Double-double-toil and trouble; Fire Burn and Ads Bubble

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Fall—the time of pumpkin spice lattes, back-to-school season, and awe-inducing foliage. This coveted season brings a chill to the air and ends the slumber of the iconic Spirit Halloween. 

This legendary Halloween retailer is synonymous with the beginning of the fall energy, renewing a race to secure creative and fresh ideas for costumes before the clock strikes October 31st. This nationwide retailer has taken over the Halloween market, and it’s time to open the skeleton closet and take a glimpse at how they did it.

As iconic figures like Ghostface and Freddy Krueger begin adorning Spirit Halloween shelves, their mascot, Jack the Reaper, rises once again to drive their sales through the roof. With over 1,500 pop-up locations across the United States and only 10-12 weeks of operation, they generate over a billion in revenue annually. 

One key driver is the quintessential use of out-of-home (OOH) advertising. Originating in 2022 and then returning in 2023, Spirit Halloween displayed a massive and attention-commanding digital billboard in Times Square, New York City.

This masterclass piece of OOH advertising uses a forced perspective illusion to create an ad something that looks 3D. Outdoor advertising was sent to a whole new level with this billboard as it was able to not only stand out and attract attention but also evoke excitement and even a little fear. 

Fear is sometimes good in advertising, as it can result in some humor. In the Times Square ad, Jack the Reaper manifests and appears to shatter the virtual glass of the billboard. This sent a booming shattering sound throughout the vicinity and surprised passersby, directing their attention to this state-of-the-art advertisement.

Spirit Halloween’s digital out-of-home (DOOH) ad was an immense success and won several awards. Not only was success prevalent in advertising fields but also in boosting sales and brand recognition. This brand embodies elusive and exclusive energy through its temporary locations and powerful advertising.

Appearing for a short time every year and disappearing for what feels like ages. Spirit Halloween has the Halloween game on lock. Through the New York City digital ad, along with others, Spirit Halloween builds the association of excitement and surprising joy between them and their customer base. They go big, and they go bold; masters of the Halloween craft and, by the looks of it, OOH, too.