Are Halloween Advertisers Overlooking the Opportunity to Work with Fictional Characters?

Halloween, a season of costumes, candy, and creative spookiness, presents an ideal opportunity for brands to engage their audiences in a memorable and enchanting way. Yet, in their quest for the perfect Halloween campaign, many brands overlook one potent resource: fictional characters.

Halloween embodies the imaginative and fantastical, and fictional characters have always been at the heart of the celebration. However, in recent years, brands have tended to lean on generic, predictable themes rather than leveraging the rich world of characters from books, movies, and folklore.

One common concern that keeps brands from incorporating fictional characters in their Halloween advertising campaigns is the fear of the licensing process or costly licensing fees. While these issues can be valid, they can often be addressed through partnering with third parties like Born Licensing, who can suggest fictional characters that are more likely to be feasible and then managing the licensing process from start to finish.

Fictional characters come with established personalities, backgrounds, and traits that resonate with audiences. As we found out in our most recent US White Paper, 43% of the US public stated that they ‘most like’ to see fictional characters in advertising, compared to celebrities (23%), musicians (18%), and sports stars (16%). Utilising characters like Dracula or Frankenstein, brands can craft narratives that draw consumers into their world, making campaigns more engaging and memorable. These stories can be used to establish connections between products or services and the characters, offering a unique selling point.

Fictional characters bring versatility to campaigns. With a vast array of options from classic monsters to modern superheroes, there's a character for every target audience. For instance, a brand can engage children with a character like SpongeBob SquarePants who has a raft of Halloween themed creative assets. Or they could aim at adults by catering to horror enthusiasts with icons like Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers.

Additionally, fictional characters transcend language and cultural boundaries, making them a powerful tool for global brands. Characters like Harry Potter or Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter are universally and instantly recognisable, offering a message that resonates on a global scale.

Incorporating fictional characters also encourages audience participation. Brands can create interactive campaigns where consumers dress up as their favourite characters, participate in character-themed challenges, or engage in storytelling related to the characters. Born Licensing worked on a hugely successful Halloween campaign for Uber a couple of years ago. Their agency Kamp Grizzly created SpongeBob’s Patty Wagon, Scooby Doo’s Mystery Machine and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Party Wagon in order to demonstrate Uber ‘dressing up’ for Halloween. Fans across key US cities were able to ride in the cars as part of their Uber experience.

The Born Licensing team feel strongly that brands are missing a significant opportunity by neglecting fictional characters in their Halloween advertising campaigns. These characters offer rich storytelling opportunities, multigenerational and cross-cultural appeal, and a chance for stronger audience engagement.

This Halloween, we hope to see brands embracing the enchanting world of fictional characters, creating campaigns that resonate deeply with their audiences. By leveraging these beloved figures, brands can deliver a spooktacular experience that lingers long after the Halloween festivities have ended.