October is spooky season, and you know what that means: an influx of eerie, creepy, and downright ghastly ads and marketing campaigns. As we gear up for a night of costumes, candy, and scares, it’s time to take a look back at the best and worst Halloween marketing campaigns of years gone by.
Treat: Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights
You might not think of a visit to a theme park as marketing, and that’s exactly what’s so brilliant about Halloween Horror Nights. For nearly 30 years, Universal Studios theme parks worldwide have hosted the spooky seasonal event, which has themed attractions designed to terrify guests.
This works on several levels; the limited-time event creates fear of missing out, which is a powerful marketing tool. Additionally, Universal often uses characters and locales from its own film properties in Halloween Horror Nights for a clever bit of self-promotion. Add in the fact that theme park-goers then pay extra to experience all of this, and you’ve got a top-tier experience that most people don’t even realize was marketing all along.
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Trick: Subway reminds women to slim down for costumes
It’s possible that this commercial was actually supposed to be a commentary on how over-sexualized women’s Halloween costumes are, but if that’s the case, it completely misses the mark. Instead, it comes off as Subway, a fast-food sandwich brand, implying that women should slim down in order to fit into their spooky, sexy outfits.
Not cool.
It’s extremely cringe-worthy for a few reasons, not least of which is that a calorie-filled footlong isn’t exactly the pinnacle of healthy eating. Women are blasted with images of the so-called ideal body and pressured to lose weight all year ’round, so even as a joke, this commercial feels like getting a box of raisins while you’re trick-or-treating.
Treat: WD-40’s haunted door app
WD-40 is best known as an industrial lubricant that helps protect metal from rust and corrosion. In other words, it makes squeaky, creaky things … not do that. That’s why it’s so clever that WD-40 went against its own purpose to advertise this creaky door app, which turns the simple act of opening a door (presumably for trick-or-treaters) into something out of a horror film. It’s simple, effective, and unexpected, which are key ingredients when brewing up a good Halloween tie-in.
Trick: Not even a costumed pup could save this Verizon commercial
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there’s Verizon, which eschews the simplicity and subtlety displayed by WD-40 in favor of full-on product placement. The use of smartphones to find the houses with the best candy could have been a fun idea if done right, but instead, we have a costumed family yammering on about their upgraded devices (from Verizon, of course!). Like Subway’s entry, it’s not offensive, but it also completely misses the spirit of spooky season. The result is an ad that’s not shareable or memorable in any way.
Treat: Burger King takes advantage of clown fever
Timing is everything, and Burger King nailed the timing in a huge way with this 2017 commercial. At the time this aired, the world was just getting over the random, horrifying clown sightings across the United States and Canada, while the long-awaited film adaptation of Stephen King’s clown thriller It had just hit theaters.
Burger King capitalized on our obsession with (and fear of) clowns by offering free Whoppers to those who showed up in clown costumes on Halloween. That’s a smart idea on its own, but the house of the Whopper took it even further with this horror movie-esque commercial.
Bonus: the main clown is dressed similarly to rival McDonald’s unintentionally creepy mascot — but not similar enough to trigger any copyright claims.
Not the first or last time BG went all out with a brilliant campaign over ye years.
When it comes to Halloween marketing, the key is to make it fun. Whether you’re going for genuine scares, laughs, or both, a memorable spooky marketing campaign can boost your brand awareness and draw in potential customers without a lot of sales-y language. Use these campaigns as inspiration, as well as examples of what not to do, and you’ll be well on your way to delivering a Halloween treat of your own.