A+E Television Networks

This is one creepy design—and we mean that as a compliment. Imagine taking a dark journey into the many rooms at the Bates Motel, learning new grisly details along the way as you learn about the show’s mythology, history and characters. Yeah, it’s pretty messed up. Good thing you only “checked in” via Facebook and Twitter. To thematically mimic the series, A&E execs chose the “Take-a-Peek” approach that made visitors feel like voyeurs as they looked through the 12 peepholes of the 12 doors of the motel, rendered beautifully from hi-resolution unit photography and video assets. The peephole on each motel room door showed a brief clip from the show or a teaser image spot, with nominal dialogue or information. The final door—number 12—gave an exclusive, extended sneak peek of the show. Meanwhile, an Easter Egg hidden when viewers checked-in at the office (a phone on the desk, password-protected with the code “Mother”) revealed a special image tease not previously released. In the end, 465K unique visitors flocked to the site, generating 1.8 million page views.