From Haribo to 'Hariboo': Publicis Canada Helps Haribo Bring a Spooky Surprise to Union Station

HARIBO has partnered with Publicis Canada to launch a unique Halloween activation, featuring an exclusive pop-up store at Union Station that promises to infuse the city with the childlike joy of Halloween.

Running from October 23 to 31, the first-ever HARIBO pop-up store in Canada offers a unique and memorable experience for all ages. Mareike Temmen, senior manager marketing at Haribo, explained: “Haribo is the leading gummy candy brand globally, but in Canada, our strong presence across popular retailers is more recent. Halloween was coming, and we engaged Publicis to seize the moment! Together, we thought - what better way to introduce Haribo to Canadians than to (literally) make adults feel like a kid in a candy store?”

What sets this pop-up apart is the way it transforms: the initial three days are all about sharing Haribos’s delicious, colourful gummies to add a little fun to your day, but on October 26, the store becomes haunted overnight. The vibrant HARIBO decor is veiled in an air of spookiness. From that moment until Halloween, the store's staff engage passersby with tales of the unexpected overnight change and encourage them to come in to do a little Trick or Treating and even help find HARIBO’s mascot, Goldbear, who has suddenly gone missing. Behind half-boarded windows and among colourful cobwebs, visitors stumble upon shelves that mysteriously move or fall on their own, and hands that pop out unexpectedly from the walls, offering delightful fun and surprises to bring out the kids at heart of all gummy lovers.

“We knew that regular commuters would instantly notice we made the switch, creating repeatable, instagramable moments that invite consumers back into the happy world of Haribo – Halloween style!”, explained Chris Desjardins, SVP, Sponsorship & Experience at Publicis Canada. “

“This campaign was a true team effort. Led by our Sport & Entertainment team, our strategy & creative teams collaborated closely with Haribo to develop this breakthrough, amplifiable, experiential activation with the goal of making Haribo the ‘go-to candy’ for Halloween.” said Desjardins. “In just over two weeks, our team secured our desired location, designed, printed, produced, recruited and trained a team of dynamic Brand Ambassadors, plus set up the activation space. We’re so proud to have partnered with Haribo on this activation.”

In another showcase of the ‘Power of One’, North Strategic, Publicis Canada’s PR agency, played a pivotal role in engaging with influencers and the media, ensuring maximum reach and igniting curiosity and excitement.