How Brands Can Win on Social Media this Halloween From sitcoms to merchandising, candy to advertising, Halloween has certainly taken on a life of its own. We can expect the cast of Modern Family and animators of The Simpsons to give us spooky/comedic specials that will have us in stitches, but what we’re excited about is how brands adjust their advertising for the annual Fall Freak-Out. It’s projected that US advertising dollars will exceed $9 Billion dollars for the first time (that’s up about 25% from 2015) with almost 180 Million Americans celebrating Halloween this year. When planning for Social Media campaigns, our minds are wrapped like the Mummy around best practices and who is doing it best on Halloween. Are you planning to capitalize for Halloween this year? Here are our top ads that both fright and delight.

#1 | Disney Theme Parks | 30s Video Ad

Of course, amusement parks naturally want to get in on the fun of Halloween. We love how Disney incorporated characters from various series/movies AND advertised for two parks in 30 seconds. The ad’s stunning visuals will appeal to kids and parents who are looking for a fright on Halloween.

Wingstop Halloween Twitter Card Ad

#2 | Wingstop | Website Card Ad

Wingstop does a great job capitalizing on the party aspect of Halloween gatherings in this ad. Plus, their unique creative (a wing carved into a pumpkin) drew a lot of eyeballs for their customers to drive orders around Halloween.

McDonald's Halloween Pinterest Ad

#3 | McDonald’s | Pinterest Ad

Surely most kids at some point have used French fries as fake teeth or husks. Well, McDonald’s took that one step further with their clever Dracula fries. The thing we love about this ad is that it’s both clever and subtle. It’s a great ad, the brand is present, and it appeals to our “child” side. Bravo, McDonald’s.

AirBnB Halloween Contest

#4 | AirBnB | Website Contest

Last year, AirBnB created a contest offering users a free night to stay at Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania after signing up online. While we’re not entirely sure how eager we are to sleep in a coffin, AirBnB hit the mark by delivering an incredibly original campaign and driving ad recall in a unique way. And the branded pillows are a nice touch, too.

Maglite Halloween Pinterest Ad

#5 | Maglite | Pinterest Ad

When it comes to scary, less can certainly be more. Case and point, this really genius Maglite ad from Pinterest. It hearkens back to the days of campfires and ghost stories…and who hasn’t attempted to scare a younger sibling by lighting up their face with a flashlight? It’s a great ad, simple, subtle branding…and bonus points for the nostalgia.

So, some advertisers like to be festive and incorporate their brand/products into the spirit of the Halloween season, and some like to introduce product lines specific to the holiday. Either way, from where we sit, we all benefit from their creative and entertaining ads. The post 5 Halloween Ads That Both Fright and Delight Us appeared first on AdParlor.