How Universal Made an Entire Culture Around Haunted Houses
On Halloween Horror Nights and its influence in pop culture
Halloween Horror Nights is one of the biggest Halloween events of the year. Not only do we have it here in the states in Hollywood and Orlando, but the event can also be found in Universal’s international locations as well. Over in Osaka, Japan this year holds a house dedicated to the iconic Japanese horror character, Sadako. In Singapore, they’re actually bringing back the unique house of The Weeknd.
All in all, Universal has made Halloween Horror Nights into a staple of their theme park branding, with the event even creating its own lore and characters to entice people in.
Introducing a Powerhouse of Haunts
The first Halloween Horror Nights started a lot differently than its current day counterpart. In 1991, Universal Studios Florida introduced the world to its three-day Halloween event called “Fright Nights.”
This first iteration only featured a single haunted house in a slew of shows. Later, in 1992, the event was renamed to the beloved “Halloween Horror Nights” that we all know.
As the event expanded from three-nights into more than a month of scares, so did its locations. In 1992, Universal Hollywood was also introduced to the fun.
Locations
In Orlando, the event has stayed in the Universal Studios Park, though there was a small window where HHN took place in Islands of Adventure.
And, while that isn’t really relevant to this specific newsletter, I just wanted to mention it for the sole purpose of informing you that there was once a Marvel-themed haunted house and scarezone. Yep, there was a Carnage haunted house with some dead superheroes. Honestly, pretty cool stuff. Anyway, the event moved back to its original home soon after, and has stayed there ever since.
Singapore was brought into the mix in 2011, bringing the scarefest to the country’s residents.
In 2012, HHN made its way into the land of Japan, terrifying visitors with scares themed around the hit-game Resident Evil.
The Icons of HHN
Arguably, one of the biggest reasons HHN became so popular is because of the event’s original characters. While there were houses featuring big names like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface, the “icons” of the event seemed even more interesting to fans.
These characters elevated the event from just another haunt and instead into an interactive horror experience. The fans would be teased with the story of that year with commercials and ads, making the event more exciting for fans who were curious for the full narrative.
These ads, of course, featured the Icons of HHN:
Jack the Clown
Eddie Schmidt
The Caretaker
The Director
The Storyteller
Bloody Mary
The Usher
FEAR
Lady Luck
Chance
Bone
Pumpkin Lord
Dr. Oddfellow
Jack the Clown was even the featured character in 2007’s “Halloween Horror Nights: Carnival of Carnage.” Despite being alongside such iconic faces in horror, it was Jack that was in charge of the event.
In recent years, the Icons have garnered their own fan base and have become horror icons in their own right.
Marketing Fear
The HHN brand is brilliant with their marketing. Firstly, the commercials made for this event have amazing production value. As a kid, I was terrified of going to the movie theater because of the commercial for HHN 19, which featured a man going into the lobby for concessions only to find everyone had been slaughtered.
Now, as a major horror fan who isn’t seven anymore, I find this ad endearing. Seriously, it definitely deserves some praise for scaring the hell out of me during my late night SpongeBob marathons.
But it isn’t just the commercials—HHN have made sure to keep up with modern times in digital marketing as well. The YouTube channel even posted a short horror video that hinted at their event for 2023, much in line with internet horror series that are dominating the scene right now.
Over on Twitter (or, eugh, “X”), HHN has focused more on the relatable/meme side of the internet. Another crowd to draw from.
Even within the parks, the marketing for HHN is everywhere, as banners decorate the sides of buildings to entice people to buy tickets for the haunts. There’s also the addition of the Tribute Store, heavily themed and a shopping experience on its own.
If any Halloween event is going to get a massive marketing budget, it’s Halloween Horror Nights. Other theme parks don’t market their Halloween events in such a way that Universal does.
Disney’s family-friendly events are surely advertised, and probably the only thing to even come close as marketing competition. But Disney isn’t producing haunted houses, so HHN doesn’t even have to bat an eye when it comes to the market.
On the other hand, parks like SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Six Flags try to go head-to-head with Universal with their own scares. But let’s be honest, none of them really live up to the marketing that Halloween Horror Nights does.
Long Live Halloween Horror Nights
2023 marks the event’s 32nd year for Orlando.
With so many years of fear, it’s no wonder why HHN has become the blueprint for Halloween events and haunts. It has become synonymous with the Halloween season, just as Spirit Halloween has in previous years.
Are you planning on attending Halloween Horror Nights? Just remember: Never go alone.