Halloween is a great time for brands to show their spooky creativity! It can be a horror movie parody, pranking unsuspecting victims, or using strangely dark humour to sell candy. Here’s my list of the most creative Halloween ads:
#1
Geico: ‘Good Choices’
This immediately gets my number one spot because I love a good satirical horror. Geico, an insurance company, decided to make fun of the most annoying horror movie characteristic – people making bad choices.
#2
Ford – ‘Spooky Car Wash Prank’
It’s always hilarious to watch people go through haunted houses and scream their head off. But what’s even better is when they don’t know it’s a haunted house. This Ford commercial takes people through a false test drive, pranking them with a spooky car wash instead. The reactions are hilarious, and the spooky actors are even better.
#3
Reese’s – ‘Count Dracula’
This commercial from 1990 still is at the top of my list. It’s simple yet effective. This is an on-going series showing how different characters eat their Reese’s. And Count Dracula one is definitely one of the best!
#4
LG ‘So Real It’s Scary’
Another great prank, this time from LG. This is equally as scary as the Ford commercial (but without the terrifying masked people). LG was advertising their IPS monitors by replacing them as an elevator floor and the results were hilarious.
#5
M&M’s – ‘Staying In’
M&M’s have a ton of great Halloween commercials, but this is one of my favourites. The talking M&M’s are excited and ready to go out trick or treating… until they realize children will be out eating M&M’s. Just like in their other commercials, the realization of their own mortality makes for a funny and dark undertone.
#6
Nike – ‘Run For Your Life’
A spoof on the Friday the 13th franchise. In this version, the hero gets away, all thanks to her Nikes. A smart and spooky campaign that is sure to scare you into buying Nikes.
#7
Snickers – ‘Horseless Headsman’
Snickers’ classic “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign is one of the best, so it’s only fitting they make it onto this list for Halloween. This time featuring the Headless Horseman who’s a bit confused about his identity.
#8
Skittles – ‘Giant Talking Spider’
This commercial is so strange and hilariously dark that it had to take my 8th spot. It starts off kind of lighthearted (other than a kid being trapped in a spider web), and ends on a dark but funny twist.
#9
Taco Bell – ‘Goosebumps’
This Taco Bell commercial from the 90s advertises their Goosebumps toy collection in a creative way. It’s almost hard to believe this commercial was meant for children. It’s spooky, but nonetheless a great commercial that still holds up to this day.
#10
KitKat – ‘Jack-O’-Lantern’
I’ve always appreciated KitKat’s ads that normalize the need for a break to recharge. Although this is in my 10th spot, I think it’s just as clever as the rest of them. KitKat uses their typical “Have a Break” slogan, this time with a mangled pumpkin face.
And that concludes my list of the most creative Halloween commercials so far! I hope you enjoyed these spoopy ads and don’t forget to keep an eye out for any new ones this year.
