Ads well done: Dexter

Advertising has fascinated me for a long time. I was first drew to them by their their visual impact, as evidenced by my collection of early 20th-century posters. I vastly prefer a subway full of interesting ads than the kind of blank walls that confronted me in, say, the Prague Metro. At the same time, watching Mad Men gave me an appreciation of the enormous complexity in marketing a product, and the kinds of questions a creative director/copyrighter faces when deciding on a promotion strategy. What do people want? Do you aim for their head, or their heart? Use a technique that hasn't been done before, and you could be a laughingstock or a genius. Its tremendously interesting, and exciting, and appreciating the work behind an ad has made me more aware of their presence, and effectiveness, in real life.
I just wanted to talk about a campaign thats in force today that I find particularly effective. Dexter (on Showtime) is one of those shows that I keep hearing about but have never been particularly driven to watch. It just hasn't really stood out to me from all the other network dramas. But a recent campaign has began promoting the show on posters replicating magazine covers. Its as if Dexter is on the front page of some of America's most well-known periodicals:



First of all: design A+. the hotographs, the font, the article headings: its outstanding how close they got into the heads of these magazines' editors. They've boiled down these magazines into their essense

Secondly, the idea is great. By using different magazines you have a better chance of roping in a wide variety of viewers - those who read the New Yorker, People Magazine, Esquire etc. It forms a bridge of familiarity to an otherwise unfamiliar show. It would be a lot different if it was just a picture of the main character's face with the title: not clever, not particularly engaging.

Anyway, while I might not be able to watch Dexter in the future (no cable) I'll be sure to check out its website and find out exactly what makes the show "tick", pardon the term.

What are some ad campaigns that really "worked" for you?