A&E Television Networks
By
| June 6, 2014
Leveraging the legacy of Hitchcock’s Psycho, A&E wanted to convey that the series was not a conventional prequel. It decided that the key to the marketing campaign is to get viewers to “Take-a-Peek” combining its creepy 12 Rooms website with other similarly themed advertising and materials. At Comic-Con, A&E created an elaborate exhibit featuring a replica of one of the bedrooms at the Bates Motel, allowing fans to set up their own creepy photo shoots. It all worked: the series premiere scored 3 million total viewers and 1.6 million in both 18-49 and 25-54, making “Bates Motel” the #1 original drama series debut ever on A&E in both demos.