HOW WE BROUGHT A SQUIRE INTO THE REAL WORLD
Marketing Campaign
"SQUIRE FOR HIRE"
A squire cleans armor, runs errands, preps meals… they do just about any job their Knight requires.
Put that way, we could all use a Squire, right?
To launch HBO’s new Game of Thrones series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, we set out to bring Dunk and Egg’s Knight-Squire relationship into the real world — by sending an actual Squire to the front doors of three of the franchise’s most devoted celebrity superfans:
Marshawn Lynch. The Chainsmokers. Noah Beck.
Leaning into levity, Squire for Hire channeled the show’s humor and heart through docu-style moments that collided medieval problem-solving with modern life.
- THE CREATIVE: Each high-profile celebrity “Knight” received their “Squire” for one day. The resulting videos launched natively across social and YouTube.
- THE APPROACH: Celebrities played themselves, reacting in real-time as the Squire helped (a loose term) around their homes.
- THE EXTENSION: Each drop drove awareness for our Taskrabbit partnership and sweeps, which offered audiences a chance to summon the same Squire to their home.
Client HBO
Project A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
What We Did
- Strategy + Ideation
- Campaign Development
- Talent
- Scripting
- Production
- AV Shoot
- Video
- Post-Production
- Taskrabbit Partnership
- Website
INTRODUCING THE SQUIRE
Dropped into unfamiliar homes and technologies, our dutiful Squire arrived from Westeros with one mission:
Assist each celebrity Knight with what should've been simple household tasks.
A SQUIRE'S DUTIES
To his credit, the Squire arrived ready to work and showed (mostly) unwavering commitment...
He also showed off some very unexpected medieval methods.
TENDING THE GROUNDS
The Squire did plenty of yardwork for his Knights, from trimming hedges and bushes by sword to — inexplicably — snacking on grass seeds.
CLEANSING THE WARDROBE
After washing laundry (in the swimming pool), the Squire violently slammed clothes dry against a post. Because nothing gets Dornish wine out like washing by hand.
DUSTING THE FINERY
A wooden bucket and rags was usually enough. But to reach a crystal chandelier, the Squire grabbed a lance from the Tournament at Ashford Meadow.
LATRINE DUTY
Plumbing problem? No problem. The Squire grabbed his trusty trowel, found a spot in the backyard, and began digging... a latrine.
BATTLE OF THE BASTARDS
As a nod to franchise lore, we recreated the beloved Game of Thrones battle by setting our Squire against an overfilled garage in what was soon coined "The Battle of the Boxes."
Call it a Dragon egg — our Westerosi take on an Easter Egg.
INTRODUCING THE KNIGHTS
From athletes like Marshawn Lynch to musicians like The Chainsmokers, each celebrity “Knight” shaped the content through their personalities, lifestyles — and actual homes.
The result? Content that was organic, personal, and unscripted. (And a bit unhinged.)
MARSHAWN LYNCH
Our Squire cuz cuz arrived in Las Vegas ready to partner up with Knight Lynch. Little did he know, he'd find a dragon — and leave as a player-partner.
SERVING SER LYNCH
A few select moments from the Squire's time at House Lynch:
BEAST MODE
As he cleaned the house, the Squire found a 20+ foot Dragon Skull in Marshawn's trophy room. And then proceeded to scrub its teeth... by hand.
COMBAT TRAINING
A Squire must train his Knight for combat. In Marshawn Lynch's case, we're just glad the Squire was wearing a full set of armor.
WESTEROSI FLOWER
When it was time for a break, the Squire and Marshawn rolled up some "devil's grass" in a bonus asset that exclusively launched on Marshawn's social channels.
AN "EXQUISITE" DAY
Though their time had come to an end, Marshawn and the Squire bonded — enough that Knight Lynch updated the Westerosi wardrobe of his "cuz cuz."
THE CHAINSMOKERS
When HBO sent our Squire to The Chainsmokers' studio house, we knew we'd get a banger. But nobody ever expected the Squire to actually inspire an all-new Chainsmokers track.
SERVING HOUSE CHAINSMOKERS
A few of the Squire's hits from serving Ser Alex and Ser Drew:
LIFTING IRON
A Squire doesn't just serve his Knight — he also spots them. One rousing battle speech later, The Chainsmoker's Alex Pall hit a new personal best.
CAR SERVICE
Squires are experts at caring for horses. The mechanical horse, on the other hand... Next time, we'll introduce him to keyless entry.
CHAINSMOKE-D TURKEY LEGS
After a day by the pool, in the gym, and at the studio, it was time for a snack. Our Squire helped protein maxx via turkey legs — "smoked" for the Chainsmokers, of course.
CROSSING SWORDS
You never know when inspiration strikes — or unsheathes. When our Squire pulled out a sword in The Chainsmokers' in-home studio, it inspired a new track...
And launched a dance for the ages.
NOAH BECK
Our Squire arrived at Noah Beck's front door with a list of duties. Little did the Squire know he'd soon go from helping shoot content to defending shots on goal.
SERVING SER BECK
Ser Beck is no stranger to content creation. Very little ever looked like this:
FAN MAIL
The Squire wrote replies to Knight Beck's fan mail by hand, sending each wax-sealed scroll by raven. We'll try to explain DMs next time.
THE CONTENT SHOOT
When it came time to "shoot" some content, the Squire reached for his bow and arrow. It got even worse when Ser Beck asked for lighting.
THE NORTH REMEMBERS
The Squire stepped in as acting coach, offering guidance rooted in Westerosi tradition. Against all odds... it actually worked.
GOOD FORM, M'LORD
When Ser Beck stepped out for some soccer practice, the Squire volunteered to mind the goal.
Good thing he had his armor nearby.
TASKRABBIT HIRES THE SQUIRE
At last, it was time to pay off the promise of Squire For Hire.
In parallel with each Knight's hero content, our partnership with Taskrabbit launched, making it possible for fans to win a visit from the Squire from the campaign.
THE SWEEPSTAKES
Launched through email blasts, Taskrabbit in-app push notifications, and cross-posts with HBO, our dedicated campaign hub at SquireForHire.com offered fans the chance to enter an official sweeps to hire the Squire.
Along with an in-home visit from the actual Squire from the series, the winner would receive an official Taskrabbit Tasker. For... quality control.
FAN-SERVICE
This first-of-its-kind partnership not only brought the beloved character from the campaign directly to fans, but continued it, driving UGC and new social beats from the Tasker and Squire's visit to the winner's residence.
Served by its Squire, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms went on to become one of the biggest premieres in entertainment history.
Inspired by the beloved dynamic of Dunk and Egg, our Squire served celebrity Knights across the realm — delivering unexpected moments of humor and heart. The result: an organic campaign and partnership that set the tone for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and helped propel the series into one of the year’s most successful premieres.
- #1 TITLE of the year on HBO Max at launch
- 13MM VIEWERS Per Episode
- 3rd BIGGEST DEBUT in history of HBO Max
- 25MM ORGANIC VIEWS across all Squire for Hire collab posts
- 1.3MM+ ENGAGEMENTS across duration of Squire for Hire campaign
- #1 RANK Game of Thrones franchise via RottenTomatoes
- #1 SHOW of the year via IMDB rankings
- The Best Fantasy Adaptation of the Decade" - Roger Ebert