Campfire was founded by Mike Monello, who currently serves as Creative Director. In 1999, Mike and his partners at Haxan Films devised the brilliant and groundbreaking marketing push behind The Blair Witch Project. In the early days of the internet, the film’s marketing team spread rumors about the film online, creating the illusion that the found footage was entirely real. It worked beyond the team’s wildest expectations, leading to a phenomenal run at the box office and one of the first true examples of viral marketing. The Blair Witch marketing strategy continues to influence experiential marketing to this day. One could argue that, with today’s skepticism about online content, we may never see such an effective campaign again.

In the years since its founding, Campfire has welcomed Creative Director Steve Coulson, who has helmed a number of ad agencies, and Business Development Director Mike Knowlton, who comes from the world of software and technology. Together, they develop brand activations with a “trans-media” approach, utilizing many forms of communication and entertainment to earn their audience’s attention and engagement.

Well before the premiere of Westworld, Campfire produced an immersive experience that included interactions with live actors, as well a VR experience for the HTC Vive, which brought guests into the show’s futuristic theme park. For HBO’s 2019 show Watchmen, Campfire created phone booths that, through the use of augmented reality, turned guests into the all-powerful superhuman Dr. Manhattan. The show also included interactive telescopes, spaceships, and of course themed drinks and merchandise.

For FX’s vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, Campfire created three “Vampire Libraries” strewn throughout downtown Austin, Texas. Once the sun set, guests could enter the libraries, chat with a vampire host, and take a book as well as some swag from the show. For the audio technology company Sonos, Campfire built two beautiful immersive domes – one with a beach theme and another with a forest theme. Guests were given a Sonos portable speaker and encouraged to explore the micro-environment and expel some of the stresses of their day.

From the Campfire website:

“Campfire was born from our passion for storytelling.

Yes, our founders made The Blair Witch Project. But if you think it was just a movie, you’d be mistaken. It was a tale that evolved in the press and online and through genre fans and dozens of other little experiences to create an experience much larger than any single film could contain. The movie was just the centerpiece in a complex series of encounters. Legends were seeded. Stories evolved. Advocacy grew. And the film became a sensation before it ever reached a single theater.

This transmedia approach to telling stories across multiple channels and media was a new way to create and manage a brand launch. Since this lofty beginning, we’ve applied these principles to generate unprecedented buzz and engagement for dozens of companies.”

Haunting is a resource for immersive theater and horror fans in Los Angeles and across the world, promoting art and community. Want to help us reach even more people, and get some cool perks and experiences? For as little as $1 a month, you can join our Patreon and help us keep bringing content to life.

If you like the above article and want to find more like it, make sure to join our community. If Facebook is your favorite, follow us there and become a part of our groups for Immersive Horror fans and/or Immersive creators. We’re active on Instagram, posting evocative imagery and informative stories to promote our reviews and recollections; follow us there. You can even find us on twitter; click here to follow. For those who want to explore deeper, we have a vibrant Slack community with new event alerts and immediate ticket sale announcements; click here to join. And subscribe to our event calendar to get emails for all or specific events (look for the link right under the calendar)! Finally, we have a newsletter that comes out once a week; click here to sign up.

So however you like your news being delivered, we have something haunting for you.