When Showtime came to us to promote the Dexter Season 5 premiere, we didn’t just make an ad campaign — we built an entire world.

The story: A vigilante serial huntress stalks the “Infinity Killer,” leaving a breadcrumb trail of cryptic clues across the internet and the real world. Fans had to follow her digital footprints — decoding riddles, hacking hidden sites, uncovering secret content — until the case spilled into live events where they could literally step into the game.

This was Dexter brought to life — the dark wit, the moral ambiguity, the thrill of the hunt — not just watched on TV, but played out in city streets and browser windows.

For hardcore fans, it was the ultimate immersion. For casual viewers, the spectacle was impossible to ignore. And for Showtime, it worked — the campaign helped deliver the highest-rated season premiere in the network’s history.

The Dexter ARG has since been archived by devoted players who chronicled every puzzle, every hidden kill room, and every moment where fiction bled into reality. More than a marketing campaign, it became a piece of living Dexter lore.

If you want, I can also do a shorter, sniper-shot version for your portfolio so it hits fast for skimmers but still links out to the deep dive. That way the case study page has both impact and depth. Would you like me to do that next?

Recognition:

• Webby Awards 2011 – People’s Voice Winner

• Best Street Marketing Campaign 2010 – LA Weekly

• One Show Interactive Finalist – DEXTER: Game On

• SXSW Interactive Finalist – DEXTER ARG Kill Room

• 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards 2011 – DEXTER: Game On

Platforms:

Video • Print • Digital • Social • Experiential • ARG • Transmedia Storytelling