PROJECT OVERVIEW
How would a modern day marketing campaign for John Carpenter’s Halloween look if it were released today? This project reimagines the franchise’s legacy through a younger, digital-first lens bridging slasher nostalgia with contemporary creative tactics. From key art to motion to experiential design, I explored how to craft suspense using both traditional and modern storytelling tools.
Target audience
Primary Audience:
• Gen Z horror fans (18–25), drawn to slasher films, psychological thrillers, and viral horror IPs
• Fans of franchises like Scream, Terrifier, and Talk to Me
• Urban digital-first viewers who discover content via TikTok, Letterboxd, or streaming thumbnails
Secondary Audience:
• Legacy horror fans nostalgic for the original Halloween
• Film students, horror collectors, and retro cinephiles
CREATIVE STRATEGY
The central idea: fear from the shadows. The campaign leans into Michael Myers’ core identity as a stalker always watching, always approaching, never seen until it’s too late.
In a time where “stalker horror” is psychologically real (especially for younger, urban viewers), this idea re-centers the killer’s POV as both classic and eerily relevant. Every creative touchpoint was designed to create a sense of unease, often subtly, and to suggest that something is coming even if you don’t see it.
RESEARCH
I dived into looking at many movie posters in the past and in the present and noticed that there is a trend of simplicity in horror movie posters. I noticed that creepy cult movies will have serif fonts and that the ones with a killer use more of the san serif fonts. Red and black seems to be the go to trend for many of the color schemes and playing with the contrast in colors. With that information I have a guide of how my poster should look for a horror movie.
KEY ART CONCEPT
The hero poster is built around symbolic violence. Knowing that there are restrictions that prohibit gore or graphic blood, I used a knife lodged into a jack-o'-lantern to imply threat without explicit content.
Inside the knife’s reflection: a distorted glimpse of a suburban street Michael’s hunting ground. The mouth of the pumpkin doubles as the title placement, making the face a warning and the brand itself a scream.
Color scheme: night-sky blue and orange glow, echoing both Halloween iconography and modern horror palettes.
POSTER PROCESS + VARIATIONS
Exploration included:
Stalker silhouettes
Abstract “peeking through the blinds” concepts
Retro-style serif horror typography
Blood drip metaphors (revised for content rules)
Through testing and visual critiques, the final poster landed on a hybrid idea: graphic minimalism + narrative suggestion. This process highlighted my ability to adapt conceptually under real-world marketing constraints.
TITLE SEQUENCE DRAFTS
I rebuilt the iconic Halloween title sequence with modern flourishes. Rather than floating type over black, I:
Animated a zoom-in toward the glowing jack-o'-lantern
Used flickering eyes to suggest a lurking presence
Let the world fade to black until only the title appeared from the mouth, tying back to the poster
The sequence pays homage while bringing updated texture and mood—showing how brand storytelling can evolve across formats.
poster series
This teaser set explores the film from Michael’s point of view, placing the audience inside the quiet spaces where he hides behind bushes, through windows, down empty streets.
Using deep shadows, negative space, and minimal detail, each poster builds unease through what’s not shown. The goal was to capture the feeling of being watched, reinforcing the idea that fear lives just outside your line of sight.
These designs expand the main key art by showing that you don’t need to see the monster… to feel him.
SOCIAL CAMPAIGN: SHORT-FORM TEASER
To adapt for TikTok/IG Reels, I created a fast-paced teaser using the same visual toolkit:
Michael appears/disappears with spotlight cuts
Vignette lighting simulates blinking or stalking
Audio: breathing, soft footsteps, no music—leaning into realism and dread
The teaser tells a tiny story: “he’s always near.” Its purpose is to be watchable in 5 seconds while reinforcing the poster's tone.
EXPERIENTIAL IDEA:
STEP + REPEAT
For theatrical activation, I designed a photo-op wall featuring Michael Myers in his classic stance on a dimly lit street. The scene is simple but the idea is fan driven: it creates tension and play at once.
Positioning Michael as still, centered, and lifelike lets guests interact with a “real” slasher moment
The result: social-ready content that merges horror and fun
MOCK UPS
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MOCK UPS
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MOCK UPS • MOCK UPS •
mobile teaser
title sequence
CONCLUSION
This campaign was an exercise in restraint, adaptation, and audience awareness. From navigating censorship limitations to designing suspenseful motion, the project helped sharpen my ability to:
Work symbolically when content is restricted
Build emotional tension through layout and pacing
Carry a singular theme across multiple mediums
Most importantly, it was a deep dive into horror visual language learning when to show, when to suggest, and how to modernize fear for today’s audience.