As if advertisers aren’t busy enough throughout the year, imagine how crazy things get during the holidays! People love to buy things year round but the holidays bring out a shopping craze that drives the consumer market in ways few other things can. Because the demand is so high during these select times of year, companies must capitalize on the time and make the most of the season. While there are quite a few holidays that bring cheer, Halloween is known as a favorite for many individuals. Because it is so well liked, October has become such a huge month for mobile campaigns. As most of you know, mobile traffic is growing and mobile devices appear to be the device of choice. For that reason, marketers work tirelessly year after year to create successful campaigns that will drive excitement and sales for their company. Here is a list of some great campaigns from the past few years that will hopefully inspire you to create your own successful campaigns this fall!
Target: The House on Hallow Hill Campaign
In 2015, Target knocked it out of the park with their Halloween campaign. They created a virtual reality series that was featured on YouTube and was titled “The House on Hallow Hill.” The virtual reality series allowed users to experience different Halloween themed adventures and rooms that were decorated with Target goods. The best part was that the Halloween decorations featured in the virtual reality were actually available for purchase in real life. Not only was the campaign fun but it also advertised their products and allowed people to get a feel of what these products would look like in a home.
REI: Zombie Apocalypse Campaign
A favorite store for adventurous, thrill-seeking outdoorsmen and women, REI has a reputation to uphold. Luckily, their campaign stayed true to their brand and did not disappoint. Building off of the hype for The Walking Dead and Halloween, REI created comical infographics on how to survive a zombie outbreak. These infographics included themed illustrations that maintained the rugged, outdoorsy vibe that makes REI so popular within its market. The infographics were social media friendly and caught the attention of many.
Goodwill: Be Your Own Monster Campaign
Goodwill made a strong move when they partnered with Hotel Transylvania 2 and developed a campaign titled “Be Your Own Monster.” Not only was the co-branding aspect smart but the mini site and content developed for this game were even better. The site offered all sorts of Halloween themed information like makeup tutorials, a playful costume generator, and a reminder of what costume pieces you can find at local Goodwill stores. The engaging microsite and the playful movie references helped create more brand awareness for Goodwill during the holiday season.
While these are some of my personal favorites, there are tons of Halloween campaigns out there that all use brilliant tactics to engage consumers. Hopefully you get some inspiration from the companies above. Remember to think out of the box and get a little spooky this year!