Alfred Hitchcock bought up almost every single copy of the original Psycho novel before releasing his iconic 1960 film so that nobody would know the twist ending about Norman Bates dressing up as his dead mother.

A closer look

Alfred Hitchcock bought up almost every single copy of the original Psycho novel before releasing his iconic 1960 film so that nobody would know the twist ending about Norman Bates dressing up as his dead mother. He also implemented a strict policy at movie theaters that no one would be allowed inside once the film had started, which was an absolutely revolutionary marketing gimmick for an era when audiences casually strolled in halfway through a movie. It was essentially the world's first aggressive anti-spoiler campaign, orchestrated by an eccentric British man who completely understood the power of manipulating public curiosity. By aggressively controlling the narrative and treating his film like an exclusive, top-secret event, he terrified an entire generation away from taking motel showers. It perfectly demonstrates that viral marketing doesn't require the internet; it just requires a brilliant director who treats his audience with a healthy dose of sadistic contempt