A look at brands which got spooktacular in SG this Halloween season

With Halloween descending upon us, it comes as no surprise that pumpkins, costumes and horror movies are popping up all around us. Commercialised as an annual holiday in the US, global brands bank on the Halloween hype to add a little fear factor in to their products and marketing.While several retail outlets in Singapore have donned spooktacular outfits for the season, the scale of these are no where to close to markets such as the US. But according to Prantik Mazumdar, managing partner at Happy Marketer the Halloween festival is resonating more now with younger locals exposed to the Western traditions.He also added that in his experience, with budget allocation ranging between SG$20,000 to SG$30,000, it is usually the food and beverage as well as entertainment brands that run integrated campaigns and promotions following the Halloween period.Pratik Thakar, vice president APAC creative & content excellence, Coca-Cola said that for the brand, Halloween is all about "playful pranks and light-hearted fun". The beverage giant picked Philippines as its market to launch its social stunt for the ROYAL brand, globally known as FANTA. Explaining the move to launch in Philippines, he said the market had an excitement when it came to the Halloween season.In the spot, a glowing faulty vending machine offering 'Free ROYAL' caught the attention of several members of the public who were in the area. With the simple request of screaming at the top of your lungs (to a satisfactory volume), the customers were able to get a free drink. The twist in the whole set-up was a rubbery hand that stretches out of the machine and grabs the customers when they reach out to collect the drink. Thakar added that on social media, the Fanta (Royal) stunt has been getting traction across Southeast Asia, US and other regions. Watch it here:Automotive marketplace Carro also decided to embark on a Halloween campaign this season where Singaporeans were asked to share their car horror stories as part of the campaign. Carro's #FearlessWithCarro campaign aims to urge car owners to sell their car for cash with paperwork done in an hour. Car horror stories about breakdown, price haggling and going from dealer to dealer from the public, urged the team to "take away all car fears" with the brand.According to Manisha Seewal, chief marketing officer at Carro, this bolstered the brand's Facebook and Instagram engagement with user generated content. Compared to the previous month, Carro had seen five times more increase in web traffic, as well as three times the increase in leads generated from display and social media. Overall, Carro grew its user base by 82%.So what were the executions in Singapore like? Well, let's take a look:Resorts World Sentosa's annual Halloween Horror NightsWhat is Halloween without Resorts World Sentosa's annual Halloween Horror Nights. This year, #HHN8 posted a teaser of its theme. From the menacing Hawkins National Laboratory, to the Byers home adorned with an erratic display of flashing Christmas lights and the eerie Upside Down woods, the chilling new ‘Stranger Things’ house offered surprising twists and unexpected turns around every corner. The spot garnered over 81,000 views at the time of writing.StarbucksStarbucks introduced Halloween-themed food and beverages as well as various merchandises this year. This ranges from pumpkin spice latte, a black cut in a mug form as well as a "bloody" cake (in the form of raspberry drizzle). In addition to this, Starbucks also released a series of Instagram videos for customers to flash at any store to redeem a one-for-one treat. The video features an eerie-looking empty car-park.Hopheads bar This quaint underground bar is known for its monthly themed parties. It was no surprise it launched a Halloween Party in mid October. A spokesperson said that the turnout this year was more than last year's. The bar also gave awards to the best dressed in the lot. Hopheads did not allocate a specific amount to its marketing spend, as it launches this party annually.Seen anymore you like? Share them with me at farzanahf@marketing-interactive.comRead also:Scary Halloween ads not a hit with locals, ASAS sees spike in complaintsMajority of scam USS Halloween Horror Night tickets sold on FB and CarousellAPB gears up for Halloween season with secret Desperados rave party