Game Of Thrones ended its reign in 2019 as a cult television series that became hugely popular globally. This medieval fantasy tale of power and greed based on George R.R. Martin’s novels which spanned 8 seasons, captured everyone’s fancy for its intense performances, screenplay, and visual mastery.
While the series went on to make huge money through its wide viewership, it also inadvertently sparked a huge windfall for another successful company Starbucks, owing to a small error involving the signature coffee cup of the popular cafe, that hawk-eyed fans spotted on screen.
A Coffee Cup On The Game Of Thrones Set Made Starbucks More Famous
It often happens that two completely unconnected things result in something totally unexpected. The link between Starbucks and Game Of Thrones is one such connection that had unforeseen consequences. In Episode 4 of the final season, a coffee cup which looked to have the trademark logo of the coffee giant, was seen on the sets of Game of Thrones. The cup was apparently left by actor Conleth Hill on a table behind which Emilia Clarke was filming her scene.
Hawk-eyed fans were quick to spot this modern incongruity in a medieval setup, which then went viral on social media. While many criticized this visual mishap, the real winner turned out to be Starbucks. The company reportedly gained an estimated $2.3 billion in free advertising without so much as working up a sweat, thanks to Game Of Thrones.
As it turned out, it was later revealed that the cup did not belong to Starbucks at all, but not before the coffee manufacturer gained big money through the error. The cup was ultimately edited from the scene following the backlash that Game Of Thrones received for this mistake.
Game Of Thrones And The Mystery Of The Cup
While Starbucks enjoyed a financial coup thanks to a cup on the Game Of Thrones set, the mystery of how it made its way to the set continued to intrigue viewers. In an interview, Emilia Clarke who was in that particular scene, revealed that the cup belonged to actor Conleth Hill who reportedly confessed to her that he had left it behind by mistake.
In an unexpected turn of events, Hill denied these claims and went on to state in an interview to The Guardian, that he cannot be held responsible for this action as he had nothing to do with the cup being on the table. In a joking rebuttal to his co-star Clarke, he said,
“You know, there’s no proof that I did it. So accuse away. I would need to have had Mr. Man arms to leave a coffee cup there. I took a bullet for Emilia Clarke and she touted on me.”
While all these retorts between Clarke and Hill amounted to only lighthearted banter between the two good friends, the visual error was ultimately erased from the Game of Thrones scene following backlash from viewers. Meanwhile, the mystery of the cup and the culprit who put it there is yet to be solved.
Source: CNBC
