Halloween – the spookiest time of the year – has now been and gone in a haze of homemade costumes, elaborately carved pumpkins and, of course – the classic seasonally-spiced latte.
Although primarily an American cultural ‘moment’, more brands on this side of the pond are getting involving in the ‘Spooktober’ fun as the years go by – and the work they put out is often a good chance for them to think outside of their respective boxes and flex their creative muscles.
Ranging from innovative out-of-home ‘thrillboards’ to spooky Snapchat filters, 2023 saw a concerted effort by brands to push their boundaries. Here’s our pick of the best…
Beavertown – Flightmare
Beavertown Brewery is taking Halloween to new heights with the launch of ‘Flightmare’, a cinematic spot taking viewers on a ‘dimension-bending’ trip.
The brewery’s latest campaign, ‘Please Be Terrified Responsibly This Halloween’, tells a spine-tingling tale inspired by the mysterious events in the Bermuda Triangle.
Written by author Helen Mullane, the ad features a character named ‘Sonny’ and follows his story as he sets off on his intrepid journey through the skies.
The three-minute-long film and graphic novel are part of the brewery’s ongoing commitment to its visually creative approach to Halloween.
Meta – Halloween Thrillboards
Meta’s Reality Labs is embracing the spooky season with the introduction of fully immersive ‘Halloween Thrillboards’ to mark the launch of Meta Quest 3.
Showcased in the heart of London’s Shoreditch, the out-of-homes (OOHs) come as a part of the tech giant’s ‘Expand Your World’ consumer campaign.
Developed in partnership with AMV BBDO and Unit 9, the activation flips the script on traditional 2D content, instead featuring immersive mixed reality.
The disruptive billboards offer people the chance to step inside it, and experience two huge entertainment franchises available on the headset, Ghostbusters and The Walking Dead.
Morrisons – Nightmare on Market Street
Taking a rather liberal approach to the traditional ‘cheeseboard’, supermarket chain Morrisons has unveiled a Oujia-board inspired spin on the theme. Created by Leo Brunet, ‘Nightmare on Market Street’ will be led by a 30-second social first film breaking on Instagram.
Promoting the grocer’s ‘Market Street’ range, cheese lovers will be encouraged to connect with ‘old ancestors’ this Halloween.
Southern Comfort – ‘The SoCo X HARRI Halloween collection
US alcohol brand Southern Comfort has collaborated with fashion designer HARRI to create three haute couture Halloween-themed costumes, in his famous latex material.
Equally as outlandish as Sam Smith’s Brit Awards garb, HARRI reinvents the traditionally spooky classics; the witch, the vampire and the pumpkin. All three are available for rent at Costume Boutique on Portobello Road, London.
Tesco – Trail to Treats
Working with long-time activation partner agency N2O, grocer Tesco has unveiled a Halloween-inspired toolkit to entice shoppers, including samples from Mr Kipling, Monster Munch, Jammy Dodgers, Party Rings, Chupa Chups, Maryland Cookies, Accolade Wines and Diablo Wine.
After scarfing down the spooky-themed treats, customer were invited to take part in a haunted witch hunt through the supermarket’s aisles using clues to work out ‘mystery’ words. A photo opp was also available with scary characters.
Ikea – Monsters Not Included
In a charmingly stripped-back effort, the Swedish furniture brand plays on the age-old childhood fear of monsters lurking under our beds.
Developed by Ogilvy, the 30-second pot playfully dispels these fears whilst also ingeniously engaging in a subtle bit of product placement
