TVSquad

I'm always fascinated by the ad campaigns that the networks come up with to sell or promote TV shows. I remember in 2004 when Fox debuted House, they created a magazine insert DVD of the pilot. It was a great way to get TV fans to try the show, and I -- for one -- bought Entertainment Weekly and watched the show.

Giveaways are one way to drive awareness -- and sample the product -- but another is with a print ad campaign. Recently, Gossip Girl came up with a savvy set of posters and advertisements to call attention to the naughtiness of the show.

Now comes a new, original campaign for Showtime's Dexter in which the Michael C. Hall's character is imagined on the cover of magazines. Dexter on Esquire, The New Yorker, GQ, Wired; high-profile magazines that have a distinctive look, reconfigured for serial killer hiding in plain sight, Dexter Morgan. The ads look amazing and will be seen in all variety of magazines and plastered up as posters all over the place.

While very clever, and in keeping with the wit of the show, will the ad campaign drive viewership? That's the intent because Dexter is already a known commodity. In fact, after a run on CBS last winter during the Writer's Strike, more people got to see the show and get into it than ever did on Showtime. But now Dexter is back on premium cable. How many CBS Dexter fans will sign up for Showtime in time for the show's third season debut on September 28?

We're going to see an upswing in the numbers, especially since Jimmy Smits is now part of the Dexter cast. That can only help. As for the ad campaign, it's a reminder and probably a smart one. It's aimed at the fans who are already hooked more than those who've been out of the loop.