Everyone's Doing Dark Aesthetics Right Now: How To Standout

You probably noticed when dark aesthetics spilled into the mainstream a handful of years ago.

E-boys and e-girls ruled TikTok, moody feeds took over Instagram, and Booktok became filled with dark romance. Gothic films and series found their way back into pop culture, and with them came a surge of new “dark” brands.

For many of us, this isn’t a trend. It’s been in our blood for years. Decades. We’ve loved these stories, sounds, and symbols long before they became an algorithm’s aesthetic of the month.

But when a genre of aesthetic rises this fast, it risks becoming… copy & paste. Overdone. Boring.

If every brand is dipping into the same imagery, the same tropes, and the same mood boards, the result is a blur of lookalikes where everyone has...Button eyes instead of vision (yes, this is a Coraline reference).

Here are 4 tips for standing out:

Obscure References

If everyone is pulling from the same Pinterest boards, then the results can feel pretty lifeless. That’s why I like to chase inspiration back to its roots. I don’t just look at what inspired you...I look at what inspired the person who inspired you. The forgotten films, folklore, underground music, and niche art movements that no one else is touching. The deeper the source, the harder it is for anyone to copy you.

Your Obsessions

That thing you’ve loved your entire life? The collection taking over your house? Your interests can become your greatest differentiators and a great way to find likeminded souls. That’s why I ask my clients for playlists, their most influential influences, photos of their favorite outfits, photos of their home, etc. If it feels “too specific,” it’s probably perfect to infuse into your brand in subtle doses.

Curate a Crossover

One of my favorite ways to help brands create something unique is through aesthetic crossovers. By blending multiple aesthetics and styles, you can shape a visual identity that feels entirely your own. The beauty is that it will still attract people who love each of those individual styles... but together, the combination becomes its own world. It helps you create visuals that standout AND are immediately recognizable.

Monitor Your AI Usage

I'm not here to be the AI police, but so many brands are pasting the same ChatGPT outputs and ending up with captions & concepts that sound eerily identical. Seriously - I can clock it immediately. Instead, you need to push it further. Keep a list of words you’d NEVER use (and words you overuse). Give it personal references and obsessions to pull from. Edit everything through your own filter before it goes out. Otherwise, you’re just adding another stitched-up copy to the pile.

If you’re going to dive into the dark, it should feel alive...or undead.

Like a forest filled with eyes peering back at you. An overgrown cemetery with phantoms dancing in the wind. The first bite of fruit that drips blood down your chin.

Visceral. Unable to mimic.

And never boring.

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