Tagline Research

When looking at Horror film posters and teaser trailers, one thing I noticed was that they all had a tagline. In my project, I wish to include one, so it was imperative to look at existing taglines. 

Here are a list of 20 taglines I gathered from existing horror films. These will help give me ideas when creating my own tagline to put on my poster:

• Orphan- “There’s something wrong with Esther.”
• Mama- “A mother’s love is forever.”
• The Lost Coast Tapes- “It doesn’t like being called a hoax.”
• The Apparition- “Once you believe, you die.”
• The Woman in Black- “Do you believe in ghosts?”
• Trick ‘r Treat- “Poison, drowning, claw or knife, so many ways to take a life.”
• Bereavement- “There are some evils so unspeakable...they will scar you forever.”
• Altitude- “Don’t look down.”
• Fingerprints- “Even the dead leave them.”
• Mothers Day- “Don’t misbehave.”
• Texas Chainsaw 3D- “Evil has many faces.”
• The Attic- “Some secrets are better kept in the dark.”
• The Thing- “It’s not human. Yet.”
• The Grudge- “It never forgives. It never forgets.”
• Shutter- “The most terrifying images are the ones that are real.”
• The Ring- “Before you die, you see the ring.”
• The Uninvited- “Fear moves in today.”
• Walled In- “Some secrets are left buried.”
• Silent Hill- “Enjoy your stay.”
• The Innkeepers- “Some guests never check out.”

I found many similarities between these taglines, for example there were many references to death or supernatural “undead” creatures. Some of the taglines also featured childish qualities, for example rhyming or general life lessons you would have been taught as a child. Many of the taglines use the words “it” or “they” giving a sense of mystery - it makes the audience want to see the film to discover what they are referencing. A lot of the taglines also aim to scare the audience by using the word “you” making them feel as if they are directly being referenced.