Like many activations -- the gross industry term for these events where consumers interact with brands -- it's both a way for HBO to promote itself while letting fans step into a world they love. But instead of just being yet another depressing example of media excess, Bleed for the Throne is also something that'll help save lives. It's just a shame that it's limited by archaic FDA restrictions.

Under the agency's current rules, laid out in 2015, gay or bisexual men who've had sex with other men within the past 12 months aren't allowed to give blood. That's actually an improvement on the FDA's prior rules, which banned gay men from donating for life, but it still feels unnecessarily punishing. Once they were made aware of the restrictions, gay men online called out HBO for running what was essentially a discriminatory contest, The Daily Beast reports.

"The 'Bleed for the Throne' campaign is and has always been open to everyone," an HBO spokesperson said when asked for a comment about the FDA's restrictions. "Knowing that FDA regulations may prohibit blood donation by some, we have created multiple ways for fans to interact with the campaign, including entry to the activation at SXSW and the season 8 premiere sweepstakes ... Those unable to donate blood in national blood drives can still enter the sweepstakes by contacting the Red Cross Donor Support Center with a request to be entered, along with their name, mailing address and a valid email. Inclusivity is a key HBO value, and we have long been supporters of the LGBTQ+ community."

The controversy is a distinctly modern one. While HBO is relying on social media virality to promote the contest (and ultimately, itself), it's also instantly open to criticism by anyone who feels excluded. And even if it's not entirely the network's fault, it's hard to convey the nuance of why gay men can't participate in the blood drive in a single tweet. Sure, HBO could have run something more inclusive, like last year's Westworld event, but who did that really help besides the lucky attendees and the network itself?

Since the FDA revised its blood donation restrictions, the agency has come under fire for crafting a policy out of fear, rather than science. "Under the current system, for instance, a straight man with an active chlamydia or herpes infection is not prohibited from donating blood, even though such infections suggest recent high-risk sexual contact," Dr. C. Nicholas Cuneo wrote in an LA Times op-ed. "In a country where nearly a fourth of new HIV diagnoses are coming from heterosexual transmission, this double standard makes no sense unless the fundamental goal is discrimination, not safety."

When asked for comment, the FDA said its deferral policy is based on behavior, rather than sexual orientation. It said it "has been actively engaged in efforts to move towards blood donor deferral policies that are fair, equitable, and least restrictive to all donors while maintaining the safety of the blood supply for those individuals who need it." It will be discussing the topic in more detail at a meeting this month, and will review proposals to change its current methods of determining blood donor suitability. The FDA's full statement is available below.

As imperfect as it is, I went through the Bleed for the Throne experience because it's the sort of thing I'd like to see more from SXSW and other marketing-heavy events. According to the Red Cross, only about 3 percent of eligible adults donate blood in the US, leaving the country with a perpetually low supply. Every donation helps to save three lives, making it a much more worthwhile use of my time than waiting in yet another activation line.