TOP TALK
Posted By Stephanie Malkus on October 28, 2016
If the thought of creating seasonal content strikes fear in your marketing heart, then the approaching Halloween holiday may be less than welcome. We understand trying to come up with fresh ideas to delight instead of fright can be a tricky task in itself, but have no fear! We’ve pulled together some of our favorite spooky social sparks to inspire your campaigns this October 31st.
National Department of Energy #EnergyWeen
Who says you can only have one piece of Halloween content (or candy, while we’re at it)? Certainly not the National Department of Energy. This annual campaign got an extra boost this year when the White House officially proclaimed October National Energy Action Month. It’s campaign #Energyween aims to educate the public on energy efficiency with a little All Hallow’s Eve fun as a much added bonus. From energy themed costumes to a calculator that compares energy units to buckets of candy and witch’s trips, these simple and timeless Halloweenergy treats can be shared again and again on social.
Tide Scared Stainless
Tide’s short, sweet and scary Vine spins on popular horror films is certainly a Halloween treat! The series of 7 second videos perfectly captures some of the most iconic scenes in scary movie history but with the main characters replaced with, you guessed it, bottles of Tide detergent. With a perfect mix of nostalgia and a clever tagline, “Stains better be scared,” this campaign had us watching again and again. Short videos can be the perfect shareable, snackable Halloween content.
Target Halloween Hills
Target brought trick or treating to social media screens with a crafty twist. Temporarily transforming their Instagram into “Halloween Hills,” a collection of cartoon haunted houses, each tagged with a ‘trick’ or a ‘treat.’ When clicked on, each tag took the user to another Instagram page with instructions to create a DIY Halloween craft or snack. Creating an interactive experience through social media and giving them something to take away afterwards is a great way to get your audience involved and excited about what you’re sharing.
LG So Real It's Scary
LG had some Halloween fun by highlighting its product for a prank in a YouTube video gone viral. The company released a video in which an elevator floor was replaced with several LG TV monitors displaying images that made the floor appear to be falling away when unsuspecting riders entered. Complete with the tagline, “So Real It’s Scary,” the hilarious reactions made the video spread like wildfire with an underlying plug for LG’s product. Tying in your brand, company or product is an important piece of making impactful Halloween content so people will remember not just the content, but where it came from.
REI Zombie Survival Guide
Much like the way Tide tapped into horror movie fans with their campaign, REI grabbed the attention of The Walking Dead fan base with this zombie inspired infographic. Aligning perfectly with the 2015 season premiere, REI released a guide containing all the items and tactics you would need to survive a zombie apocalypse (just like the one that takes place in the show). The clever diagram made use of the attention around the premiere to put their products and brand sense of humor in the spotlight, and taught us how to escape some zombies all in one.
Final Thoughts
Halloween (and other seasonal content opportunities) can be the perfect time to be lighthearted and put an amusing spin on your content, while sharing your company culture and joining the broader, seasonal conversation. Keeping things short, sweet and simple will have your content eaten up like Halloween candy. Viewers beware, you’re in for a scare!
Written with help from Grace Rasulo.
