What Your Brand Can Learn from Halloween Marketing Campaigns That Stick
Why Halloween Marketing Works
What started out as trick-or-treating and watching “scary movies” has evolved into a major marketing opportunity. U.S. Halloween retail spending hit $12.2 billion in 2023, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). Halloween offers brands the perfect blend of nostalgia, community, creativity, and emotional appeal, and enables businesses across all industries, not just candy and costumes, to engage with their audiences in creative ways.
The most memorable campaigns aren’t just about being scary or selling trick-or-treat candy. They lean into emotion, surprise, and storytelling, tools that brands can use year-round. Let’s explore how standout brands do this with Halloween, and how you can too
Key Themes:
Brands use emotion, surprise, and creativity to create memorable Halloween campaigns.
Emotion: Tell stories that connect to shared experiences.
Surprise: Take calculated, creative risks to stand out.
Creativity: Extend your brand’s personality beyond the season.
Let’s look at each theme in turn with real examples of well-executed Halloween campaigns.
Emotional Storytelling: Building Connection Through Fear, Fun, and Nostalgia
Successful Halloween campaigns often tap into shared feeling, like nostalgia, humor, surprise, playfulness, belonging, or even fear. Emotional connections help consumers build brand loyalty because people connect with how you make them feel, not just what you say. Brands that evoke feelings like joy, fear, or nostalgia are more likely to be remembered. Examples of successful emotion-based Halloween campaigns:
Fanta’s “Haunted Fanta Factory” (2025)
Coca-Cola’s Fanta brand launched an immersive haunted experience in NYC and themed cans. The campaign emphasized community experiences and brand participation over traditional ads, showing that emotional resonance builds lasting brand memory.
Source: Business Insider
Skittles “Zombie Skittles” (2022)
Skittles introduced a limited-edition “rotten” flavor pack and encouraged social sharing of reactions. The campaign drove UGC and broadened engagement beyond the product.
Source: Media Shower
When creating a campaign for your brand, whether it be Halloween or year-round, it is important to ask yourself, “What emotion does my brand consistently evoke?” and then build that into your campaign. Its important to tell stories that connect to shared experiences in your niche audience. Examples of successful suprise-based Halloween campaigns:
The Power of Surprise: Keeping Your Audience Engaged
Halloween gives brands permission to be bold. Many successful campaigns often involve some sort of twist, mystery, or limited-time reveal that catches people’s attention.
Burger King’s “Scary Clown Night” (2017)
Burger King invited customers to dress as clowns and get a free Whopper, parodying McDonald’s Ronald McDonald. The campaign generated viral social media buzz and millions of earned impressions. The Takeaway is that humor and risk-taking can earn attention, but require alignment with your brand’s voice.
Source: Adweek
Heinz “Tomato Blood” (2021–2023)
Heinz rebranded ketchup as “Tomato Blood” and encouraged costume tie-ins. While creative, the campaign also drew criticism, reminding brands to balance novelty with authenticity.
Source: Media Shower
Don’t be afraid to take creative risks. The element of surprise in your campaigns, copy, or visuals can make people stop scrolling and remember your brand. It also helps humanize your brand and show personality.
Creativity: Build Brand Differentiation
Halloween offers brands a unique opportunity to experiment with color, tone, humor, and interaction. While I always recommend to my clients to stay within brand guidelines, Halloween gives brands an opportunity to playfully expand those boundaries while reflecting the core brand identity. Examples of successful creative Halloween campaigns:
Liquid Death “Dismembered Moments” Candle with Martha Stewart (2022)
The canned-water brand partnered with Stewart to offer a severed-hand candle and coffin-themed packaging. It blended shock value, celebrity collaboration, and brand tone.
Source: AdShark
Airbnb “Night in the Catacombs” (2015)
Airbnb offered two guests a one-night stay in the Paris Catacombs for Halloween. The campaign was adventurous, media-worthy, and aligned with Airbnb’s core “unique experiences” positioning.
Source: Adweek
Creativity should reinforce, not replace, your brand identity. Even when playful, the visual identity and tone should align with brand values. Seasonal campaigns work best when it feels like you in costume, not an entirely different brand.
How to Apply These Lessons Year-Round
The three key themes of Emotion, Surprise, and Creativity aren’t just limited to Halloween, You can apply them across your marketing calendar.
Emotion: Use storytelling in brand messaging and content strategy.
Surprise: Introduce unexpected visual or interactive elements in your product launch, email subject line, or website.
Creativity: Explore bold visuals or campaign formats, while staying aligned with brand guidelines.
In conclusion, Halloween marketing works because it feels human. It taps into play, nostalgia, and emotion. Even the most playful Halloween marketing campaigns succeed because they connect emotionally and creatively while staying true to their brand. I encourage you to ask: How can your next campaign bring emotion and creativity to life in your brand voice?
Ready to bring storytelling and creativity into your next campaign? Solazzo Designs offers digital strategy and brand consulting tailored to help your business stand out. Book a Free Consultation to explore how your brand can stand out all year long.