HOW TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN WITH THE HELP OF A HOLIDAY
We’ve just finished with summer and there is already a holiday just around the corner, bringing joy, spookiness and a ticket to autumn. Halloween is a holiday that is mainly celebrated in the English-speaking world, but with every year it is becoming more popular also elsewhere. It is a holiday when people dress up in costumes (usually scary) and walk from house to house asking for a “trick or treat”. Did you know that there is a connection between Halloween and the business world, precisely in the term “trick or treat”? In business things often do not go according to plan, so it is necessary to use a certain trick, which helps us to successfully perform the task. There are also a lot of treats. Working in a field you love with people who are passionate, hard-working and fun to be around is better than any candy passed out on Halloween.
But how can a holiday that is seemingly insignificant in the business world become an advantage? In this blog, we have listed examples of campaigns, which, with the help of Halloween, became a huge success.
- BURGER KING: #ScaryClownNight
Burger King launched the #ScaryClownNight campaign in 2017. They produced a short video where a boy on a bicycle runs away from a group of clowns in which one is questionably similar to Ronald McDonald … The campaign reignited the long-time feud with fast-food rival McDonald’s by offering customers refuge at their restaurants from the clown competitor. It was successful in transferring the trust and bringing in customers to their restaurants instead.
- M&M: “Millie & Max: A Ghost Story”
We all know the famous M&M candy, which has been inspiring the market for years. In 2017, they also became one of the most successful Halloween campaigns, when they prepared an interactive story of Millie and Max on all their social media platforms. Seven chapters of 30-second animated videos preserved the story and allowed users to vote for one of two options from which to choose what will happen to the main character. The scary twists and creepy ambiance kept people engaged for weeks before the holiday, making this campaign extremely successful.
- NIKE: “Halloween sneakers”
A holiday like Halloween isn’t just used by food-related businesses. They are also in the fashion industry. This year, Nike has once again infected people of all ages with new shoes released specifically for the season. They used the Nike Dunk Low style, which is black, cream, and orange (all the colors of Halloween), with an overlay glow in the dark, an illuminated outsole, and a creepy spider pattern on the insole. For Nike fans, the product is an advertising campaign that raises so many expectations, noise and endless unpacking reviews online. This is a good example of a product that is so completely intertwined with the brand that almost any new release is sure to arouse interest. Halloween? It’s just an excuse.
- DIOR – “Halloween makeup”
Halloween isn’t just for kids dressing up in costumes and walking door to door. This was also proven by Dior, which with its “Halloween makeup” look in 2017 spoke to a completely new audience with content that speaks their language. In collaboration with the famous Bella Hadid, Dior shared a video on “how to” makeup, which was promoted on social media under the hashtag #DiorMakeupHalloween.
- Citypark and Promotiva for crafting at home
Citypark and the Promotiva agency have created magic packages that have enabled young families to create art from home during Halloween! In Citypark, art workshops were organized for all visitors every year during Halloween. Last year, however, due to the overall situation regarding COVID-19, this was carried over remotely. Citypark also organized a giveaway on social media, where the winner received a magic package containing a scroll with a themed story and a witch’s address, Oraket’s ‘miracle potion’, instructions and all the necessary material for making magic hats at home. The whole campaign was very successful.
All of these campaigns were successful because they did a good job incorporating the holiday theme. When thinking of your next campaign, take a look at these examples, get creative and creep it real.
Don’t be afraid to think of out-of-the-box ideas, if you’ve got it, haunt it. Ok, that’s it for the Halloween puns. Happy campaigning!
