Hibernating indoors, on the couch, when the temperature drops to below zero is a customary practice among Canadians.

And for the next six weeks, Citytv will be working at giving Canadians yet another excuse to imprison themselves in their home this winter.

Starting this week, the Rogers Media-owned network’s newest drama series, Alcatraz, will see the roll-out of what Koreen Ott, director, marketing and entertainment, Rogers Media tells MiC is Citytv’s largest-to-date marketing campaign for a winter series.

Produced by J. J. Abrams and filmed principally in Vancouver, Alcatraz will make its two-hour debut on Monday, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. to a primary target audience of 25- to 54-year-olds, says Ott.

Marketing material, created in-house, with OMD on the media planning, will be placed across Rogers Media platforms, including a 30-second promo spot that will run on its radio and TV stations in Toronto, Kitchener, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg. There will also be full-page ads in the media co’s Connected magazine.

In addition, there will be transit shelter ads, billboards, as well as digital and static mall, underground path and transit interior posters.

A QR code contest, to be launched on the day of the series premiere entitled “Alcatraz: Unlock the Mystery” was created to reach commuters. The 2D barcode will be placed in a number of dailies and will give participants the chance to win a trip for two to San Francisco to visit Alcatraz Island.

Display ads and homepage takeovers will be placed on sites across the Rogers Media ad networks as well as on AOL and MSN.

Looking to pry Canadians from the big screen, the network has also run 30-second trailers for the show at Cineplex theatres in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary since mid-December.