Top 10 Halloween activations: from Airheads’ dental floss to Burger King’s ghost detector
Whether you’re on the hunt for some Halloween costume inspiration, or you wish to see Martha Stewart in a short slasher film, we have you covered. Here are 10 spooky efforts from household brands that will chill your bones.
Check out the top 10 Halloween activations of 2022 / Credit: Revolution
1. Scare away cavities with Airheads’ candy-flavored dental floss
Fear not, dentists, for Airheads is on a mission to make your homes far less spooky this season. Perfetti Van Melle, the maker of the chewy candy, is giving away thousands of limited-edition Airheads-flavored dental floss to dentists to spare the teeth of trick-or-treaters across the nation.
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2. Try and buy Halloween costumes with Snapchat’s AR lens
Looking for costume ideas, but unwilling to drive to the local Spirit Halloween shop? Starting October 11, Snapchatters can virtually dress up as characters from their all-time favorite TV shows and movies, including Hocus Pocus 2, Chucky, Ghostbusters, Stranger Things, Power Rangers, Transformers, The Office and Harry Potter. If users like what they see, they can purchase the costume via the lens, directly within the app.
3. Take spooky selfies with YouCam’s seasonal photo effects
This year, YouCam’s app portfolio – which includes YouCam Makeup, YouCam Perfect, YouCam Video and YouCam Nails – dropped over 100 Halloween-themed virtual looks and photo-editing effects. Choose from a variety of looks, from the ‘Hallow-Queen’ and ‘Scary Cute’ collections to ‘Eye Scream’ – the signature ice-cream skeleton look from talented makeup artist Jessica Buchanan (otherwise known as @makeitjess on Instagram).
4. Go ghost hunting with Burger King’s app – and get a free Whopper
This Halloween, consumers will be able to detect nearby paranormal activity through the Burger King app. Part of the fast-food chain’s ‘Home of the Ghosts’ campaign, the app allows users to locate ghosts in their favorite haunts using a magnetic field sensor. Better yet, if they find one, they can earn a BOGOF Whopper. “This year, we encourage customers to hunt for ghosts wherever they like to hang out,” Burger King’s brand communication director Andrea Beer said in a statement. “If they find one, we’re doubly excited to reward them for sharing their spaces.”
5. Have an eco-friendly spooky season with Mars and Rubicon
Nothing is spookier than the very real climate crisis, so this Halloween candy mainstay Mars Wrigley and recycling company Rubicon are tackling packaging waste through recyclable trick-or-treat bags. Part of Rubicon’s ongoing ‘Trick or Trash’ effort, the bags are available to order at Halloween.Mars.com and will come with pre-paid postage stamps, as well as instructions to return the bags for recycling.
6. Meet Butterfinger’s frightening new foe Robin Fingers
The ongoing ‘Butterfinger Investigators’ campaign continues – but there’s a new villain on the loose this year: Robin Fingers. The main protagonists, agents Hugh Dunnit and Ali Byes, played by Amir Arison and Alexandria Bedford, take on new challenges in a trio of 15-second spots. Several cult classic stars, including Jonathan Bennett from Mean Girls and Kimberly Brown from Halloweentown, will also support the effort, while out-of-home (OOH) placements will appear in Chicago, Miami, LA and New York. Plus, an NFL Jets partnership will see in-game assets on the jumbotron and other digital signage in and around the stadium.
7. Create a monstrous makeup look with Revolution’s Halloween collection
Makeup Revolution’s Halloween collection has made its return – this time with a new circus-themed line to help consumers transform themselves into clowns, fortune tellers, magicians and other carnival folks. Alongside the new addition, the collection brings back other fan favorites: SFX tools, a Game of Thrones line, a Beetlejuice line, facepaint sets and temporary hair dyes.
8. Martha Stewart channels Michael Myers in a Liquid Death ad
Liquid Death’s latest ad encourages viewers to disregard the knife in the hands of Martha Stewart and instead focus on the delightfully dark candle that the water brand worked on with the celebrity chef. “Each one is made by hand,” Stewart says in the ad, while the camera pans to a screaming fan – minus his severed hand...
9. Hot Topic drops vampy virtual clothing in Roblox
Cult favorite gothic retailer Hot Topic is stepping out of the mall and into the metaverse for the first time with a new Halloween activation in Roblox. The ‘Halloween Forever’ collection features 10 virtual pieces of apparel that are based on real in-store items, as well as three virtual pop-up shops.
10. Hulu hauls an adult-friendly ice cream truck to LA
Calling all Rick and Morty fans: on October 29 and October 30, Justin Roiland devotees can stop by Hulu’s ‘Huluween’ trick-or-treat truck in Los Angeles for free ice cream. Flavors include ‘The Great Pumpkin’ and ‘Clacky’s Gourmet Eyeball Ice Cream,’ or opt for adult-only flavors during Happy Hour such as ‘Candy Corn Lane’ and ‘R.I.Paloni.’
On Saturday October 29, the truck will stop in Little Tokyo (329 E 2nd Street) from 1pm-3pm, and between 5pm-7pm the truck will be parked in front of Koreatown’s Love Hour (532 S Western Ave, Los Angeles). On Sunday October 30, the truck will stop at the Melrose Trading Post from 1pm-3pm and the Great White Cafe from 5pm-7pm.
