Halloween is crowded. These five brands cut through with clear offers, culture-savvy collabs, and social-first packaging. Steal the plays that fit your brand—and ship them for next year.
1) Krispy Kreme: Week-by-Week Reasons to Visit
Krispy Kreme stacked offers all October: a new “Trick or Treat! Collection,” two “Scary Sharies” weekends with $2 Original Glazed dozens (with any dozen), plus free doughnuts for guests in costume on two separate days. The cadence created multiple urgency spikes and repeat trips. (Krispy Kreme Investors)
Steal this: ladder your promos—new product drop → BOGO-style value weekend → freebie day—to create three distinct reasons to shop in one month.
2) Dunkin’: Menu x Merch Flywheel
Dunkin’ paired a Candy Bar Signature Latte, the return of the Spider Donut, and a Halloween MUNCHKINS® Bucket with a Spider Donut–inspired merch drop (plushies, onesie, etc.). Menu hype fueled merch sales; merch posts fed menu awareness. (Dunkin’)
Steal this: design one photogenic hero item (bucket, sleeve, or topper) and give it a limited, collectible feel—then promote it with UGC prompts.
3) Burger King: Themed Menu with Earned-Media Hooks
BK rolled out an all-new Monster Menu with Halloween naming, visuals, and social-friendly packaging—perfect for foodie media and creator reviews. The drop’s “try-them-all” framing encouraged multi-item orders and content. (news.bk.com)
Steal this: rename 2–3 core items with a shared spooky theme and seed early with review creators the week your LTO lands.
4) Heinz: Black-Garlic “Mayo Halloween”
Heinz flipped its usual ketchup “blood” gag and launched a limited black-garlic mayo with vintage-horror creative. It’s simple, striking, and extremely scroll-stopping—perfect for short-form video and PR pick-ups. (Little Black Book)
Steal this: take a familiar product, change one dramatic attribute (color, texture, or form factor), and build the story around that twist.
What These Winners Share
- Cadence over one-day blasts: staggered drops keep you in feeds for weeks (Krispy Kreme). (Krispy Kreme Investors)
- Ownable props: buckets, bottles, and black mayo make instant UGC. (Dunkin’)
- Culture crossovers: entertainment + nightlife + brand = reach that paid alone can’t buy (Bacardí/Monáe). (People.com)
Quick Plug-and-Play Ideas for Your Brand
- Mini-cadence: Drop a limited flavor this Friday, run a weekend BOGO, then a costume freebie on the 31st. (Krispy Kreme Investors)
- Collectible container: Design a reusable “treat bucket” or sleeve; bundle with a limited sticker sheet. (Dunkin’)
- Creator seeding: Ship 25 kits to local food/fashion creators one week pre-launch (embargo + exclusive code). (YouTube)
