Medievalcore, mythmaking & the rise of history creators
Nostalgia isn’t just an aesthetic—it’s a strategy. Here’s how “Medievalcore” and history creators are turning it into the internet’s newest storytelling advantage.
In this Thursday’s email we’re sharing:
📖 Ones to Watch: 3 history creators turning the past into the internet’s next big storytelling playbook
🔎 One Small Thing: The art of predictable surprise and how every brand can (and should) do it too
In the full edition, available for paying members, we look at:
🏰 From corsets to cursed lovers—why “Medievalcore” is reshaping culture, and 5 ways brands can tap into this fantasy-fueled shift
🎉 Exciting news! We’re proud to share that the Social State of Giving Report we collaborated on with GoFundMe is a finalist for the Shorty Awards! Please consider voting for us here - open until the 21st.
+ recent exclusives: 💎Enshittification explained: why platforms go from loved to hated, Q4 playbook: September’s trends every brand should be watching, Franchises > one-offs: the content consumers actually want from brands
ones to watch: historians
TL;DR: History might sound “boring,” but a new wave of creators are proving it’s anything but. They’re reframing the past through short-form storytelling, uncovering forgotten narratives, and using context to make modern culture make sense.
As we look closer at these creators, two themes stand out: 1) they identified gaps in how history is taught or shared, and stepped up to fill them and 2) authenticity and approachability wins audiences with concise, conversational storytelling.
We’ve handpicked three creators who are redefining what history content can look like online. From resurfacing forgotten stories and deep dives into architecture, to exploring the streets of New York City, these creators are making the past engaging, accessible, and—most importantly—relevant for audiences today.
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Kahlil Greene, The Gen Z Historian
With a history degree from Yale and a lifelong passion for social justice, Kahlil has built a platform as the “Gen Z Historian,” dedicated to uncovering hidden, under-told, or misrepresented parts of American history. He first gained an online audience with his fast-paced TikToks and short-form videos, breaking down historical events, policies, and cultural moments—and explaining why they’re still relevant today. Since then, Kahlil has earned two Emmy nominations and a Peabody Award for his series The Hidden History of Racism in New York.
→ What to watch: A multi-platform playbook
Kahlil’s strength is distribution through depth: each new channel isn’t a copy-paste, but a format reimagination. Over the past year, Kahlil has successfully expanded beyond short-form video on TikTok and Instagram, launching a Substack newsletter,
, where he shares “hidden history” lessons focusing on Black, Native, Asian, and Latino American history with his over 37k subscribers. In addition to his written content, he recently partnered with National Geographic on a four-part YouTube series exploring the hidden histories of iconic American cities.***
Johnny Murtaugh, NYC history
Johnny is an NYC-based content creator who shares lifestyle and travel content while weaving in historical context. After being laid off from his corporate job over the summer, Johnny used his six weeks of severance to pursue full-time content creation. From ancient Native American caves in Central Park to the history behind specific streets, Johnny’s account is a go-to resource for history lovers, New Yorkers, and tourists eager to explore the city.
→ What to watch: Narrative meets lifestyle.
Johnny’s secret isn’t facts—it’s placement. He folds history into daily life: commutes, coffee runs, bar crawls. The result? Education that feels effortless, not educational. He’s built a niche community around the idea that the city itself is a living archive. Whether it’s historic bar crawls or pointing out history facts from his morning commute, Johnny hooks audiences with lifestyle content while educating them on New York history. By blending day-to-day life with historical insights, he positions himself as both an authority and a relatable guide for the city.
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Dr. Amy Boyington, History with Amy
With a PhD in architectural history from the University of Cambridge, Amy creates detailed, research-backed videos exploring niche moments in history—from parents mailing their children to 18th century hygiene habits to specific historical figures. All her videos follow a simple template: Amy appears in the bottom left corner against a greenscreen featuring a relevant photo, providing clear and engaging context. She has mastered concise, social-first storytelling, breaking down complex topics in two minutes or less—something that’s much harder than it looks.
In addition to her social content, Amy is the author of Hidden Patrons: Women and Architectural Patronage in Georgian Britain and is currently working on her second book, Decadence & Display, which explores 18th-century dining rooms.
→ What to watch: Consistency as strategy
Amy is not only consistent in her content format but also in her posting schedule, dropping a new video daily. Both audiences and platform algorithms can rely on her regular output. Given the evergreen nature of her videos, it’s likely that Amy batch creates content, pre-planning and scheduling it out in advance. Beyond consistency, Amy makes history approachable, often starting her videos with simple questions or observations and breaking down major events in easy-to-understand terms.
🔎One small thing: How consistency builds trust (and trust builds growth)
Across all three creators, there’s one throughline that matters more than format, hook, or aesthetic shift: consistency.
While Greene scales through depth and Murtaugh through lifestyle narrative, it’s Dr. Amy Boyington who makes the invisible muscle visible—discipline. Her entire operation runs on ritual: one video, every day, same format, same tone, same payoff. That repetition builds trust and expectation—she’s programming for return behavior, not random reach.
As people spend less time on social platforms and AI increasingly floods feeds—Meta just announced a feed specifically for AI-generated content—knowing who your audience actually is and why your content resonates has never been more important. Amy’s content succeeds because she understands her audience: they want clarity, curiosity, and emotional texture in short, bingeable bursts. Similarly, Medievalcore resonates because audiences are craving escapism, ritual, and narrative depth in a year where reality often feels flat and over-optimized [more on this growing trend below 👀].
Here are some ways to apply these lessons to your own content strategy:
Identify your audience. Lay out age ranges, gender, interests, and other defining traits. Think both about who your audience is and who you want them to be.
Get familiar with analytics. Check whether the data aligns with your assumptions. Which content formats or themes perform best?
Define tiers. Break your audience into:
Superfans: your diehards who engage daily
Converts: those within reach but not yet engaged
Aspirational: the high-value audience you aim to capture
Measure and tweak. Once you’re creating content deliberately, double down on what works and adjust what doesn’t.
Amy’s formula is something every brand can borrow: predictable surprise. Audiences know what they’ll get—but not exactly which topic will appear next. That tension builds loyalty in a way algorithms alone never could.
In short: deeply understanding your audience and showing up consistently is what turns viewers into habitual consumers of your content. In a landscape of declining attention spans and AI saturation, whispering consistently beats shouting occasionally.
you can find our full target audience rundown here
⚔️ Escapism is the new culture currency
From corsets to cathedrals, the Medievalcore aesthetic has gone mainstream—but it’s not really about knights or castles. It’s about texture in an increasingly flat world.
Audiences are exhausted by frictionless feeds and AI-slick sameness. Medievalcore, at its core, represents a craving for craftsmanship, ritual, and story—a reminder that meaning takes time.
That’s why this movement is influencing more than fashion or fandom. It’s showing up in branding, hospitality, travel, and even tech design—anywhere storytelling can make the familiar feel enchanted again.
For brands, the takeaway isn’t “go medieval.” It’s reintroduce magic. Create experiences that feel built, not generated. Use narrative and detail to turn your product into a world people want to reenter.
Below the paywall this week:
5 actionable ways brands can tap into this fantasy-fueled shift—from narrative tone to sensory worldbuilding ⬇️
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