Halloween has been steadily creeping into various countries’ collective consciousness, making it a ripe festivity for big brands to engage with in their marketing campaigns. Although the Celtic celebration is mostly associated with treats and ghoulish costumes, some brands have been able to creatively capture the spirit of the day to create interesting campaigns.
Burger King’s cheeky nod to McDonald’s scary mascot
Burgers and Halloween don’t share much in common, unless we count using ketchup as fake blood on one’s costume. However, in 2018, the creative team at Burger King came up with a brilliant campaign, ironically named #ScaryClownNight. The team produced a commercial poking fun at their rival’s mascot. This video showcases a young boy riding his bicycle one dark, misty night; the boy is then approached, from out of the shadows, by a man dressed in a creepy version of Ronald McDoald’s costume.
The spooky video advertised Burger King’s Halloween promotion, offering a free Whopper burger to the first 500 people who visited select Burger King stores dressed as a clown. The company managed to perfectly capture the spirit of Halloween: scary costumes, treats, and a cheeky “trick” against their rivals.
Nike’s creatively spooky shoes
Nike has always been a brand people associate with creativity and quality. However, on Halloween, Nike takes things one step further. Every year now, to celebrate the scariest day of the year, Nike releases a special edition of their shoes. In 2024, they decided to release a pair reminiscent of a classic Halloween monster: Nike Dunk Low Halloween 2024 Volt Black. A perfect shoe for the spooky season.
Ikea’s genius use of expectations
Where do monsters live? This one simple question probably leads most people to think of two places: under beds or in closets. A childhood fear of something lurking underneath or hiding in the shadows has been represented in countless films, books, and TV shows. Now the subject of Ikea’s genius commercial.
By leaning on this common expectation, Ikea crafted the “Monster Not Included” campaign. It is a brilliant way of making people think immediately of the furniture monsters typically reside in.
It’s a clever way to play with people’s expectations while engaging in the celebration of all things scary. Halloween has always been a celebration. A way of bringing joy to the time of year when sunlight diminishes and winter approaches. When brands participate in having fun with the celebration, people tend to listen and share ads and campaigns with friends. It’s an excellent time to be creative, whether by dressing up as a scary monster or by creating funny and smart marketing campaigns for your brand.
