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Much like choosing a costume, Halloween campaigns can be masterfully executed or miss the mark. So which ones were delightfully frightful and which ones were boo-ring?
Here are some of the ways brands celebrated spooky season this year:
- M&Ms created a “Halloween Rescue Squad” with instant-delivery company GoPuff to replenish low candy stocks within an hour for free on Halloween. The brand also worked with influencers like @jjniemann to promote its Ghoul Mix starting last month.
- Twix created an ad to promote its “Ghoulish Green” candy variation that’s running on TV and online.
- Uber Eats partnered with Hollywood studios to create promo codes based on horror movie taglines. Those who guess correctly get a discount on Halloween candy, costumes, and more.
- Angel Soft is running a costume contest based on the concept of toilet-paper mummies.
- Streamers like Paramount+ worked with influencers to promote their Halloween show and movie offerings.
- Hulu, on the other hand, did an IRL activation in LA—a haunted house based on some of the horror programming it’s streaming, like American Horror Story and Goosebumps.
- Disney+ partnered with Fresh Sends to create a “HallowSend” gift box that includes flowers and a Disney+ gift card.
- Pop-Tarts worked with Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken to make a Halloween ad that’s running on TV and online.
- Jack in the Box made a short horror film, “Feeding Time,” to promote its Angry Monster Tacos.
- Burger King also made a horror short, “The Call,” to promote its Ghost Pepper Whopper.
- Airheads asked people to create “spooky but fun” films using AI as part of its “Scarefest” filmmaking contest.
- Rimmel London ran an influencer campaign on Halloween makeup tutorials.
- The Inkey List did the opposite: showing influencers taking off their Halloween makeup to promote its skin-care products.
Back again: Spirit Halloween partnered with brands like Shake Shack, Barbie, and Butterfinger throughout the month. Much like the brand’s physical locations, soon these promotions will be but a memory…until next year.
+1: Maybe this isn’t exactly Halloween reclated, but it has witchy vibes: Jaffa Cakes recruited Bonnie Tyler, singer of “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” for a video on eclipses…and cookies. The brand is also promoting its Jaffaween cakes on TikTok.
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