Netflix users had the misconception that the platform had very small sample of horror and thriller titles to offer. With hundreds of scary titles available to watch, it was necessary to change the user's perception and recall that the streaming service has great cult content and original movies and shows within this genre for viewers to enjoy.

With October approaching, it felt like the right time to create a Halloween campaign thought out to showcase the abundant content available for thrill-seekers.

According to studies from the University of Chicago, thrillers and horror movies are good for health, triggering calmness and reducing anxiety symptoms. Based on that, we created Netflix and Chills, a new therapy with the iconic Elvira as a Doctor to prescribe weekly horror content from Netflix's catalog directly to patients' profiles on social media networks. Every Sunday of October, a new prescription was released as a 2/3-minute video recommending different combinations of movies and shows.

Halloween being the second most celebrated commercial date in the US, the spooky season was an excellent opportunity for Netflix to advertise and an exciting challenge to “own” and stand out amidst many others who typically communicate during this period.

Our mission was to keep the conversation going around Netflix’s horror catalogue throughout the entire month of October. We strategically released weekly episodes creating engagement peaks over the four weeks until we reached Halloween day when Dr.Elvira posted her last therapy session.

Dropping nuggets of content as Halloween approached was a successful strategy because horror fans are a loyal bunch and true aficionados of the genre, always seeking more content.

Last but not least, considering a global rise in anxiety levels due to COVID-19, Netflix and Chills ended up combining real horror fans and Halloween lovers that needed to chill with Netflix’s best assets, its’ content.

Netflix and Chills went live on October 1st in all of Netflix’s and Elvira’s social media platforms: Instagram, Youtube and Twitter. Although focused in the US territory, the brand, the media placement and most importantly, Elvira being a worldwide celebrity gave it global relevance and visibility.

Following the launch film, every Sunday of October, a new prescription was released as a 2/3-minute video on the same platforms. By simply liking the video posts, viewers automatically became patients and received the weekly prescription/videos on their Instagram and Twitter profiles.

Additionally, several billboards were installed, including a digital billboard in New York’s Times Square that invited everyone to become a patient and Los Angeles, where we spoke directly to movie buffs.

During the four weeks of October, as the campaign rolled out, we had 3.5 million patients subscribed to D.Elvira’s Netflix and Chills sessions, resulting in 420 million minutes spent in therapy.

The campaign was featured on Forbes, Yahoo!News, Metro, DailyUpdate, Collider, and specialized entertainment-media such as Rotten Tomatoes and E! Entertainment garnering very positive headlines.

It was also the talk of the town in cult magazines and obscure movie media platforms, such as the Nerdist, DownrightCreepy, BloodyDisgusting and VitalThrills. A proof that the campaign spoke right to its target audience.

The Netflix and Chills with Dr.Elvira episodes are now part of IMDB’s database, surprising for content ads.

Mike Flanagan, the director and mastermind behind today’s most watched horror films, organically reposted and praised the campaign.

And at last, we saw 75% more interest in Netflix’s horror movies and shows than in the previous year.