Halloween Marketing: How Brands Have *Killed* It

In partnership with

Save 13 Hours Weekly of Podcast Pitching with PodPitch.com

The best way to advertise isn't Meta or Google – it's appearing on dozens of podcasts that your customers already love.

You could write a few emails yourself to podcast hosts...

Or you could automate thousands of emails going out weekly, pitching your people as the PERFECT next podcast guest.

With PodPitch.com...

• Log in with your email

• Load your brand info

• Click "automate"

Emails pitching your team as the perfect next guest will start sending out automatically to podcast hosts.

Big brands like Feastables are already using it instead of expensive PR Agencies.

Get your FREE personalized demo!

Happy Halloween!

Ok, no more ghosting… Let’s Talk Social.

As Halloween wraps up, it’s time to shine a light on some terrifyingly good marketing campaigns that prove brands can really kill it during spooky season. Holidays bring a unique chance for brands to get creative, and Halloween, with all its eerie charm, is the perfect backdrop for some seriously attention-grabbing ideas. From “tomato blood” bottles to creepy clowns, here’s how notable brands have haunted our feeds with unforgettable Halloween campaigns in the past five years.

Heinz “Tomato Blood” & “Heinz Smiles”

Ever heard that old theater trick about ketchup as a stand-in for fake blood? Heinz decided to bring this trick back from the dead by rebranding their ketchup as “Tomato Blood.” This brilliant idea transformed their classic product into a Halloween must-have, complete with packaging that looked straight out of a vampire’s pantry. Heinz even went further by creating Halloween kits with makeup tools, letting fans go all out with their own spooky transformations. But this year, Heinz took things to a cinematic level with their “Heinz Smiles” campaign, which launched on the very day that Joker 2 hit theaters. Talk about perfect timing!

In the ad, customers bite into burgers and emerge with “bloody” ketchup smiles. The tagline, “It HA HA has to be Heinz,” cleverly plays on the Joker’s sinister grin, a villain Halloween fans know all too well. This campaign wasn’t just creepy; it was scarily clever, bringing Heinz into pop culture in a way that felt familiar but refreshingly wicked.

IKEA: “Monsters Not Included”

Few things capture childhood memories like the monster lurking under the bed. IKEA tapped into this universal experience with their “Monsters Not Included” campaign, playing on the classic childhood fear of night creatures. With a wink, IKEA assures customers that their beds are monster-free zones, using Halloween to remind people that their products offer comfort and peace of mind—even for little ones afraid of what lies beneath. 

By turning an age-old fear into a lighthearted ad, IKEA managed to be both reassuring and playfully spooky, reminding customers that they create not only functional spaces but also ones that bring a sense of security. In doing so, they killed it by appealing to the Halloween spirit while connecting with parents and kids alike, showing that they understand their customers’ needs in both practical and emotional ways.

Burger King: “Come Like a Clown, Eat Like a King”

Burger King and McDonald’s have long been rivals, but Halloween brings a new level of playful rivalry to their ongoing feud. With their “Come Like a Clown, Eat Like a King” campaign, Burger King invited customers to dress as clowns—a not-so-subtle jab at McDonald’s mascot, Ronald McDonald—and come in to enjoy a meal on the house. By positioning themselves as the ultimate choice for even clowns, Burger King managed to blend humor with a bit of Halloween horror. 

This campaign tapped into the creepy clown theme that Halloween has popularized and sent a clear message: even those who usually “clown around” with other brands know a royal meal when they see it. It’s a clever, fun approach that drew attention, cementing Burger King’s brand personality while giving customers a reason to get into the spirit of the season. Burger King’s Halloween marketing has consistently shown that they aren’t afraid to bring out the big tricks—and it’s clear they killed it with this playful swipe at their biggest competitor.

These brands have truly killed it with their Halloween campaigns, proving that creative, seasonally driven marketing can make a lasting impression. By adding a spooky twist, they’ve kept audiences engaged and excited while also creating memorable moments that fans are likely to remember all year long. When brands tap into the seasonal spirit this well, they don’t just get noticed—they build loyalty and leave a hauntingly good mark on their customers. No tricks here, just plenty of treats.

Written By: Aylin Madrigal - Chief Marketing & Operations Officer at Brand Geniuz