The iconic scene from the original 1996 Scream, featuring the phone call between Casey Becker, played by Drew Barrymore, and Ghostface, was used by Google in its advertising campaign. In the advert, Drew picks up the phone, and Ghostface, in a threatening voice, asks her to guess which door he is at. Thanks to Google Home Hub, Drew can see via the Nest Cam that he’s by the patio door and cheerfully warns him that the police are on the way.
Video: Google Home Hub – Scream
It wasn’t the only horror-themed ad from Google. In another ad, the brand drew inspiration from Hitchcock’s Psycho. Janet Leigh, in her role as Marion Crane, uses Google to search for the nearest hotel, only to discover that the ominous Bates Motel has just a one-star rating – definitely not worth a visit…
Video: Google – Let’s Go to the Movies
The women in the ads mentioned above escaped without any physical or psychological harm thanks to Google. The same can’t be said for an ad by Phones 4U, where screaming was unavoidable. In the ad, the main character is confronted by a terrifying ghost girl in an underground parking garage. Well, anyone would scream at that.
Video: Phones 4U
Phones 4U clearly has a taste for horror. Another of its adverts proves it. This time, it is set in a forest.
Fear can take many forms. Who would have thought that real hell could be called ‘ice cream’? With Halo Top, it can be:
Video: Halo Top Ice Cream
Even more disturbing is the ice cream from Little Baby’s Ice Cream. It seems the brand took a bit of inspiration from Hannibal.
Video: Little Baby's Ice Cream
This truly spooky ad quickly went viral – it currently has around 22 million views on YouTube. In any case, this highly original spot outlived the brand itself, which went bankrupt in 2019.
Among ads that successfully capitalise on horror themes is undoubtedly the 2000 PlayStation 2 ad. At the time, the brand enlisted the famous director David Lynch – and he didn’t refuse.
Video: PlayStation 2 – Welcome to the Third Space
The Mercy ketchup ad is a bit less terrifying than the ads mentioned above, but it still makes you flinch for a moment. Just one swing of the axe and…
Video: Mercy Ketchup
On the other hand, the Halloween edition ad for the popular drink Fanta comes across as adorably spooky:
Video: Halloween edition of Fanta
In 2014, the Singapore branch of the popular department store IKEA decided to promote extended opening hours in a rather unconventional way, drawing inspiration from Kubrick’s famous horror film The Shining. At first, the commercial seems fairly harmless – but only at first.
Video: IKEA – The Shining
We will conclude this selection of spine-chilling ads with two campaigns focused on social issues. The first is the 1985 British anti-smoking campaign „Natural Born Smoker“, which terrified teenagers with a deformed figure immune to the dangers of cigarettes. The ad, directed by Barry Myers of Spots Film Services, won a silver D&AD Award.
Video: The Natural Born Smoker
An even more serious topic is addressed by the campaign End the Horror, run by I Choose Freedom Charity. The central message is that no horror film is as terrifying as living with domestic abuse, and no Halloween mask can be more frightening than the mask of an abuser that no one suspects.
Video: I Choose Freedom Charity – End the Horror
Emotion? Fear!
Horror-themed ads are especially appealing to viewers because they tap into one of the strongest human emotions – fear. Fear activates attention more quickly than most other stimuli, and – as numerous studies show – attention is the most valuable commodity in advertising.
Another advantage is that the horror aesthetic is striking and easily recognisable. Elements such as dark settings, music, shadows, or familiar motifs like a mask or mysterious figure instantly create atmosphere. Horror themes also allow for a strong dramatic shortcut – a story with conflict, threat, and resolution can be conveyed in just a few seconds. An ad that scares or shocks viewers is more likely to be talked about and shared. That’s why horror consistently returns as a powerful and effective tool in marketing communication. Perhaps the new Scream 7, now hitting theatres, will inspire a fresh wave of horror-themed ads.