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Claire van Helsdingen from Frankwatching
0 October 31, 2024 at 2:00 PM 5 minutes reading
While Halloween used to be very American, it has now also spread to the Netherlands. In different stores I see ‘spooky‘ products are available and you come across many campaigns online. Nice, isn’t it, a bit of a scare? I like it! That’s why I’ve listed this year’s best Halloween campaigns and hooks for you.
1. Heinz
The Heinz Smiles campaign has caused quite a stir. Laughing Heinz fans with ketchup around their mouths with the text ‘it ha ha has to be heinz’. It’s reminiscent of films like Smile 2 and Joker: Folie à Deux, which were recently released. It wasn’t even initially intended as a Halloween campaign, but it is a bit scary.
I couldn’t find the campaign on the Heinz channels themselves and soon discovered why. Heinz has withdrawn the campaign when there was a fuss about the image of a dark man: it reminded people too much blackface.
This just goes to show that you should always take inclusivity into account in your campaigns. Run content from large campaigns through different target groups and colleagues and ask for their opinion before you launch it. It’s a shame if a campaign, which could have been very successful, has to be withdrawn because you did not take this into account.
2. Burger King & Happiness
So much fun, this Halloween campaign from Burger King Belgium in collaboration with Happiness. They have cleverly responded to ‘ghosting’. The phenomenon where someone suddenly disappears from your life by never responding to your messages again.
Burger King Belgium has put a positive Halloween spin on this: if you now send them a screenshot of your unanswered messages, you will receive a free Whopper when you purchase a Large menu.
I think it’s genius how they made the connection between ghosting and Halloween. Seems to me like an idea that came from a good brainstorm or mind map.
3. Fanta & Beetle Juice
The film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will be in cinemas from September 5. Fanta has combined this with a Halloween campaign, by releasing Halloween packaging with the images of Beetjeluice characters.
In addition, the Rotterdam metro has been transformed by Fanta into the ‘Soul train’ from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: completely in theme.
Smart, because this way attention is created for Fanta and the film.
4. M&M’s & Ring
M&M’s is teaming up with Ring (doorbells) for Halloween this year. Trick-or-treaters will receive a funny response from the M&M’s mascot “Red” from a Ring doorbell as they stand at the door and wait for someone to open the door. Such as: “If you want that treat, then the trick’s on you. Shake like a skeleton and drop me a head, shoulders, knees and toes… Ok funny bones… I’ll be right there”
In addition, Ring customers are challenged to share funny videos of reactions to the doorbell while trick-or-treating via social media. They already have the video, because everything is of course filmed with a Ring doorbell. A smart and accessible way to involve your customers in your content and ensure co-creation. As long as the people in the videos give permission to be on the internet like that. 😉
5. e.l.f. Cosmetics sinfluencer
elf Cosmetics has built an entire campaign around ‘sinfluencer’. In the commercial below you see a ‘devil’, or the influencer, who orders the other character to ‘skin sinsto undergo. Such as paying way too much for beauty products that are popular, not using SPF or sleeping with your makeup on (all recognizable things of course).
But then the crème of eleven comes into the picture, which the ‘influencer’ cannot compete with.
On them Instagram page Eleven fully responds to the campaign with their posts, great to see how they have really turned it into an all-round campaign. They also share a post of Halloween looks made with products from elf. Another beautiful form of co-creation and completely ‘on brand’.
6. Efteling – Danse Macabre
Smart of Efteling to open their completely renovated Danse Macabre attraction on Halloween. For weeks I have been seeing Instagram and TikTok videos revealing more and more of the attraction, in a Halloween-like atmosphere.
A long-term campaign that works in my opinion, because I have become seriously curious about it. I went to the Efteling in the summer, but I would almost like to go again to see the new Danse Macabre.
On their website, Efteling counts down until the opening. On that same one landing page After some scrolling, there is a cleverly placed button with which you can immediately order tickets under the guise of ‘experience Danse Macabre as one of the first’.
Hallowee(i)nhakers
In addition to campaigns, I have also come across nice Halloween themes from various brands, which I would like to share.
was
Which hook-in article does not contain bol? Well, they are simply masters at hooking up. In this post they manage to combine Halloween with one of the most exciting things for students: exam week.
Be sure to check them out too Instagram page for other fun Halloween hooks.
Streaming services
I love horror films and therefore enjoy opening streaming services such as Videoland and HBO in the ‘spooky season’. In these apps you have special Halloween themes, which you will immediately encounter on the homepage, into which all scary films are divided.
HEMA
HEMA, just like Bol, always knows how to come up with nice hooks. Not only on Instagram, but also on TikTok. This is also the case in this video, in which the statement ‘I’m scared to death’ is taken very literally, with of course their own Halloween items incorporated.
KPN
KPN, like Heinz, uses the film ‘Smile’ as inspiration for this video.
Heineken
Heineken fully responds to their target group. An evening without football and your friends, isn’t that the scariest thing that can happen to you? (Not as far as I’m concerned, but I’m not part of their target group either 😜).
It’s funny how they manage to capitalize on Halloween with this.
We are used to Google’s Easter eggs around popular themes and holidays. This also applies around Halloween. Google ‘Halloween’ and be surprised by the search result.
Google is currently in a Halloween mood anyway, as you can see from the Google logo as well an ‘exciting’ game can play.
Join in on Halloween
I hope that I have been able to inspire you with these ‘scarily fun’ examples for Halloween in 2025. Because as I said at the beginning of the article, the holiday is starting to spread more and more to the Netherlands.
Have you come across any nice campaigns or hooks? Share them in the comments. Happy Halloween!
