Originating from the Celtic tradition of ‘Samhain’ Halloween is one of the biggest holidays. Halloween is also great for connecting with younger consumers, especially Generation Z. Hence, it’s a great idea to create some Halloween promotions to really benefit from the buzz. There are endless possibilities to get creative and cash in on the spooky celebration.

Here are our Top Ten Sales Promotion Ideas for Halloween!

1. Treasure/Sweet Hunts

Image Credit-Hershey

For Halloween why not use Augmented Reality to make virtual sweet hunts to promote your brand in a fresh way? Hershey’s Chocolate did something similar in 2020. Players used Snapchat to find virtual chocolate bars that could then be exchanged for prizes such as new face filters and coupons. It proved to be a huge success generating 30 x ROI. Additionally, 74% of buyers were new customers! This could easily be mimicked for another brand or even a retailer could set up an AR hunt within the store.

2. Petrifying On-Pack-Promotions

On-Pack Promotions are a great Sales Promotion Idea for Halloween for driving short and medium-term sales. Adding some spooky Halloween colours and elements to your packaging is sure to make your products stand out on shelves. Fanta have done this in the past to make their product pop! Fanta Halloween Campaign.

Image Credit- Coca Cola

3. Filters

People love to snap pictures of their amazing costumes and scary makeup. Therefore, filters are a great way to advertise your brand as consumers will associate it with one of the best parts of the celebration- dressing up. These can be especially beneficial to make-up brands looking to push their products. NYX Cosmetics have created creepy filters to demonstrate the looks their products can achieve. There is also the option to include QR codes on products or in stores that unlock dedicated filters.

Likewise, brands can also create filters that don’t involve faces but perhaps a fun background or even list a recipe idea. An alcohol brand adding a cocktail recipe would be a great way to promote their product for Halloween parties!

4. Gamification

Image Credit- Chupa Chup

Lots of brands have created fun Halloween-inspired games. This way users become invested in the game and as a result the brand. Chupa Chup created a game in which players retrieved candy to save Halloween. Any brand or retailer could utilise gamification for its ability to drive sales. The possibilities are limitless from spin the wheels to app-centered minigames. Meet the Creeps Game.

5. Augmented Reality 

Augmented Reality is perfect for Halloween as it can add spooky elements to the real world to allow for an immersive and engaging experience. There are many ways to utilise it. For example, PLAYAR Studio transformed its own offices into a haunted house. View the full experience here.

Image Credit- PlayAR Studio

Retailers could do something similar and allow consumers to view a spooky version of their store through AR. This would establish them as the true home of Halloween.

6. Time-Specific Promotions

Creating a discount code or offer that is only valid for Halloween pushes people to make a purchase. Just Eat offered money off vouchers for anyone who ordered on Halloween night. As a result, the consumer purchases to retrieve the discount and comes back to utilise their reward.

Image Credit- Just Eat

7. Halloween Themed QR Codes

There are many ways brands can use QR codes around Halloween. Fanta added a QR code to their bottles allowing consumers to access a game. Within this game, was the opportunity to win prizes. QR codes are versatile and an easy way to create excitement for your brand around Halloween. Fanta Haunted Mansion

Image Credit- UNIT 9

8. Online Challenges

A fantastic idea for a Halloween promotion is to create a scarily fun Halloween challenge. For example,  Little Caeser’s Pizza challenged fans to use their spooky Instagram filter and say the word ‘Pizza’ three times. In return, they gave every brave user a free soft drink. This recreates the myth of Bloody Mary and rewards daring customers. This is a creative and fun sales promotion ideas for Halloween.

9. Augmented Reality Portals

AR portals allow users to discover an immersive experience through their phone camera. Mountain Dew created the Halloween emporium. Users entered at their own risk to unlock prizes and discover Mountain Dew recipes. Check it out here !

Image credit- Mtn Dew

10. Collaborations

Many brands come together to create a festive promotion. For example, Mr Kipling made The Witches by Roald Dahl- inspired packaging. Thus, people associate the cakes with Halloween and add them to their baskets. This appealed to parents who fondly remembered these books and also children due to the fun packaging and Halloween theme. Similarly, the book also got a boost. As a result, both the consumer and the audience were included in the promotion. Furthermore, prizes were offered for those who entered the unique code found on the packaging.

Image Credit- Good Housekeeping

Those are our Top Ten Sales Promotion Ideas for Halloween Promotions this year! At Return2Sender, we specialise in AR experiences, On-Pack-Promotions and other tech-led campaigns. So please get in touch with us if you would like to create an exciting Halloween promotion for your brand.