Simply Boo-tiful: How to Build a Great Halloween Campaign for Any Industry

Halloween is just around the scary curve, but this season goes beyond Saw marathons and trick or treating. For online businesses, Halloween represents a great time to market their products and improve profitability.

After all, nothing entices consumers to consume more than a celebration that revolves around candy, disguises and partying.

Below, we’ll give you a few tips on creating a fang-tastic marketing campaign for this upcoming Halloween.

What You Shouldn’t Joke About

 

It’s pretty obvious that Halloween is a peculiar holiday because it’s all about macabre symbols. But, it’s worth noting that businesses still need to be careful with their advertising.

Even when consumers are allowed to go overboard, you have to make sure your ads won’t get you in trouble even during this bloody holiday.

Some of the topics, ideas, and symbols you want to avoid include:

• Historic or current events (for example, the Holocaust)
• Ads that portray child abuse in any form
• Themes that revolve around suicide
• Stereotypes and stigmas that cause harm to certain audiences
• Unnecessary sexual innuendos or gory imagery
• Necrophilia and zoophilia
• Any form of religious criticism or symbolism
• Gender or race discrimination
• Burnt-out puns and jokes
• Offensive language that makes fun of any tragic event
• Anything that you think your audience may deem inappropriate

 

Elements Your Campaign Should Include

 

 

Once you establish the themes you need to steer away from, you can start thinking about the elements you want to include in your campaign. Halloween is a great chance to cause a lasting impression and boost your profits.

That said, you need to focus on catching your customers’ attention and start building your funnel off of that. Some popular themes you’ll want to employ in your campaign include, but are not limited to:

• Witty puns, funny jokes, and a lot of humor
• Discounts and promotions
• Attractive graphics
• Zombies, witches, vampires, and werewolves
• Traditional Halloween symbols like pumpkins and bats
• Orange, purple, green, black, and red color schemes
• Rich media ads and GIFs
• Freebies
• Adult themes (only when relevant to your vertical!)

 

Tips for an Awesome Halloween Ads Campaign

 

Launching a Halloween campaign can help you connect with your audience, but you’ll have to make certain adjustments depending on your industry.

For instance, adult themes are allowed on dating sites, but there’s a fine gender discrimination line you don’t want to cross. Furthermore, some industries may enjoy a better opportunity during this witch-rich holiday, for example:

 

1. eCommerce

A lot of people buy Halloween-themed products online, so ecommerce platforms can see a huge boost in traffic and overall revenue.

Avoid:

• Potentially offensive themes
• Promotions that don’t really benefit users
• Advertising products for violent purposes

 

Employ:

• Lots of humor and vivid descriptions
• "Get one free" offers
• Attractive colors and promo codes

 

Great Examples:

 

We recommend: Popunder and Push Notifications

2. Gaming

Gaming platforms are extremely versatile because you can always roll out Halloween themes and special layouts. Plus, you can always launch promotions that give users in-game rewards or access to extra content.

Avoid:

• Emphasizing the violence in your games
• Nudity and adult themes, unless applicable to your game
• Overloading the levels and sacrificing performance

Employ:

• Halloween characters like vampires and zombies
• New levels and seasonal features
• Witty puns and funny jokes

Great Examples:

We recommend: Popunder + Retargeting

3. Gambling

Like games, gambling and betting platforms can really take advantage of Halloween because they can adjust the theme on the user interface. This can help increasing in-game purchases and also help increase the profits you see of your ads.

Avoid:

• Gender discrimination
• Jokes about any form of addiction
• Promising increased chances of winning

 

Employ:

• Attractive and colorful graphics
• Promotions and free giveaways
• Adult themes that are not too aggressive

 

Great Examples:

 

We recommend: Push Notifications and Popunder

 

4. Software

A lot of consumers expect great deals on most products for Halloween and software is not an exception. Software providers should put together a great campaign and convince consumers its the best deal they’ll possibly get.

Avoid:

• Fear tactics
• Nudity and gory images
• Exhausted jokes and puns

 

Employ:

• Lots of humor and Halloween symbols
• Vivid imagery
• Extended features, promotions, and discounts

 

Great Examples:

 

We recommend: Popunder + Interstitials

 

5. Dating

Dating platforms enjoy more liberties than most other industries. Besides adult themes, you can also joke about awkward situations while still providing comic relief.

Avoid:

• Themes that revolve around suicide or self-harm
• Make fun of being single
• Gender, race, religious, or social discrimination

 

Employ:

• Adult themes
• Witty humor and sarcasm
• Non-violent jokes about ex-partners and in-laws

 

Great Examples:

We recommend: Popunder + Retargeting

 

6. Finance

Companies that provide financial services may have some more limitations than other industries, but they can still take advantage of the scary extravaganza.

Avoid:

• Scare tactics and false claims
• Adult themes
• Religious discrimination or historic insensitivity

 

Employ:

• Light humor
• Halloween symbols
• Family themes

 

Great Examples:

 

 

We recommend: Popunder + retargeting, Push Notifications

 

Have you already prepared your scary Halloween campaign? If not, here’s your chance to impress your audience. By the way, we have an exciting Halloween video coming up, an absolute must see. Stay tuned!