Halloween is an annual celebration of spookiness that takes place on the 31st of October.
The origin of this holiday can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain where people would ignite bonfires and don costumes to fend off ghosts.
Halloween is a great time to be experimental with ads to promote your brand in a creative way. Ghosts, zombies, and ghouls dominate our TV screens through commercials, films, and music videos.
In this post, we will talk about some of the best Halloween commercials that will get you excited about the holiday.
Welcome to the Third Space – PlayStation 2
Welcome to the Third Space was created by TBWA and directed by the famous David Lynch for Sony PlayStation 2 in 2000.
The ad is shot in black and blue shadows—the flagship colors of PS2—and shows a man giving a thumbs up to his doppelganger, a severed arm, an injured man, a strange woman, and a duck-face man in a parallel universe.
This commercial reeks of Lynchian surrealism where he welcomes the audience to a new dimension of gaming through PlayStation 2.
Hint of – Cravendale
Hint of was created by DDB London for Cravendale in 2006.
The ad starts with a little boy getting in a car with his mother. As they drive around, the boy constantly sees glimpses of red cows while tension keeps building in the background.
As the ad reaches its climax, the red cows are revealed to be the new strawberry flavor of Cravendale milk with a voiceover that says, “Fresh milk with a hint of something so good, the Strawberry Cows want it back.”
Read more: 9 Best Microsoft Commercials Worth Celebrating
Scary Monkey – Gainomax
Scary Monkey was created by Saatchi & Saatchi for Gainomax in 2008.
The ad starts with a scary figure whose face is covered with long hair making a reference to a famous horror film, The Ring.
There is an eerie voiceover running in the background to make it a spine-chilling experience for the audience. As the figure approaches, it unveils to be a monkey that whispers, “Bananas are for monkeys!”
Scary Monkey is geared towards fitness enthusiasts who always eat a banana before or after a workout. Gainomax wants the audience to understand that they should replace bananas with their protein shakes and bars.
Halloween Grocery Store Lady – Snickers
Halloween Grocery Store Lady was created by BBDO, New York for Snickers in 2010.
The ad shows a shopper encountering kids in a grocery store who, in a creepy lady costume, advises and throws large quantities of Snickers candy packs in her trolley for trick-or-treating.
The commercial went viral for its straightforward and humorous approach. Many renowned news outlets such as Huffington Post and Buzzfeed lauded the creepy lady costume.
Also read: 10 Best Advertising Campaigns to Come Out of Quarantine
Vacation – Orkin
Vacation was created by The Richards Group for Orkin in 2011.
The ad starts with a family coming back home from a vacation to find 7-foot-tall rodents in their common room shredding on guitars.
The funny commercial builds suspense nicely with an ominous background score until it cuts to the family calling in Orkin pest control and getting rid of the intruders.
Halloween Costume Challenge – Kmart
Halloween Costume Challenge was created by FCB (formerly known as Draftfcb) for Kmart in 2012.
The ad features dances, poses, and dress-ups of America’s Got Talent contestant, Monternez “Monty” Rezell.
He broke a Guinness World Record for most costume changes in 6 hours and 5 minutes.
Kmart supported Monty’s record-breaking effort by creating this ad, which also proves the fact that commercials do not need to add jumpscares or monsters every time during Halloween.
Haunted Hotels – booking.com
Haunted Hotels was created by Wieden+Kennedy for Booking.com in 2013.
The ad shows a woman who wakes up to find camera footage being played on the TV of her haunted hotel room. The clip appears to be of the same hotel where she is staying.
The ominous background score and sound effects add to the overall scary impact. The main aim of the commercial is to dare travelers to try any of the seven haunted hotels in the USA.
Horror Movie – GEICO
Horror Movie was created by The Martin Agency for GEICO in 2014.
The ad depicts a scene in a horror film where the lead characters make stupid decisions instead of successfully evading the killer.
GEICO promotes the “It’s What you Do” campaign by bantering slasher films and advises the audience to opt for 15% off for its insurance instead of making non-sensical decisions.
Giant Talking Spider – Skittles
Giant Talking Spider was created by DDB Chicago for Skittles in 2014.
The ad starts with two boys out on a Halloween night. One of them is entangled in a spider web; trying to get packs of Skittles. The other one has a giant talking spider standing behind him.
In a twist of events, the ad cuts to the giant talking spider and one of the boys forming a healthy friendship. Until it reveals that it ate both of the boys and none of the friendship stuff happened.
This commercial is funny, but it also gives arachnophobes more reasons to be afraid of spiders.
The Shining – IKEA
The Shining was created by BBH for IKEA in 2014.
The ad shows a young exploring a dark IKEA store on his tricycle. he gets spooked by a set of twins who actually turn out to be his parents.
The commercial makes evident references to the movie The Shining. It promoted late-night shopping until 11 pm for customers.
Scary Clown Night – Burger King
Scary Clown Night was created by MullenLowe for Burger King in 2017.
The ad shows a young boy being chased by scary clowns all around the city. He tries to evade them by taking refuge in a nearby Burger King joint only to find more clowns.
This commercial showcases how Burger King is always ready to dig at its arch-rival: McDonald’s, and that there is no love lost between the two fast-food chains.
Burger King offered its 500 guests on Halloween night to come dressed up as a clown and get a free Whopper.
Tasty Humans – Temptations
Tasty Humans was created by adam&eveDDB for Temptation in 2017.
The ad shows a cat owner who tries to strike a deal with his unfriendly cat by offering her treats.
The commercial plays on the simple idea that cats are unpredictable and all it takes is a simple pleasure of life to satisfy them.
Final thoughts
Halloween is an exciting occasion for brands to churn out imaginative ads.
There are many ways to combine horror, fun, and surrealism to produce a one-of-a-kind commercial for your audience.
So, put on your thinking cap and see if you can come up with a cool video ad idea for your business.
If you want to work with an agency to bring your idea to life, get in touch with our video strategists. We’d love to be of service!