A few weeks ago, in my creative writing class, we were taught about the concept of transmedia, and how it was used in marketing. Quite simply, transmedia is the telling of a narrative through several different channels; it creates a story that is both immersive and encyclopedic.

This is evident in literature, such as JK Rowling’s addition of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a themepark, and her site, Pottermore to the entire Harry Potter experience. James Cameron has sketches and scientific names for every single plant that was in the background of Avatar, the movie that shattered any semblance of a record.

However, this is also used in marketing. Most prominent is the Why So Serious game  that was heralded as pure marketing genius. Before the release of The Dark Knight, Warner Brothers decided to release this alternate reality game in which people could experience Gotham mayhem in real time. Players pledged their allegience to the Joker by wearing his iconic smile in face paint, campaigning for a fictional Harvey Dent, and picking up phone calls from cellphones baked into cakes. Each tiny detail would end up being a subtle reference to a scene in the movie and when players finally ended up in a random IMAX theatre to watch the first scene of the movie, they realized that all the tasks they were to do helped the Joker commit the bank heist in the opening scene.

The Why So Serious campaign kept The Dark Knight in the media for over a year, and it won several advertising awards. If you’re geeking out right now, here’s a recap site that pretty much proves that people are still talking about this campaign. I am at awe at the genius of people.