Collection · 23 examples

Halloween marketing ideas

Halloween campaigns that got people talking, from spooky pop-ups to cheeky digs at rivals. Grouped by tactic, with a one-line version for your brand.

23examples
6formats to copy
0with stated results
9small-budget ideas
Format
Budget
Showing 23 examples
Small budget
Doable with a small team, gifting or a simple partner swap.
Mid budget
Needs a paid creator, some production or a co-branded product run.
Big budget
Celebrity fees, TV airtime or a large custom build.

Budget is our estimate of what it would take to run the same idea yourself, not what the brand spent.

The stunt

8 examples

What it isA one-off act in public, or online, that makes people stop and film.
Why it worksA surprising act is a story in itself, and the video travels further than the stunt.
Template: The stunt
Act: [WHAT YOU DO] in [PUBLIC PLACE / LIVE MOMENT]
Twist: the one thing people will repeat
Proof: why it fits your product
Capture: film it properly and send to press the same day

Budget: Mid to big.

2022Lottie LondonBeauty & personal care

Blood for a Halloween collection

In-store

Make-up brand Lottie London encouraged shoppers to donate blood for a chance to win its Halloween collection.

Copy this Tie your Halloween product to a real good cause that fits the theme.
Why it spread

A Halloween blood theme is linked to a real blood shortage. Source

Small budget
2020The Kraken RumFood & drink

The Kraken's Revenge

Live game

The Kraken Rum made Iwan Rheon the lead character in a live, playable Halloween video game.

Copy this Build a live, interactive Halloween show where your audience controls what happens.
Why it spread

Viewers control a real actor live, which makes it a shared event. Source

Big budget
2020Burger KingFood & drink

Cancelled clown

In-restaurant

Saying "cancelled clown" three times in front of certain Burger King restroom mirrors in Scandinavia made Ronald McDonald appear.

Copy this Build a spooky ritual customers can try in your store that teases your rival.
Why it spread

A spooky ritual aimed at the rival is a Halloween joke customers want to try. Source

Mid budget
2018FantaFood & drink

The monster spider

Street

Fanta sent a giant creepy spider prowling the streets of London for Halloween.

Copy this Put a giant Halloween creature on a busy street and film the reactions.
Why it spread

A giant creature in a real street gets filmed by passers-by. Source

Big budget
2017Burger KingFood & drink

Scary Clown Night

In-store

On Halloween, Burger King gave a free Whopper to anyone who came in dressed as a clown, a jab at McDonald's.

Copy this Give [FREE PRODUCT] to anyone who turns up dressed as [RIVAL'S MASCOT OR SYMBOL] on [DATE].
Why it spread

Customers dressed as the rival's mascot became the ad. Source

Small budget
2014Pepsi MaxFood & drink

Monster Mirror

Cinema prank

Pepsi Max and Odeon used a hidden screen and facial tracking in a cinema toilet mirror to scare moviegoers with monsters.

Copy this Set up a harmless hidden-camera scare where your audience already is.
Why it spread

Real scares on hidden camera are made for sharing. Source

Big budget
2014Bronx Zoo x 96 ElephantsNonprofit & public

The elephant pumpkin

Installation

The Bronx Zoo commissioned a 400kg elephant carved from pumpkins to raise awareness of elephant poaching.

Copy this Make a giant pumpkin carving of the thing your cause protects.
Why it spread

A giant Halloween sculpture carries a serious message to a wide audience. Source

Mid budget
2013HealthExpressHealth & wellness

Anti-smoking zombies

Street

Thirty zombie actors approached London commuters to show smokers what smoking could do to them.

Copy this Use a Halloween scare to show people the future your product helps them avoid.
Why it spread

A Halloween-style scare makes a health message memorable. Source

Mid budget

The funny ad

6 examples

What it isA film or post that makes people laugh first and remember the product second.
Why it worksPeople share what makes them laugh, and a joke tied to the product is remembered.
Template: The funny ad
Truth: one thing everyone recognises about [TOPIC]
Joke: exaggerate it until it's absurd
Product: the punchline or the fix
Length: under 60 seconds

Budget: Small to mid.

2025IKEARetail & CPG

Halloween Essentials

Social

IKEA in the Middle East recast cushions and throws as essential horror-movie gear, for hiding behind on the sofa.

Copy this Recast everyday products as essential gear for a seasonal ritual.
Why it spread

It turns a real behaviour everyone recognises into a reason to buy soft furnishings. Source

Small budget
2024WeRoadTravel

Vacay or Decay

Social

Travel company WeRoad used Halloween horror themes to scare people about unused holiday days.

Copy this Turn the thing your customers put off into a Halloween horror story.
Why it spread

Framing unused leave as a horror story fits the season and nudges people to book. Source

Small budget
2023LEGORetail & CPG

LEGO nightmares

Posters

LEGO released retro horror-movie posters about building nightmares, like stepping on a brick.

Copy this Make horror posters about the small everyday pain linked to your product.
Why it spread

Everyone's real LEGO pain becomes a horror film. Source

Small budget
2019PoundlandRetail & CPG

The invisibility cloak

In-store

Poundland "sold" Harry Potter-style invisibility cloaks for free, displayed as an empty hanger.

Copy this Sell an invisible product: an empty hanger or box with a funny label.
Why it spread

An empty hanger is a joke people photograph and share. Source

Small budget
2017Svedka VodkaFood & drink

The haunted internet

Online

Svedka's Halloween video played on the fear that the internet is haunting us, echoing The Ring.

Copy this Parody a famous horror film with a modern twist about your audience's life.
Why it spread

Borrowing a famous horror film makes the ad instantly understood. Source

Mid budget
2013PepsiFood & drink

Pepsi dressed as Coke

Print

Pepsi's Halloween ad showed a Pepsi can wearing a Coca-Cola cape, as if dressed up as its rival.

Copy this Dress your product up as your rival for Halloween.
Why it spread

Dressing as the rival for Halloween is a cheeky dig that flatters nobody and amuses everyone. Source

Small budget

The collab

4 examples

What it isTwo brands, or a brand and a famous person, make one thing together.
Why it worksTwo audiences hear about it at once, and the pairing is the hook.
Template: The collab
Partner: [BRAND / PERSON] with an obvious link to you
Thing: one product, ad or event you make together
Run: limited
Launch: both post the same day

Budget: Small to mid.

2024Liquid Death x YETIFood & drink

The Casket Cooler

Product drop

A limited-edition, life-size cooler shaped like a coffin, launched ahead of spooky season.

Copy this Make one absurd, limited object that fits both brands' jokes, timed to a season.
Why it spread

Both brands' fans expect the absurd, and a coffin cooler is impossible not to share. Source

Mid budget
2024Heinz x Monster MunchFood & drink

The spookiest sauce

Product

Heinz and Walkers Monster Munch launched a pickled-onion flavoured mayo for Halloween.

Copy this Pair with a brand that has a spooky name or mascot for a Halloween-only product.
Why it spread

A monster-branded snack meets a sauce giant for the one season it fits. Source

Mid budget
2022Lemonade x SnickersFinance

Full-size treats signs

Direct mail

Insurer Lemonade and Snickers sent some policyholders full-size Snickers bars and yard signs reading "No tricks. This house has full-size treats" to deter Halloween vandalism.

Copy this Use your own data to spot a seasonal risk, then partner with a treat brand to help customers avoid it.
Why it spread

Lemonade's claims data showed burglary and vandalism peak at Halloween, so the treats doubled as protection. Source

Mid budget
2019KFC x Spirit HalloweenFood & drink

The Colonel costume

Merch

KFC and Spirit Halloween released an official Colonel Sanders costume.

Copy this Turn your mascot or founder into an official Halloween costume.
Why it spread

A founder with a famous look becomes a costume fans wear, which is free advertising. Source

Mid budget

The limited product or merch drop

2 examples

What it isA strange, limited product or piece of merch that only makes sense for this brand.
Why it worksAn odd product is a headline and a photo in one, and scarcity makes people act.
Template: The limited product or merch drop
Product: [YOUR PRODUCT] as a [SNACK / GARMENT / OBJECT]
Why: ties to [A HABIT / JOKE / ANNOYANCE]
Run: [NUMBER] units
Assets: 3 photos and a 10-second video

Budget: Small to mid.

2021HeinzFood & drink

Tomato Blood

Product

Heinz relabelled ketchup as fake blood for DIY Halloween costumes.

Copy this If your product looks like a Halloween prop, relabel it as one.
Why it spread

The product already looks the part, so the rebrand just names it. Source

Small budget
2018MarmiteFood & drink

Spooky Marmite jars

Packaging

Marmite released two collectable Halloween jars for a few weeks in October, playing on its love-it-or-hate-it line.

Copy this Make a limited Halloween pack that plays on your brand's best-known line.
Why it spread

Limited jars that fit the brand's famous debate become collectables. Source

Mid budget

More ideas

1 examples

What it isOne-off ideas that don't fit the groups above.
Why it worksEach one shows a different way into the same moment.
Template: More ideas
Idea: [WHAT YOU'LL DO]
Why it fits: [LINK TO YOUR PRODUCT]
Where: [CHANNEL / PLACE]
When: [DATE / MOMENT]

Budget: Varies.

2022Burger KingFood & drink

The ghost detector

App

Burger King added a ghost detector feature to its app for Halloween, offering a free burger to customers who found a ghost.

Copy this Add a seasonal game to your app that unlocks a free item.
Why it spread

A game in the app gives people a reason to open it and order. Source

Mid budget

How to use these ideas

  1. Pick the angle: scary, funny or useful.
  2. Tie it to something your product already does or looks like.
  3. Launch by early October so people can plan.
  4. Make one thing people can photograph.
  5. Keep it light; avoid real harm or fear.

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Halloween Marketing Ideas: FAQ

What are some good Halloween marketing ideas?

Relabel your product as a costume or prop, dress your product up as your rival, build a spooky ritual in your store, or make a limited Halloween pack.

When should you start Halloween marketing?

Most campaigns here launched in late September or early October, so costumes and products are in people's hands before the day.

How can small businesses do Halloween marketing?

A scary vending machine, a cheeky social post or a themed product costs little. Filter by Small budget.

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