Spooky season is upon us and for many brands, this holiday is an opportunity to engage with audiences in a playful and memorable way.
But as designers, how do we make sure our Halloween visuals are as spellbinding as a well-timed ghost story and not just your typical cobweb-and-pumpkin cliché?
Whether you’re designing a luxury brand’s hauntingly elegant Halloween story or creating a playful AR filter for a supermarket brand, a successful Halloween campaign captures the imagination and resonates with audiences.
Here’s your go-to guide on how to make your brand scream (in a good way) on Halloween.
Set the mood with atmosphere
When it comes to Halloween, atmosphere is everything. Brands that manage to strike that perfect balance between eerie and inviting are the ones that stand out. Start by thinking of your brand’s existing identity and find ways to introduce elements that feel natural yet spine-tingling.
One trick I often apply is colour grading to create an eerie but captivating vibe. Cool blues and deep, desaturated hues can instantly shift the tone of your visuals without being overly literal.
I did this while working on a Halloween campaign for airline client, Loganair, when I transformed the usual travel visuals into nighttime scenes with soft glows and mist, subtly evoking the Halloween spirit.
Small additions like smoky overlays and moonlight hues can elevate even the most familiar scenes.
Innovate beyond the clichés
Sure, zombies, pumpkins, and bats are synonymous with Halloween—but relying on these visuals can feel lazy. Think outside your standard spooky box, and instead embrace unexpected imagery or abstract concepts. Minimalism can be key.
Your aim should be to evoke curiosity. Working with a furnishing client? What could be lurking behind that curtain? Is that shadow moving? These small visual teases can be more captivating than overt scares, which aren’t necessarily a fit for all brands.
Elevate with typography
Halloween typography doesn’t have to be all jagged edges and dripping blood. Instead, take inspiration from vintage book covers or old-style horror movie posters. Pair elegant, slightly distressed fonts with a clean, simple layout to keep it refined yet playful.
I’ve found success blending delicate serifs with subtly warped, vintage-inspired fonts.
For a homebuilder client, we avoided haunted house tropes and added sophistication by pairing a delicate serif with gritty textures, giving a nod to Halloween without overpowering the brand’s luxury feel.
Crafting immersive experiences with video and sound
Static visuals are great, but video can take your Halloween campaign to another dimension. Short-form video with eerie elements—like flickering candles, mist, and moving shadows—can create a captivating atmosphere. Layer these with ambient sound, like rustling leaves or distant whispers, to pull your audience into the experience.
For an Aldi Scotland campaign, I mixed subtle fog animations with faint wolf howls to enhance the eerie feel without distracting from the core message. This use of subtle motion and sound can evoke an emotional response, turning a simple post into a hauntingly immersive experience.
Embrace interactivity
Halloween is the perfect time to let your brand’s personality shine. From cheeky captions to interactive filters, find ways to get your audience involved and reshare your content
I’ve used Augmented Reality (AR) filters and story polls to encourage users to engage directly with branded content, whether it’s a “Which Halloween creature are you?” quiz or a spooky filter that adds animated ghosts floating around the user’s head. Unfortunately, AR filters on Meta are now a thing of the past – but we still have TikTok!
For captions, ChatGPT is my go-to for brainstorming ideas when I’m feeling stuck. It helps me refine puns and playful phrases without falling into the cringe zone, allowing me to stay on brand while embracing the season’s spirit.
Consistency is key
Even with all the Halloween excitement, remember to stay true to your brand’s visual identity. Your Halloween campaign should feel like a natural extension, not an out-of-character deviation. Before jumping into spooky designs, think about how elements like colours, typography, and themes align with your brand’s overall style.
Don’t let scary designs haunt you this Halloween. For spook-tacular design support, contact us.
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