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Macabre Marketing

Morbid advertisements illustrate a turn toward more shocking media techniques

Implications - With violence in movies and television becoming the norm, viewers are becoming increasingly immune to explicit imagery. Aiming to incite more of an emotional response from viewers, brands seek to utilize violent themes to create shock value in their ads.
Trend Themes
1. Shock Advertising - Ad campaigns using shock value and violence to create an emotional response from viewers.
2. Macabre Humor - Using dark and twisted humor to appeal to audiences.
3. Morbid Curiosity - People's increasing fascination with horror and the macabre.
Industry Implications
1. Advertising - The advertising industry can use shock value and dark humor to create memorable campaigns.
2. Entertainment - The entertainment industry can capitalize on people's fascination with horror and the macabre in TV shows, movies, and literature.
3. Retail - Retailers can use horror and the macabre to create unique and eye-catching product designs and packaging.
4.7
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
6 Featured, 52 Examples:
407,244 Total Clicks
Date Range:
Feb 13 — Jan 14
Trending:
Warm
Consumer Insight Topics:

Featured Examples

Desecrated Logo Ads
Desecrated Logo Ads
A Campaign for OLA Poder Activo Shows Logos Being Killed
In an effort to promote OLA Poder Activo washing powder, Bolivian ad agency KEVLAR created a series of minimalist ads that feature iconic logos being destroyed. Each ad shows a different logo being... MORE
Twisted Disney Campaigns
Twisted Disney Campaigns
The '13th Street Horror Channel' Ads Kill Off Cinderella and Snow White
Sometimes an unhappy ending is all you’re looking forward to, and these 13th Street Horror Channel advertisements know exactly how you feel. Created by the Miami Ad School in New York with... MORE
Human Helmet Ads
Human Helmet Ads
The Thai Health Promotion Foundation Campaign is Gorily Scalped
The Thai Health Promotion Foundation ad campaign is shockingly gory in order to get people’s attention right off of the bat. It involves helmets made out of human scalps as though someone took... MORE
Traumatized Typography Texting Ads
Traumatized Typography Texting Ads
The MINI Word Blocker App Campaign Promotes Safe Driving
Many car companies put out ad campaigns that warn people not to text and drive; but MINI Cooper is one of the only companies that has taken it a step further with its MINI Word Blocker App. The... MORE
Bird-Infested Organ Ads
Bird-Infested Organ Ads
A Campaign Against Histoplasmosis has Birds Nesting on Organ Branches
In a campaign against Histoplasmosis, a series of branched organs with nested birds were created by American ad agency Publicis. Histoplasmosis is a disease that affects the lungs and is contracted... MORE
Macabre Gingerbread Men Ads
Macabre Gingerbread Men Ads
The Fangoria Magazine Holiday 2013 Campaign is Deliciously Disturbing
The Fangoria Magazine Holiday 2013 ad campaign mashes a bit of the Halloween spirit with a Christmas one to appeal to its fan base in a relevant way. Not to mention that it is promoting its... MORE

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