In the marketing world, Halloween is the one time of year when brands can get really creative and push the boundaries of their marketing campaigns.

As an integrated marketing agency, we love coming up with campaigns that cut through the noise and capture the consumer’s attention during such a competitive period, using tactics across PR, social media, advertising, and everything in between.

Now that we’re firmly in spooky season, our team of marketeers have been reflecting on some scarily good Halloween campaigns that set the bar for how brands should do their Halloween marketing… 

Dead things should be buried, not eaten — PETA x Sharon Needles

Jazz, Graphic Designer, let us know why this campaign caught her creative eye: “As a massive Halloween and horror fan, the question of which spooky campaign is best is a tricky one. However, PETA’s collaboration with drag queen and winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 4, Sharon Needles, clinches first prize for me.

“Although this campaign is nearly a decade old, it still holds relevance today with society's love of zombies and an ever-growing vegan population. 
“While it broaches a complex and controversial issue, it does so in a camp and catchy way, all for the love of animals — and if Sharon Needles' B-movie-esque poster doesn’t catch your eye, I’m not sure what will.”

Spend a night at Dracula’s Castle — Airbnb

Amelia, Communication Executive, sheds light on this experiential campaign that left horror fans quaking in their boots: “In 2016, Airbnb outdid itself with a unique and immersive campaign, offering a once-in-a-lifetime chance to stay at one of the most haunted places in the world — Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania.

“The campaign revived Bram Stoker’s iconic horror story by inviting guests to ‘risk their necks’ and spend a night at the famed Bran Castle, which is believed to be the inspiration for Dracula’s lair. The creative campaign allowed two (not so) lucky guests to sleep in velvet-lined coffins, as well as experiencing a gothic dinner to ensure an authentic Transylvanian feel. By highlighting this ‘unique’ destination, Airbnb perfectly crafted an immersive story-drive experience that merged fantasy with reality.

“The campaign was a perfect mix of storytelling, experiential marketing, and social media engagement, drawing worldwide media coverage and sparking conversations among thrill-seekers and traditional horror fans. Adding an additional layer of humour to the campaign, they included some traditional ‘House Rules’ for their guests, including:

  • No garlic or garlic-scented items allowed, including perfume
  • Do not cross the cutlery. In fact, please refrain from placing anything in a cross formation
  • Please close all curtains before sunrise
  • The Count is not a fan of mirror selfies

“This is truly a masterclass on how to turn a cultural horror icon into a modern, marketable experience — setting a precedence for the company’s marketing campaigns, which would eventually lead to the brand’s recent collaboration with Barbie.”

Meta’s Thrillboards

Fran, Communications Consultant, was thrilled when she saw this campaign from Meta. Here’s why… “When I think about the best Halloween campaigns, Meta’s immersive Thrillboards, as part of their ‘Expand Your World’ consumer campaign to launch the Meta Quest 3, instantly comes to mind.

“Blending augmented reality (AR) with the physical world, Meta transformed traditional billboards into 3D experiences for all to enjoy. It wasn’t just about creating eye-catching visuals; it was about creating a memorable experience that encouraged people to engage with the campaign directly.

“This activation offered people the chance to step into a billboard and experience the world of two huge entertainment franchises available as games on the headset, Ghostbusters and The Walking Dead, blurring the lines between the real and the virtual — much like Meta’s new mixed-reality headset.

“What makes Thrillboards particularly impressive is how Meta leveraged technology to encourage a heightened level of consumer interaction, aligning perfectly with their brand identity. By turning passive pedestrians into active participants, Meta achieved fantastic engagement, making the campaign as memorable as the technology it was promoting.”

Come as a clown, eat like a king — Burger King

Jack, Senior Digital Consultant, shared his thoughts on this whopper of a campaign: “12% of the U.K. have a phobia of clowns, but that didn’t stop Burger King capitalising on cultural trends — again.

“Back in 2017, the box office reboot of IT — starring Pennywise the Clown — had costume shops scrambling to stock clown costumes for spooky season. For Halloween 2017, Burger King, who’s top two marketing tactics have always been commenting on culture and criticising their competitors, decided to do both.

“Launched across 30 markets including Brazil, Spain, and the USA, the UK edition of its global campaign saw their Leicester Square branch offer free Whoppers between 7pm and 3am to the first 500 guests to come dressed up as clowns. Better yet, they launched the whole thing with a social-first video directed by Robert De Niro, and a poster campaign, both featuring a creepy clown that looked a lot like the mascot of their biggest rivals, McDonald’s.

“There are three things I love in life: the IT movies, free food, and brands that don’t care about colouring outside the lines — this Halloween campaign had all three.”

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