Dexter the Game
Open the game- Brand
- Dexter
- Year
- 2011
- Objective
- Awareness
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Agency
- SHOWTIME Networks
Objective
Dexter, a dark drama series on Showtime, needed to maintain viewer engagement between seasons and build anticipation for season 5's premiere. The campaign aimed to create a dedicated fan community through interactive experiences and reward loyal audiences with exclusive content.
Solution
Showtime launched an 8-week alternate reality game (ARG) centered on hunting a serial killer called 'The Infinity Killer,' with players assisting a fictional ex-FBI agent Dee Pratt. The experience spanned multiple platforms: location-based mobile challenges via SCVNGR app in six U.S. cities (San Diego, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta); elaborate ARG with websites (SerialHuntress.com and others), cryptic codes, and puzzles; a Facebook application featuring virtual tattoos; and real-world meetups with video and audio content. Players earned points and badges for completing challenges, with community-wide progression toward 100,000 total challenges unlocking exclusive season 5 preview content.
Results
The campaign distributed over 100,000 temporary tattoos at Comic-Con and won the 2011 Webby Award in the People's Voice category.
