Creepy, Clever, and Creative: Best Halloween Advertising Campaigns of 2024
October is here, and you know what that means—costumes, candy, and most importantly – creative ads! So today we’re talking about Halloween advertising – the best campaigns so far in 2024.
So, if you are working on conjuring up some last-minute campaign ideas, then who knows? These campaigns might spark your creativity! So, are you ready to give your Halloween advertising cauldron one last stir with some creativity boost? Let’s go!
Heads-Up: Halloween Advertising is Changing
Before we talk about the campaigns from this year let’s quickly discuss the state of Halloween advertising. The expected and estimated changes in spending volume and other details that marketers need to know.
To begin with, Statista says that nearly 20% of consumers in the U.S. will reduce their Halloween spending in 2024 given the recent inflation and the expected recession. Therefore your campaigns need to focus more on creating memorable experiences, helping customers cut down costs, and helping them save more.
In short, it’s time for value-based campaigns and a stronger focus on the essentials. Moreover, you need to tweak your strategies a little to focus on elements like nostalgia to evoke a strong emotional connection with your customers to make your Halloween advertising efforts fruitful this year.
While the spending is predicted to drop, people are still spending on diverse things this Halloween. From throwing a party to dressing up, handing out candies to decorating for the occasion, there are several reasons why people will be shopping this year. Hence it’s a good opportunity for diverse businesses to come up with eerie campaigns to spook their customers and boost sales too!
Okay! With the scary part about numbers out of the way, let’s jump right in and explore some of the Halloween advertising examples from this year.
10 Spook-tacular Halloween Advertising 2024: Commercials We Loved
1. Aldi at Halloween
Aldi’s Halloween commercial is a head-turner, literally. The ad’s unique selling point is its headless character, a visual metaphor for the jaw-dropping deals that might make customers “lose their heads”.
This Halloween advertising effort from Aldi works because it is concise, humorous, and visually appealing too. Moreover, it quickly and effectivel conveys the core message. Furthermore, it aligns with current trends by emphasizing value and affordability.
And finally, the Aldi commercial stays true to the Halloween theme by using the right video editing options and an eerie background music.
For more ideas on how to create Halloween aesthetic for your Halloween advertising, check out our blog here.
2. Snickers Zombie commercial
Snickers strikes gold again with their Halloween advertising. Living up to their signature witty and playful style, the commercial takes a hilarious spin on the classic Halloween activity of putting up Halloween decor.
The commercial shows things going humorously wrong when the Zombie installation doesn’t quite work as planned, cleverly playing into the familiar “You’re not you when you’re hungry” theme of Snickers. The confusion caused by hunger highlights the need for a Snickers bar to set things right.
This short, funny, and on-brand ad aligns effortlessly with the Halloween theme, while reinforcing Snickers’ playful message as well. Moreover, this commercial underscores the significance of maintaining your brand’s tone of voice, even in seasonal marketing campaigns.
3. Roto-Rooter’s Monster House commercial
Ohio-based plumbing company, Roto-Rooter, takes a delightfully unexpected turn with their 2024 Halloween advertising. This hilarious commercial throws open the doors of a monster house, revealing not spooky scares, but a relatable plumbing nightmare – a clogged drain!
In this case, the disgruntled residents are a werewolf, a mummy, and a witch. Besides, the witty banter that follows proves that even monsters can’t escape the “scares” of clogged drains. On the whole, the clever use of classic Halloween characters flips the script on typical spooky ad themes, taking a refreshingly humorous approach.
Roto-Rooter’s success lies in their creative departure from the usual “spook your audience” style in Halloween advertising. By embracing humor and relatable situations (even for monsters!), they demonstrate that even mundane services like plumbing can be advertised in the most entertaining way. This commercial is a prime example of how creative thinking can make a lasting impression and leave viewers chuckling.
4. Dietz & Watson brings back the Gabaghoul
Dietz & Watson, the beloved deli brand, has resurrected their iconic character, Gabaghoul, for another Halloween season. Accordingly, this year’s commercial also features the ghostly gourmand serving up their famous Dietz Dogs to unsuspecting customers.
In one hilarious scene, Gabaghoul is seen serving Dietz Dogs to a mother-son duo. As he wraps the hot dogs, he hilariously uses a mummy’s bandages, adding a touch of unexpected humor to the scene.
As can be seen, this commercial perfectly captures the essence of Halloween with its spooky theme and humorous tone. By bringing back Gabaghoul, Dietz & Watson has created a memorable and instantly recognizable character, strengthening their brand identity and ensuring their Halloween campaign stands out from the crowd.
To build momentum before their commercial, the brand also released a teaser on their social media channels. This is possible when you create something repeatable and relatable that your audience connects with and looks forward to.
For more tips on creating teasers, check out our blog on teaser advertising.
5. Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzelface campaign
Like the previous campaign we discussed, this next one also involves creating a distinct character. The popular pretzel brand Snyder’s of Hanover has introduced a new, spooky character to their Halloween arsenal: Pretzelface. Without a doubt, this is a unique and memorable addition to the brand’s Halloween advertising strategy.
Firstly, the commercial itself is a visual treat, with a dark and eerie tone that perfectly captures the Halloween spirit. Secondly, the voiceover, with its deep and ominous tone, adds to the overall spooky atmosphere.
Finally, one of the most interesting aspects of the ad is its challenge to the traditional candy-centric Halloween. By positioning pretzels as a fun and festive snack, Snyder’s of Hanover is encouraging consumers to think outside the box. Hence this creative approach, combined with the memorable character of Pretzelface, makes for a highly effective and engaging Halloween campaign.
6. Tourism Ireland’s “Home of Halloween”
Tourism Ireland’s “Home of Halloween” campaign has garnered significant buzz online, and for good reason. This clever ad campaign delves into the rich history of Halloween, establishing Ireland as its true birthplace.
Designed to attract overseas visitors from over 12 key markets, the campaign stays focused on its objective. The commercial uses captivating visuals and storytelling to tap into viewers’ sense of history and cultural intrigue.
This campaign is a great example of how to create contextually relevant ads that resonate with audiences, tying history and travel together to inspire tourism during the Halloween season.
7. Clash Royale’s The Royale Curse
In a creative twist, Clash Royale dares players to “lose if they dare” in their horror film-themed commercial. As can be seen here, the ad brilliantly showcases the power of storytelling in marketing, drawing inspiration from classic horror films to set a spooky, thrilling atmosphere.
Much like that one cursed object that haunts characters in horror movies, the game itself becomes the source of fear in this commercial. With this, it builds a story that losing a game in Clash Royale has dire, real-world consequences.
This fear-inducing concept, while exaggerated, effectively hooks viewers and piques their curiosity about the game.
8. Philosophy’s Halloween commercial
The popular skincare brand Philosophy’s latest Halloween advertising campaign takes a unique approach. It focuses on the idea that “movies should be scary, not skincare”. The commercial begins with a haunting atmosphere, building suspense before the big reveal.
Featuring the iconic Sarah Michelle Gellar, known for her roles in horror and thriller films, the ad perfectly blends the spooky and the serene. Additionally, Gellar’s presence adds a touch of nostalgia and intrigue, drawing viewers in.
9. Uber Eats’ Don’t Let Halloween Sneak Up On You
Uber Eats’ Halloween advertising approach is simple. Their commercial cleverly taps into a common consumer nightmare: last-minute Halloween preparations. Here, the ad humorously highlights the stress and anxiety associated with scrambling to find costumes, candy, and party supplies.
Evidently, by positioning Uber Eats as a convenient solution, the commercial reassures viewers that their Halloween needs can be met with just a few taps on their phones. The lighthearted tone and relatable scenario make the ad both entertaining and memorable too.
In short, this Uber Eats ad highlights the impact of understanding your customers’ pain points and how this knowledge can help create content and commercials that actually make an impression.
10. NYX Professional’s Who Stole Halloween
NYX Professional Makeup is getting into the Halloween spirit with their new commercial promoting their SFX makeup collection. To begin with, this line of vibrant, easy-to-use products is perfect for creating dramatic, spooky makeup looks. The commercial accurately captures this idea.
For the commercial, NYX has collaborated with TV personalities like NeNe Leakes, Pauly D, and Christine Quinn who have been transformed into iconic comic book and movie villains, with makeup looks curated by the talented Mimi Cho.
The commercial portrays the power of collaborating with celebrities and influencers to distinguish yourself, particularly during bustling holiday seasons. Since these collaborations let you connect with their fanbases to amplify your Halloween advertising efforts.
To elevate the effectiveness of the campaign, the brand is also running a Sweepstakes making it a wholesome Halloween advertising strategy.
All these campaigns we discussed until now involved video commercials to promote sales and some are backed up by multi-channel campaigns like this one from NYX Professional. So, let’s now move on to a few more campaigns involving hybrid approaches that combine social media channels, packaging design updates, limited-edition products, and more strategies.
More Halloween Advertising Inspiration
Burger King’s Addams Family Menu
Burger King is prepping up for the game with their updated limited-edition menu as a part of their Halloween advertising strategy.
What sets this strategy apart is the well-defined theme. Accordingly, the menu adopts an Addams Family theme and includes items like Gomez Churro Fries. Tapping into fandom is a great way to connect with customers and hence this move by Burger King is a good one.
Additionally, collaborating with a popular franchise like the Addams Family can amplify brand visibility and attract a wider audience.
McDonald’s Boo Buckets
The next one on our list is from one of the most popular Burger King rivals – McDonald’s. And this one is also about limited-edition offerings: McDonald’s Boo Buckets.
Boo Buckets are iconic Halloween-themed collectible pails from McDonald’s that have gained a lot of popularity over the last few years. These signature meal containers also make for wonderful trick-or-treat pails.
Evidently, this campaign highlights the impact of creating value for customers through collectible merchandise and a repeatable theme.
Wendy’s Boo Bags
Wendy’s Boo Bags depict the effectiveness of branded merchandise. Particularly how they can delight customers during the holiday seasons. To kickstart their Halloween advertising, Wendy’s has announced their Halloween Boo Bags meal.
Food and freebies – the Boo Bags are perfect for the Halloween theme. Hence this campaign shows how you can add a unique twist to your Halloween advertising by introducing branded merchandise optimized with a spooky theme.
Need help designing branded merchandise? Get a KIMP Graphics subscription.
Ready to Whip Up Some Jack-o-licious Halloween Advertising Campaigns?
We hope you enjoyed these Halloween campaigns as much as we did. All these campaigns demonstrate that for your Halloween advertising to be both fun and fruitful, it takes:
- Good understanding of your audience
- A clear definition of purpose
- Relatable theme
- Willingness to venture out of the box
- And a unique tone of voice
Captivating visuals give life to all these traits and that’s where we come in. With a dedicated design team working on your Halloween designs and with support for unlimited designs, you can be sure that your seasonal marketing does not get in the way of your regular marketing graphics. So, are you ready to spook your audience or give them a good laugh with some creative Halloween advertising ideas? Get a KIMP Graphics + Video subscription.
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