6 Genius Halloween Campaigns to Boost Your 2024 Sales

In 2023, U.S. Halloween spending hit $12.2 billion, and over £1 billion in the UK. 

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In 2024, these figures are expected to reach $11.6 billion and £776 million, respectively. Highlighting the holiday’s commercial potential. 

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Although sometimes overlooked, Halloween presents a huge marketing opportunity for brands to shine.

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Here’s a look at the 6 best Halloween marketing campaigns and how brands can capitalise on the season.

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1. How to tap into 2024’s Halloween marketing trends

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3 in 5 Brits plan to make a Halloween purchase, and a 84% of Gen Z are ready to splurge. It would be a deadly mistake not to take the opportunity! 

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Halloween’s emotional appeal—nostalgia, excitement, and social engagement—makes it a perfect time for brands to connect with consumers. 

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Here are key strategies from Pinterest's 2024 Halloween Trend Report that your brand can adapt to drive engagement and sales:

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1. 1 Beauty trends: Gothic Glam and Beastly Beauty

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These trends, driven by Gen Z preferences, highlight the importance for brands to stay updated.

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Aligning with popular aesthetics helps brands remain competitive.

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By understanding and adapting to these shifts, brands can craft campaigns that resonate with their audience and maximise Halloween’s market potential!

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The rising demand for Gothic Glam and Beastly Beauty highlights a growing desire for bold, dramatic makeup looks.

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Gothic Glam: Searches for dark, dramatic looks have increased, with “scary makeup looks” up 60% and “soft vampire makeup” up 475%.

^{How to adapt? Create a “Gothic Glam Kit” or tutorials showcasing looks like “Romantic Gothic Makeup” (+710%) or “Zombie Makeup” (+230%).}

Beastly Beauty: Animal-inspired makeup is gaining popularity, such as leopard (+670%) and cheetah print makeup (+570%). These looks offer a playful yet bold style that appeals to a wide audience.

^{How to adapt? Promote your makeup with tutorials for animal looks like fox (+55%) and bunny makeup (+445%). Pair with accessories like ears and tails to offer a complete package!} 

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1.2 Fashion trends: Pop Culture Costumes and Vintage Fashion

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Pop Culture Costumes: Searches for “it girl Halloween costumes” are up 170%, driven by fans of celebrities like Charli XCX makeup (+2345%) and Olivia Rodrigo (+170%). Gen Z pop stars and TV personalities are heavily influencing costume choices this year.

^{How to adapt? Send out an email campaign featuring top celebrity looks with "Get the Look" guides. Offer time-limited discounts on products related to trending styles like Sabrina Carpenter Halloween (+215%) to boost conversions.}

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Vintage Fashion: Nostalgic elements continue to trend with 90s Halloween decorations (+140%) and vintage Halloween (+50%). Shoppers are gravitating toward throwback styles for both costumes and décor.

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^{How to adapt? Run a “Throwback Halloween” campaign where users share their old Halloween costume photos or favourite 90s/70s-inspired looks. Engage your audience by offering discounts or giveaways for the best submissions.}

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1.3 Home decor trends: Vintage and Boho Halloween

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Vintage Halloween Decor: As consumers embrace nostalgia, there’s a growing interest in retro décor, with 90s Halloween decorations up 140% and 70s Halloween up 50%. These trends blend simple, classic Halloween elements with nostalgic styles.

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^{How to adapt? Create pin-worthy vintage décor boards on Pinterest with simple, classic Halloween decoration ideas. Promote your products by linking them to the DIY decorations your audience can recreate.}

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‍Boho Halloween: With Boho Halloween decor searches up 85%, a more relaxed, earthy Halloween aesthetic is emerging, featuring soft colours, natural materials, and handcrafted elements.

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^{How to adapt? Partner with a home decor influencer to create a “Boho Halloween at Home” guide. Showcase how to style your products in a chic, minimalistic Halloween setting and share the guide on social media and in newsletters.}

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2. 6 inspiring Halloween campaigns to learn from

2.1 Aritzia: Halloween costume lookbook

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Aritzia stayed true to its clean, minimalist aesthetic with a clever Halloween campaign featuring lookbooks of celebrity- and movie-inspired costumes made entirely from their clothing. 

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Rather than creating a Halloween collection, they created lookbooks with outfits that customers could wear beyond Halloween, aligning with their brand's focus on basics and monochrome looks.

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^{Why it works: Aritzia smartly adapted its style to the Halloween trend by leveraging pop culture influences, appealing to Gen Z, and promoting versatile fashion with a fun twist!}

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2.2 Glamlite: Horror movie makeup collection

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Glamlite launched a Nightmare on Elm Street makeup collection, incorporating iconic 80s nostalgia with Freddy Krueger-themed packaging and product names. 

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Touted as the “world’s first-ever licensed Halloween Michael Myers cosmetic collection”, it created a buzz with exclusivity and high demand, as reflected by its extended shipping times.

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Also, the entire website was transformed with Halloween-themed designs, adding to the spooky atmosphere.

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^{Why it works: The blend of 80s nostalgia, horror fandom, and exclusivity taps into pop culture trends, making it irresistible for both makeup lovers and horror fans.}

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2.3 Angry Orchard: Hide & shriek prank pack

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Angry Orchard introduced a unique product with their Hide & Shriek Prank Pack, designed to look like a normal cider but deliver a blood-curdling scream when opened. 

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This clever prank tapped into the jump-scare appeal of Halloween and got sold out instantly!

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‍^{Why it works: The unexpected scare creates a memorable, shareable experience. It leverages the element of surprise to stand out and generate viral engagement.}

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2.4 Opendoor: Vampire campaign

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Real estate brand Opendoor launched a humorous Halloween campaign featuring a vampire trying to sell her house because her neighbour planted garlic. The quirky ad linked the theme of selling homes in autumn with Halloween’s spooky atmosphere.

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^{Why it works: Opendoor took a traditionally non-Halloween product (real estate) and found a fun way to align with the holiday, adding humour while reinforcing brand messaging.}

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2.5 Fanta: Beetlejuice collaboration

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Fanta teamed up with the Beetlejuice movie to create limited-edition Halloween-themed soda cans featuring characters from the film. 

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They ran a contest via the Coca-Cola app in which consumers could win exclusive Fanta x Beetlejuice merchandise or immersive experiences.

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^{Why it works: Fanta’s collaboration with a popular movie taps into nostalgia and current pop culture trends, making it highly appealing to younger audiences. The interactive contest further engages consumers, driving participation.}

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2.6 Six Flags: “Tick. Tick. Tick.” horror short film

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Six Flags embraced the horror genre with their five-minute film “Tick. Tick. Tick.” A nod to the 1970 American Crime drama film! 

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The eerie story follows a nightmare-inducing clown who eventually leads a group of housemates to the Six Flags theme park for a spooky adventure. 

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The campaign's combination of horror and humour appeals to teens and young adults.

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^{Why it works: The campaign engages viewers by blending entertainment with promotion, tapping into the popularity of horror films and creating an emotional connection with the audience.}

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3. 4 key takeaways for brands to nail Halloween campaigns

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These campaigns demonstrate that Halloween offers many creative possibilities, whether or not your brand fits naturally with the spooky season. By incorporating elements of storytelling, surprise, and customer engagement, any brand can create memorable Halloween campaigns. Consider how you can:

1. Tell a story: Use storytelling to connect your products with Halloween themes in a way that resonates with your target audience.
2. Engage customers: Encourage participation through contests, challenges, or social media interaction to drive engagement and brand awareness.
3. Surprise and delight: Add a twist or unexpected element to your products or campaign to make it more shareable and memorable.
4. Collaborate with pop culture: Leverage partnerships with popular movies, shows, or icons to boost appeal, especially for younger audiences.

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Halloween gives brands a unique chance to connect with consumers through creative, seasonal campaigns. 

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By leveraging trends and learning from successful examples, brands can boost engagement, increase sales, and deliver memorable experiences. 

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Whether through product bundles, interactive contests, or fun storytelling, aligning with Halloween’s spirit in a way that resonates with your audience is key.

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With thoughtful planning, any brand can make Halloween 2024 a hauntingly successful season!