The Analog Horror Project was designed to cement YouTube’s status as the definitive home for horror storytelling, especially among Gen Z. While YouTube has long been a hub for the genre, we wanted to spotlight Analog Horror—a uniquely unsettling subgenre that thrives on the platform.
Between January and August 2024, Analog Horror amassed over 500 million views, captivating audiences with its eerie, nostalgic aesthetic and fear-of-the-unknown storytelling. By launching this initiative during Halloween, we aimed to:
Rather than just telling audiences about Analog Horror, we wanted to make them feel it—creating a campaign that was as haunting and immersive as the content it celebrated.
To bring this vision to life, we created a 10-minute meta-horror video in collaboration with horror creator Spencer Lackey (@spangerlookrey). Designed to be both educational and eerie, the video blended classic Analog Horror tropes, unsettling visuals, and self-referential humor—drawing viewers into an experience that felt like a horror story in itself. Packed with Easter eggs, participatory storytelling, and deep-cut genre references, it wasn’t just content—it was a love letter to the community.
But the campaign didn’t stop at the video. We extended the experience across YouTube in a way that felt native to the platform and its horror fandom:
Challenges & Innovation:
Analog Horror is a grassroots genre with a fiercely dedicated fan base. Our biggest challenge was ensuring that our campaign felt authentic rather than commercialized. Instead of marketing the genre, we embedded ourselves within it—collaborating with an established creator, using the language and aesthetic of Analog Horror, and allowing fans to participate in the experience rather than just consume it.
The result? A campaign that didn’t just discuss Analog Horror—it became a part of it.
The Analog Horror Project resonated deeply with horror fans, proving that YouTube is not just where horror lives—it’s where it thrives. Our efforts delivered:
By tapping into nostalgia, innovation, and true genre appreciation, we solidified YouTube’s status as the ultimate home for horror storytelling—giving fans and creators a project that didn’t just spotlight the genre but became part of its legacy.
