Hannah Campbell on Oreo's Soft and Spooky Sell

Over the next few days brands and marketers will strive to take advantage of the Halloween weekend as consumers get in the spooky spirit for the annual fright fest.

But last year, Oreo proved that it isn't necessarily the in-your-face blood and guts approach that wins over. Launching its Laboratorium series of short online stop-motion clips with a unique interactive aspect that saw consumers give each a name aligned the cookie brand perfectly with the creepy time of year.

Below, The Work Perk's operations director, Hannah Campbell, tells us how the cute, creative approach can also work at Halloween and what it was about Oreo's approach that connected with consumers.

Halloween may be a spooky time of year but there is still room for the cute and fluffy (even if disguised under fangs and werewolf fur). Oreo’s Laboratorium activation is a key example of how brands can use the softer elements of the calendar hook to appeal to a broad range of consumers.

The activation enabled consumers to create Oreo 'Nomsters' that they named via social media. This allowed fans to have direct interaction with the brand and created a level of tangibility that is essential for gaining the best engagement for FMCG brands.

Furthermore, the activation’s aesthetic stayed true to Oreo’s core brand identity. It didn’t feel jarring, but rather integrated with Oreo’s overall brand proposition whilst delivering a heart-warming, whimsical activation that didn’t rely on tacky cheap thrills.