Freddy Krueger: The Life and Legacy of a ‘Brand Boogeyman’

Mellor, Noel

Abstract

The relationship between cinema as both art form and product is as complex as it is controversial. This paper explores this intricate dynamic during the era of home video, where the new physicality of film created a more emphatic approach to movie marketing and merchandising, built on a set of established commercial disciplines.

At the forefront of this revolution was Freddy Krueger, the iconic ‘brand boogeyman’ of the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. This paper argues Freddy not only transcended both his medium and genre to become a household name across every demographic—even those for whom he was not intended—but kicked down a cultural door that remains wide open to this day.

Utilising high concept, brand identity, and consumer understanding, Krueger serves as a perfect case study for how products can be successfully adapted to meet the shifting needs of audiences and become “culturally oriented” (Godin, 2018). This in turn, it will argue, allows for a deeper conversation around the art produced by studios like New Line Cinema in response.

The paper explores the evolution of the Nightmare franchise (and others that followed its lead) against a Hollywood landscape where transmedia storytelling through soundtracks, music videos, TV shows, toys, comics, books, and much more was increasingly important. It examines the ‘rules’ deployed and defied across both art and product during this time to better understand Krueger’s dormant brand boogeyman status today—and what this means for his inevitable return.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: A Nightmare on Elm Street @ 40
• Start Date: Nov 8, 2024
• End Date: Nov 9, 2024
• Publication Date: Nov 9, 2024
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 4, 2024
• Journal: A Nightmare on Elm Street @ 40
• Keywords: horror, marketing, film, movies, Freddy, a nightmare on elm street
• Related Public URLs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rESrxkc_Xx8