective for One Source Visual Marketing Solutions was to bring the full flavor of Henry VIII's England to New York City in a vivid visual re-creation. “We were trying to bring the authenticity of that period to fruition so that people could believe what it was like back then,” says Michael Frank, vice president of creative and strategic marketing for One Source Visual.
The mesh vinyl used to convey the illusion of a castle on 7th Avenue was topped with polyfabric banners emblazoned with “The Tudors” to make the marketing message clear.
Burgundy wrapped boards and columns continued the impression in the lobby of the hotel, which was also adorned with posters of the historical drama's cast on velvet “walls” constructed for the occasion. Costumes from the show were displayed in showcases in the hotel's rotunda.
The interior work was a one-night stand for “The Tudors” premiere event, but the exterior illusion was maintained for three weeks, through the March 30 debut of the series' second season.
One Source VMS also produced counter cards and DVDs to build on the visual branding campaign and designed decks of playing cards, with plans to distribute 35,000 as incentives for new Showtime subscribers.
After the castle installation was dismantled, it still had a life online in a YouTube video Showtime shot to record the dramatic transformation.
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