A method of applying a thermal barrier coating to a metallic article consisting of the steps of:- (a) applying a layer of platinum-group metal to the metallic article, applying the platinum-group metal by an electroplating process, heat treating the platinum-group-metal coated metallic article, diffusing the platinum-group metal into the metallic article, creating a platinum-group metal enriched outer layer on the metallic article, providing the surface of the platinum-group metal enriched outer layer on the metallic article with a microstructure comprising a plurality of projections extending away from the metallic article, (b) creating a thin adherent layer of oxide on the platinum-group metal enriched outer layer of the metallic article, and (c) applying a ceramic coating to the oxide layer on the surface of the bond coating, depositing the ceramic coating on the surface of the bond coating on and around the projections, applying the ceramic coating as a plurality of columnar ceramic grains (41, 43) extending substantially perpendicularly away from the metallic article, nucleating and growing a plurality of the columnar ceramic grains on the oxide layer on the projections on the bond coating, nucleating and growing a plurality of the columnar ceramic grains on the oxide layer around the projections on the bond coating, growing a plurality of the columnar ceramic grains on the oxide layer on the projections on the bond coating through the full thickness of the ceramic coating, growing a plurality of the columnar ceramic grains on the oxide layer around the projections on the bond coating only extending part way through the full thickness of the ceramic coating, growing one or more columnar ceramic grains from each projection, growing the columnar ceramic grains together from a respective one of the projections in a cluster of columnar ceramic grains and separating the clusters of columnar ceramic grains by gaps. (a) applying a layer of platinum-group metal to the metallic article, applying the platinum-group metal by an electroplating process, heat treating the platinum-group-metal coated metallic article, diffusing the platinum-group metal into the metallic article, creating a platinum-group metal enriched outer layer on the metallic article, providing the surface of the platinum-group metal enriched outer layer on the metallic article with a microstructure comprising a plurality of projections extending away from the metallic article, (b) creating a thin adherent layer of oxide on the platinum-group metal enriched outer layer of the metallic article, and (c) applying a ceramic coating to the oxide layer on the surface of the bond coating, depositing the ceramic coating on the surface of the bond coating on and around the projections, applying the ceramic coating as a plurality of columnar ceramic grains (41, 43) extending substantially perpendicularly away from the metallic article, nucleating and growing a plurality of the columnar ceramic grains on the oxide layer on the projections on the bond coating, nucleating and growing a plurality of the columnar ceramic grains on the oxide layer around the projections on the bond coating, growing a plurality of the columnar ceramic grains on the oxide layer on the projections on the bond coating through the full thickness of the ceramic coating, growing a plurality of the columnar ceramic grains on the oxide layer around the projections on the bond coating only extending part way through the full thickness of the ceramic coating, growing one or more columnar ceramic grains from each projection, growing the columnar ceramic grains together from a respective one of the projections in a cluster of columnar ceramic grains and separating the clusters of columnar ceramic grains by gaps.