7 Brands That Jumped Into the 'Backrooms' Trend as It Breaks Box Office Records

An endless maze of yellow hallways has become one of the most valuable pieces of IP on the internet.

"Backrooms" recently became A24’s highest-grossing movie ever in North America after surpassing $97.7 million at the domestic box office.

Adapted from YouTuber Kane Parsons’ viral web horror series, the film also delivered the studio’s biggest opening weekend on record with $81.4 million.

What makes the phenomenon especially interesting for marketers is the people watching.

According to opening weekend audience data, an estimated 86% of the audience is younger than 35, while more than half are under 25.

This places the franchise squarely in front of one of the most difficult demographics for brands to reach through ads.

The result has been a wave of companies adapting the eerie aesthetic of the Backrooms into social content.

Here is a look at the brands that stepped into the walls of the never-ending space, and how they adapted the trend for their own audiences.

1. Minecraft

Minecraft recreated the familiar yellow corridors using wool and iron blocks, complete with a dark creature lurking in the distance.

The post also promoted a Backrooms-themed add-on that allows players to explore similar environments inside the game, making the trend feel like a natural extension of gameplay rather than a standalone social post.

2. Plants vs. Zombies

Plants vs. Zombies transformed the Backrooms into a version of its own world, decorating the walls with zombie and flower imagery.

It also features its signature Zombie character wandering through the space.

The caption referenced the Backrooms' "noclip" lore while tying it back to the franchise's long-running brain-hunting premise.

3. Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew placed a mysterious figure dressed in a branded onesie inside the maze.

It then asks the viewers if they'd retrieve the Baja Blast placed in the middle of the room if it meant being chased down by the branded figure, making the post interactive in the replies. 

4. McDonald’s

McDonald's produced one of the most ambitious executions of the trend with a two-minute exploration of an abandoned PlayPlace.

Viewers travel through dark slides, empty dining areas, overflowing fries, and broken equipment before eventually spotting Grimace hidden in a doorway.

The video dove into Backrooms mythology while injecting recognizable McDonald's imagery throughout, creating something that felt closer to a short film than a social post.

5. Scrub Daddy

In a short reel posted on Instagram, Scrub Daddy turned the Backrooms into an unsettling sponge warehouse packed with oversized versions of its products.

A sanitation-suited figure pursues viewers through the maze while the smiling mascot repeatedly appears and disappears throughout the journey.

The effortful and innovative approach to the Backrooms trend helped the brand stand out among other executions.

6. IKEA

IKEA took perhaps the most obvious route, but it also may have been the most fitting.

The furniture retailer inserted its furniture into the Backrooms world, placing them smack in the middle of the barren environment.

In true IKEA fashion, prices were included in the carousel post.

The execution felt particularly on-brand, given that many fans already associate the Backrooms with endless commercial interiors and furniture-store aesthetics.

7. Burger King

Burger King kept things simple by posting an image showing a Whopper hiding behind the walls of the Backrooms.

Fans familiar with the trend immediately understood the image, demonstrating how meme marketing often operates with "IYKYK" references. 

How Internet Horror Works for Brands

The Backrooms concentrates the shared online attention that marketers are persistently chasing.

Unlike traditional entertainment properties, the concept was born on the internet.

It spread through social platforms, evolved through creator communities, and eventually became a major theatrical release, exceeding everyone's expectations. 

The examples above then highlight how simple and low-effort references can be as effective as big-budget campaigns as long as they're tasteful and intentful.  

Minecraft married the concept with its gameplay. McDonald's built a branded horror film. IKEA connected the film to its furniture.

These efforts worked because the brands were able to place themselves within the Backrooms world without the connection feeling forced.

Here are a few things the Backrooms phenomenon makes clear for marketers:

• Make the most out of the marketing window. Memes tend to have a shorter lifespan compared to full-scale campaigns, and if you hop on trends too, audiences will be quick to point it out. 
• Adapt trends to fit your specific industry. The strongest executions add recognizable brand elements instead of replicating the original format.
• Reward audience knowledge. Fans are more likely to engage when content assumes familiarity, instead of overexplaining the reference. This couldn't be more true for memes.

The brands generating the most engagement are treating the trend as a framework and finding ways to make it uniquely theirs.

Our Take: Are Brands Entering a New Era of Internet Marketing?

Today, some of the biggest marketing opportunities for brands begin in corners of the internet that look insignificant until they suddenly aren't.

A teenager uploads videos about endless yellow hallways, and a few years later the concept becomes A24's biggest domestic hit.

The lesson isn't that every brand should start chasing creepy internet memes, but how they should start paying attention if they want to capture the hearts of Gen Z audiences.

Attention now forms differently than it used to.

The companies that recognized the Backrooms early and made a post about it understood they were showing up where passionate audiences gather.

Brands hopping on entertainment need agencies that understand how to align brand positioning with the cultural moment a film or property is trying to own.

Take a look at the top brand strategy agencies in our directory.