The new Alien: Romulus campaign has made me scared to go outside

The Alien: Romulus campaign has been a slow-burn cinematic masterpiece in itself. From its delightfully eerie film posters to terrifying teaser trailers, Fede Álvarez's latest instalment in the iconic franchise is set to be a scream – and this latest campaign just upped the fear factor to the extreme. (Want more Alien news? Read our interview with Alien: Rogue Incursion's art director.)

Taking to the streets of New York City, Facehuggers have been attacking inhabitants in broad daylight, unleashing the terror beyond the cinema screen. With its ingenious use of practical SFX, the horrifying campaign has redefined OOH advertising, bursting through the conventions of movie marketing to create a visual feast that'll haunt my nightmares for years to come.

In the eerie promotional video, innocent Facehugger victims appear all across New York, draped from cabs, strewn in subway stations and lying out in the streets. The striking scenes are made all the more disturbing by the realistic Facehugger props that undulate as the victim's life is drained from their body. Passersby can be seen snapping photos and looking on in horror as the terror manifests right in front of their faces – nobody appears to be offering the victims any help, but quite frankly, who can blame them?

We're even treated to an IRL recreation of the iconic Chestbuster scene as a man is shown struggling in the streets before a gruesome-looking alien bursts from his chest – definitely not something you'd want to see on your daily commute. The provocative campaign is one of the best uses of guerilla marketing I've seen in a while, unleashing terror on the streets in a wholly memorable (and slightly traumatising) promotion of the highly anticipated new Alien franchise film.

The suffocatingly brilliant Alien: Romulus film posters already hooked me, but this ingenious campaign has really set the standard for horror movie marketing. With the terrifying trailer proving that the new film is set to be more than a bite of nostalgia, I can't wait to see the terror take to the big screen (back where it belongs).