No tricks, just some marketing treats as we head into the Halloween season. Catch up on all the latest news from some of the spookiest brands in our Weekly Must Reads.

Brands Launch Limited-Edition Halloween Treats

Spooky season has returned in full force this year. After a subdued pandemic Halloween in 2020, the National Retail Federation expects Halloween spending to reach a record high this year of more than $10 billion. Candy brands are capitalizing on the opportunity by launching limited-edition products, from Halloween-themed Haribo gummy bears to Nerds Candy Corns from Ferrara Candy Co. And for fans of Hershey’s pumpkin-shaped Reese’s, there is now a pumpkin patch in Massachusetts filled with Reese’s candies now available for picking.

The increased sales will likely be driven by the nearly 30 percent of consumers planning to go trick-or-treating this year, up from 25 percent last year. In total, a survey from the National Confectioners Association expects 82 percent of Americans to participate in Halloween festivities. Find out more about brands’ spooky strategies here: https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/candy-brands-promote-limited-edition-halloween-products/2369801

America’s Favorite Tomato Blood

This year, Heinz is leaning into the annual tradition of using ketchup as fake blood in Halloween set-ups. Heinz has temporarily rebranded its ketchup as Tomato Blood and updated product packaging in grocery stores across the nation. They also opened their first pop-up Heinz Halloween Store last week in Santa Monica, stocked with Heinz merch, Tomato Blood costume kits and more.

For ketchup lovers that don’t live in the Los Angeles area, Heinz also plans to livestream the action from their Halloween Store via Firework, a new technology that can stream live video to all social media platforms at once. Check out all the bloody details here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005858/en/Ketchup-Has-Never-Been-Spookier-HEINZ-Tomato-Blood-Ketchup-Haunts-National-Grocery-Stores-Just-in-Time-for-Halloween

Burger King’s “Fall Collection”

Camouflage is back in this fall – condiment camouflage, that is. Last week, Burger King launched a limited run of silk button-down shirts designed to look like a range of burger toppings, including ketchup, mustard, lettuce, and bacon. Designer Kate Eary created the shirts to encourage Burger King customers to dig into their favorite menu items without fear of condiments spilling down their clothes.

The brand produced just 100 shirts for the campaign. Consumers can enter to win one by ordering The Argentinian or Steakhouse burger through the Burger King app in the UK. Learn more about the brand’s clever new merch here: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2021/10/21/burger-king-caters-messy-eaters-with-camouflaged-fall-collection

Jose Cuervo: A Brand Strategy Case Study

Last year, tequila brand Jose Cuervo faced a major challenge just weeks into the pandemic when they realized consumers wouldn’t be heading to stores or restaurants to celebrate Cinco de Mayo as usual. The brand quickly began looking into their audience’s changing interests and developing solutions to meet their new needs. With the success of #CincoToGo, a campaign designed to pay for customers’ food from local Mexican restaurants on May 5, Jose Cuervo realized the value in really listening to what consumers need in every moment. It’s an approach the brand plans to continue using in all of their marketing efforts going forward.

In addition to clever pandemic-related campaigns, Jose Cuervo has also addressed the concerns of young consumers by becoming more transparent about their environmental work and creating new eco-conscious products. Get inspiration for your own campaigns and find out more about the brand’s recent innovative marketing efforts here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/for-jose-cuervo-marketing-success-means-engaging-consumers-more-directly/608550/