Best Halloween Campaigns 2020
October 30, 2020
It’s almost ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ and for marketers, holidays are always a great opportunity to take advantage of huge spikes in search volume, connect with customers and get creative.
But, the process of crafting a successful campaign and breaking through the thousands of Halloween focused content can make even the most experienced marketer’s blood run cold.
This year, marketers have had to be more creative than ever. The Covid-19 pandemic has seen lockdown restrictions placed on various parts of the UK, meaning that trick or treating, Halloween parties and trips to watch horror films at the cinema are very much off the cards. But that doesn’t mean that Halloween 2020 has to be cancelled completely – there are many businesses out there still making the most of it, both big and small.
Luckily, we have had our eyes peeled this Halloween. So, if you’re looking for some Halloween-inspired marketing inspiration, take a look at some of our favourite Halloween campaigns this year below. They’re bound to send shivers down your spine.
Hulu: Huluween Event
There’s no denying that Halloween is huge for streaming giant Hulu. In 2019, over six billion minutes of Halloween-themed programming was watched on the platform. Unsurprisingly, October is the most popular month of the year for Hulu’s horror collection.
Every year Hulu throws its own Halloween event, aptly named Huluween. But with Covid-19 putting a stop to large social gatherings, they had to do things a little differently this year.
The solution was a four-night, drive-in cinema event where horror enthusiasts could enjoy scary movies from the comfort of their own cars.
Upon entering the Pasadena car park, cars slowly made their way through a “haunted forest” as characters from Hulu horror movies and TV shows lurked among the trees. Once drivers made it out of the forest, they were shown to their space where they could enjoy a Huluween snack box and a night of socially-distanced scares.
Venture Stream Analysis: Hulu have shown that we can still enjoy big events in some capacity whilst remaining compliant with Covid-19 restrictions. Everyone loves a drive-in movie and they’ve even brought some beloved horror films to life with their drive-through haunted forest. This fun, immersive experience is a great way to increase brand awareness and promote the Halloween-themed offerings available to stream on Hulu.
Sunderland BID: Mackem Monster Hunt
Our neighbouring city is showing that you can still have a bit of fun by getting out and about this Halloween. Part of a city wide program, 13 fearsome inflatable and AR monsters have taken over Sunderland as part of a fun, outdoor community trail that people of all ages can enjoy. The campaign began on the 23rd October and will run until the 1st November – all participants have to do to get involved is download the app to their smartphone.
Venture Stream Analysis: this is a great example of combining modern technology with good old fashioned Halloween fun. It’s a clever way to get people talking about the city as they can’t help but notice the colourful inflatable monsters who have taken over Sunderland landmarks – who could resist snapping a photo for social media as they pass? An outdoor community trail is the perfect way to get people involved in Halloween activities in a safer manner whilst adhering to Covid-19 restrictions.
Carrs Pasties: Poltergeist-inspired campaign
Carrs Pasties recently unveiled its Poltergeist-inspired campaign, designed to promote their pasty delivery and click and collect services – ideal when many aren’t able to get to the shops as often. The video begins with a family sitting in front of a TV with both parents dozing off, before the little girl utters the iconic phrase “they’re here” whilst pointing at a mysterious yellow light off screen. The camera pans to a Carrs delivery driver with boxes of pasties in hand.
The campaign is running across the Carrs Pasties website and social media channels. Known for selling a range of baked goods, they currently run three stores across Bolton and work with over 100 trade partners across the North West.
Venture Stream Analysis: Much like Hulu, Carrs Pasties are clever to incorporate a classic horror film into their Halloween campaign. Halloween 2020 provides a great opportunity to promote their delivery services as people may not be able or want to venture to the shops but many will want to celebrate Halloween in some capacity at home, so this is a smart move on their part.
Hubbub: Eat Your Pumpkin
Hubbub launched its annual Halloween campaign at the beginning of October. Titled ‘Eat Your Pumpkin’, Hubbub’s Halloween campaign this year is an educational one, designed to increase awareness of the 12.8 million pumpkins that are set to go to waste.
To combat this scary level of food waste, the environmental charity have created a hub of information on their website and ideas on how to use your pumpkin rather than throwing it away, from recipes to guides on how to pick a pumpkin you can both cook and carve.
They’ve even launched a competition in which entrants must share a photo of their pumpkin both cut and carved in order to be in with the chance of winning a set of Le Creuset cast iron dishes.
Venture Stream Analysis: using Halloween to draw attention to a serious issue is a great way to get people’s attention. There’s never been more focus on sustainability and food waste than there is now, so it’s perfect timing for Hubbub to launch this campaign. Incorporating a competition puts a fun spin on a darker issue and gives people an incentive to get involved and discover ways to reduce their own food waste.
UNICEF: Trick or Treat for UNICEF
UNICEF have gone virtual this year with their Trick or Treat campaign. Sign up online to recieve your own trick or treat box and personalised code. People can then donate to this code, allowing children (or adults) to see how much they’ve collected. They can also take part in online activities to unlock bonus coins and learn about what UNICEF do in the process. UNICEF are also encouraging fancy dress this year via virtual costume reveals.
Venture Stream Analysis: UNICEF’s campaign is bound to bring children a little bit of excitement this Halloween with the opportunity to trick or treat in some form – plus show off their costumes. The charity is using Halloween to raise money for an incredibly good cause and the use of technology to host their event is genius.
Mars Temptations: Scaredy Cat the Movie
Our feline friends may enjoy the popular Temptations cat treats, but they may have reservations about Mars’s new Halloween campaign. To celebrate the launch of their new spooky themed treats, Creepy Catnip, they’ve launched the first ever scary movie for cats. Yes, you read that right.
The four minute long clip includes just about every horror movie trope you can think of – haunted house, lightning, dark corridor, inanimate objects moving on their own, etc. But the star of the show is a very cute animated cat, who is soon confronted with his biggest fear: cucumbers.
The short film goes one step further however, incorporating sound frequencies that are thought to capture cats’ attention.
Venture Stream’s Analysis: This is the perfect Halloween campaign for Mars Temptations – it’s quirky, fun and of course includes cats. The video is well made and plays on a real life trend (remember the cats vs cucumbers?).
From emotional marketing to extensive consumer research, these examples demonstrate the very best of effective marketing and utilising holidays to gain traffic and increase brand awareness. Halloween is not for the faint of heart, and that’s true even within content marketing. Want to pumpkin spice your marketing campaigns? Contact us below to find out how we can help you create some scary-good results!
Written by Andy
Andy is Venture Stream’s Chief Operating Officer and has over 15 years’ experience in ecommerce consultancy, design and retail marketing.
See more posts by Andy Robinson