Ghost Watch: Halloween highlights

This year’s Halloween creative has been bigger, bolder and I dare say spookier, than previous years. Which ones bewitched you?

Nowadays, an elasticated Scream mask just isn’t going to cut it in the competitive world of creative creep-outs. We turn, then, to adland to up its scare game, and this year has been more imaginative than ever, we reckon.

Coca-Cola Fanta Halloween 2025: ‘They Wanta Fanta’

There’s a longer than usual bit of agency name-checking on this Fanta effort, and you’ll see why…

WPP, Ogilvy UK, supported by Burson, EssenceMediacom, Hogarth, and VML, teamed up with Fanta with Universal Pictures and Blumhouse, to create something of a star-studded Halloween extravaganza this year.

The campaign is a who’s who of iconic horror characters, like Chucky, Freddy Fazbear, M3gan, and The Grabber, all vying for Fanta’s limited-edition ‘Forest Berries’ flavour.

Quite the masterclass in IP negotiation, surely, but the result is a nice bit of fan service across multiple franchises, balancing nostalgia with boldness.

Campaign image credit: Coca-Cola, Fanta campaign

Using Halloween to highlight a harrowing reality: ‘I Choose Freedom’

Directed by Anne-Sofie Lindgaard Hansen in her directorial debut for MindsEye, the tension this ad creates underscores the horrifying reality of domestic violence.

Crafted by the creative collective Good Eggs, the ad’s cinematic visuals and atmospheric tension, reminiscent of the film Halloween, are combined with impeccable pacing and visual storytelling.

Domino’s, Subway, and the great costume-off

Of course, no Halloween would be complete without the fine tradition of the off-beat costume. And this year, brands went all out on the weird.

Domino’s UK partnered with creative agency One Green Bean for a limited-edition, human-sized pizza box costume for couples, reimagining Domino’s iconic red and blue boxes as oversized wearable costumes with face cutouts replacing the pizza dots.

A limited run of only 75 pairs created a frenzy, distributed through an online competition at dominoshalloween.com.

Meanwhile, Love Island winner Millie Court made a bit of an entrance, wearing an elaborate Subway Meatball Marinara sub-inspired costume, designed by Plunge Creations (noted for creative work on The Masked Singer UK). Every detail, from textured meatballs and melted cheese to spicy jalapeños and red onion, was crafted in high fidelity, finished with a custom handbag and sparkling lettuce heels for a full fashion statement.

Not to be outdone (we’ll let you be the judge of that), television presenter Josie Gibson transformed herself into a *checks notes* Hungarian Horntail dragon for the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire.

Created by acclaimed SFX artists Ella Does FX and John Early, the look involved hand-crafted prosthetics and meticulous airbrushing, taking over five hours to realise the magical transformation.

The campaign coincides with Warner Bros. Studio Tour London’s “Discover the Dark Arts” experience, linking fan culture with seasonal festivity.

Nerds Candy and The Ghost Bus Tours: ‘The Fright Bus’

Partnering with Ghost Bus Tours, Nerds Candy pulled off a compelling example of how brands can link product, culture, immersive experiences, and, well, Halloween, of course.

The brand launched a spooky experience through key London horror film locations, including stories from ‘28 Days Later’ and ‘An American Werewolf in London’. Complemented by a national survey investigating British horror survival instincts, this campaign combines experiential marketing with data storytelling and fun consumer engagement via an interactive horror quiz.

Asda: Kids Eat Free in Fancy Dress

We almost forgot, Halloween is for kids too, and Asda’s community-driven Halloween support offered kids in fancy dress free meals on 31st October at 205 café locations nationwide, timed to align with the half-term holiday.

The ‘Kids Eat for £1’ promotion was extended as a treat to ease budget pressures for families during the costly seasonal celebrations, supported by wide in-store Halloween offers on costumes, pumpkins, and party snacks.