We've seen a number of advertisers leaning into the trend for horror this year, and creating their own "horror films" - among them Liquid Death, KFC, Ford and the Red Cross. The latest campaign, from Casey House, a specialty Canadian hospital for those living with HIV and Aids, uses the genre to signify stigma against people living with HIV. 

Casey has created a 20-minute horror film called “Others” to raise awareness and break stigma around the condition. The film, created by agency Bensimon Byrne, shows a man–played by HIV positive actor Peter McPherson–being targeted by a group of people, apparently due to his condition. The film never directly references HIV.

The effort is part of the hospital’s campaign called “Smash Stigma,” and is amongst previous efforts that include a pop-up restaurant and spa, which each featured HIV positive staff and which both won Ad Age’s small agency awards.

“As a hospital that strives to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe, we’re also tackling the deeply ingrained stigma associated with HIV,” says Joanne Simons, CEO of Casey House in a statement. “Horror is a genre that allows for complex social issues to be presented in a compelling way. An evolution of the hospital's ongoing #SmashStigma initiative, the Others campaign looks to harness the power of fear - which fuels stigma – to spark conversations around outdated misconceptions about HIV."