Author George R.R. Martin has said he's looking to Breaking Bad to create a more evil character for Game of Thrones. But should he be looking to Netflix instead?
That's what Quiznos posits in a new viral ad that puts House of Cards' Frank Underwood in Westeros, hungry for power as ever. Kevin Spacey's character (played by an impersonator) goes through the Seven Kingdoms and beyond to dispatch of King Joffrey's rivals -- including Jon Snow and Daenerys -- before finally taking out the boy king as well.
Quiznos employed Los Angeles-based Windowseat for its Game of Thrones / House of Cards mashup. Viewers might not realize the video is in fact an ad for Quiznos, as the sandwich shop is mentioned just briefly at the end of the three-minute video. Quiznos' marketing team says that was intentional.
"It's about getting people to spend more time with our brand," Chris Ruszkowski, Quiznos Vice President of Advertising and Marketing, tells The Hollywood Reporter.
His team is trying to lure in younger consumers with this and other videos of its recently launched QuiznosToaster Youtube channel. So far the channel has also unleashed parodies of TLC's Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and ABC's Dancing With the Stars.
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Ruszkowski says QuiznosToaster plans on rolling out a steady stream of content over the coming months, and like the Game of Thrones parody, they'll be looking for things that will ressonate with pop culture aficionados.
"It's very important for our target market that we have relevant content," he says.
Game of Thrones returns to HBO on April 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
