SHOWTIME Launches ‘DEXTER GAME ON’ at Comic-Con

As part of a multi-tiered programming, digital and marketing campaign custom-designed for the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, SHOWTIME announced the launch of DEXTER GAME ON (DexterGameOn.com), an interactive promotional game that will take place simultaneously at San Diego Comic-Con and in five other major cities across the U.S. from Wednesday, July 21 to Sunday, July 25. SHOWTIME has worked with SCVNGR – an iPhone and Android-based application that is all about going places, doing challenges and earning points – to build DEXTER(TM)-themed challenges for the game. The collaboration marks the first time that a television network has teamed up with SCVNGR.

Players of DEXTER GAME ON are asked to step into Dexter’s mind to unlock exclusive content from the series’ upcoming fifth season and for a chance to pick up DEXTER-themed merchandise, including season four DVDs. Devoted fans of the series know that all of Dexter’s victims are marked with a small incision on their right cheek, and at Comic-Con, those fans can show their love for the series by sporting a DEXTER “cheek slash” tattoo. SHOWTIME will hand out over 100,000 lick-‘n-stick tattoos during all four days of Comic-Con. Tattoos will be available throughout the convention floor, at the SHOWTIME booth (#4129), and will be distributed by street teams outside the convention center.

Fans are encouraged to take pictures of themselves sporting their tattoos at various locations around the convention and upload them to the DEXTER GAME ON site (DexterGameOn.com). At Comic-Con, players will explore San Diego through the check-in-based DEXTER-themed Trek on SCVNGR (scvngr.com) – venues will range from the SHOWTIME booth, to an innocent coffee shop nearby, and will culminate in a “crime scene” location to be revealed near the convention center. As gamers complete the trek, they will have the opportunity to earn limited edition SCVNGR badges that can be redeemed for DEXTER merchandise, including the early release of 250 copies of the DEXTER season four DVD.

Fans that are unable to join SHOWTIME at Comic-Con can actively play in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta with SCVNGR treks custom designed locally for their area. SHOWTIME has also created a new “cheek-slash-yourself” Facebook application, where fans can upload tattoos directly to their online profile photos on Facebook. Fans playing DEXTER GAME ON across the country will work as a hive – each challenge completed at Comic-Con, in the five participating cities, and via Facebook gets tallied on the official counter on DexterGameOn.com. Once the DEXTER community amasses 100,000 completed challenges, a never-before-seen sneak peek of the series’ upcoming fifth season will be unlocked and available for all fans to see.
“At SHOWTIME, we pride ourselves for being at the cutting edge of technology and are excited to be the first television network to join forces with SCVNGR,” said Robert Hayes, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Digital Media, Showtime Networks Inc. “Comic-Con is the perfect venue to further engage our loyal fans with this robust interactive social media game, while providing added value to our over three million DEXTER fans on Facebook.”

“The DEXTER challenges on SCVNGR are truly killer,” said Seth Priebatsch, Chief Ninja of SCVNGR. “Fans should grab the SCVNGR app and play DEXTER GAME ON at Comic-Con, and all across the country to help unlock an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming fifth season of DEXTER.”

As previously announced, SHOWTIME will headline the opening day of San Diego Comic-Con hosting two panels on Thursday, July, 22 in Ballroom 20. THE ANTI-HEROES OF SHOWTIME (4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.) will feature series creators, showrunners and actors who have helped define the network’s programming line-up. Featured panelists include Michael C. Hall and DEXTER showrunner Chip Johannessen, David Duchovny and executive producer and creator Tom Kapinos of CALIFORNICATION, Mary-Louise Parker and executive producer and creator Jenji Kohan of WEEDS, along with Linda Wallem, executive producer, writer and one of the creators of NURSE JACKIE and series star Paul Schulze.

Then, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., Comic-Con will once again welcome America’s favorite serial killer with a revealing interview and Q&A session with the stars and executive producers of DEXTER that will include an exclusive first-look trailer of the highly anticipated season five premiere. Featured panelists include series star/executive producer Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Desmond Harrington, and executive producers John Goldwyn, Sara Colleton, Chip Johannessen and Manny Coto. The fifth season of DEXTER premieres September 26 at 9 p.m. ET/PT only on SHOWTIME.
SHO.com will launch a dedicated Comic-Con microsite that will bring the convention experience to the fans that are not able to attend. The site will host the highly anticipated season five DEXTER trailer and content from the Anti-Hero panel, to be showcased immediately after the Comic-Con panels.