Spooktacular.
In a single word (very on-trend on LinkedIn at the moment), that’s how Chat GPT summed up what we should expect from the upcoming wave of supermarket Halloween campaigns.
One to avoid, then. Because AI is great at identifying the category generic, and that’s not where you want to be when it comes to a retail event of accelerating importance. According to Mintel, retail spending on Halloween products and events topped 1bn in 2023, quadrupling over a ten year period. That’s a (pumpkin) pie that’s worth grabbing a piece of.
Creating fresh seasonal campaigns - and finding fresh insights to base them on year after year - is challenging. The cycle quickly becomes predictable, and the same cultural references have a tendency to pop up again and again. (Hello, rained-on summer BBQs.) Meanwhile, business realities mean that showcasing products is key. Retailers need to land those extra items in baskets or woo (please note the accidental halloween pun) an occasional shopper with a wow centerpiece product or price they can’t get elsewhere. This means brands can’t deviate too far from the product showcase format.
But does that mean every ad needs to be a store walkthrough thinly veiled in metaphor or adorned in puns? Now that’s scary.
Thankfully, those skeletons can get back in the closet. Because there’s so much more to do with these moments.
- Don’t fear product play. Take IKEA: constantly showing off products with flair but also with story and spirit. Last year’s great Asda Easter egg hunt. Waitrose’s use of natural soundtracks to grab attention. More recently, M&S’s ‘New in the Foodhall’ talk show approach, with long-form YouTube episodes and adaptations for other channels. I’d love to see edits taken into the TV space.
- Put good ideas on repeat. Onto a good thing? Then bring it back. The seasonal cycle is your friend when it comes to building anticipation. Think McDonald’s Monopoly, a franchise that has built over time. Or Starbucks Red Cups. Or - back ten+ years - to M&S’s pass the parcel: an activation that was looked out for by consumers every year (and which at one point had a phenomenal million players. One to ask our head of tech back then about). Or even the Coke ad. Rather than reinvent the wheel each year, is there something that can become part of the seasonal hype cycle instead?
- Stay culturally curious. Some things don’t evolve, but many do. Particularly when it comes to food. Beneath #demure and #brat, there’s more to plumb for relevance than we’ve ever had access to. Maybe Halloween is the moment for fridgescaping? Hopefully not, but who knows. More seriously, deep dives into social subcultures unlock references that can massively boost relevance.
The key to unlocking it all and enabling it at the speed of retail? A fit-for-purpose platform. Because platform is king. It ensures everything pulls in one, objective-driven direction (yes, I’m going to mention ‘Try Something New Today’. Sorry), and guarantees ownability. We see it in Tesco’s ‘power to lower prices’ and Aldi’s ‘Kevin the Carrot’. The right platform is robust enough to support creativity at speed, and flexible enough to allow for play.
With Halloween typically a time of turning the expected upside down, that unlocks a lot of potential.
So, all that said, here’s what the AI did - and what you shouldn’t do.
*Spooky music plays. The camera pans over a foggy, moonlit night. Shadows of bats fly across the sky.*
"This Halloween, step into a world of ghoulish delights at [Supermarket Name]..."
**[Cut to Inside the Supermarket]** *The store is decorated with cobwebs, pumpkins, and spooky decorations. Families and children in costumes are shopping.*
"Discover everything you need for a frightfully fun celebration..."
**[Close-up Shots]** *Close-ups of Halloween-themed treats: ghost-shaped cookies, pumpkin pies, and candy assortments.*
"From deliciously devilish treats..."
**[Cut to Costume Aisle]** *Children excitedly try on costumes: witches, vampires, and superheroes.*
"To costumes that will make you the star of any spooky soirée..."
**[Cut to Party Supplies]** *Parents pick up party decorations: skeletons, spooky lights, and themed tableware.*
"And all the decorations to transform your home into a haunted haven."
**[Cut to Checkout]** *A friendly cashier hands out Halloween-themed reusable bags with a smile.*
"Plus, enjoy our eco-friendly options to keep the planet as happy as your little monsters."
**[Closing Scene]** *The camera zooms out to show the entire store bustling with Halloween excitement. The screen fades to black with the supermarket logo and a tagline.*
"This Halloween, make it a spooktacular one with [Supermarket Name]."
**[Text on Screen]**
"Happy Halloween from [Supermarket Name]!"
