I need to update my will...

Maddie explores Halloween marketing gone rogue, featuring a Pringles can funeral, electrolytes with a side of psychological damage, and a hairdresser who needs to be investigated.

Enjoy 👇

OKAY FINE. I WILL TELL YOU GUYS WHAT I WAS FOR HALLOWEEN. STOP ASKING. SERIOUSLY.

I was Abby Lee Miller.

And my dog was Tom Sandoval from Vanderpump Rules. In drag.

Yes, I made my dog participate in my Bravo cinematic universe. No, I will not be taking questions at this time.

Anyway, now that we've addressed the most important cultural event of October, let's discuss the brands that apparently had just as eventful a Halloween as I did.

Halloween wasn't just a holiday this year. It was an excuse for marketing departments everywhere to collectively lose their minds.

Somebody at Pringles clearly walked into a marketing meeting after binge-watching Twilight and said, "Okay, hear me out... what if we made a burial urn, but it's a Pringles can?"

And nobody stopped them.

The brand created a custom urn inspired by its iconic packaging, paying tribute to the can's original designer, who actually had some of his ashes buried in a Pringles can.

The prize even included the equivalent of 200 YEARS of Pringles.

Two hundred years. That's a commitment to the afterlife.

My main takeaway from this is that Pringles has made its brand packaging so recognizable that it's enough to become part of someone's eternal resting place. Aim high, marketing teams.

Marketing lesson: Your most recognizable brand assets have the potential to do a lot more than sit on a shelf. Think beyond the traditional ways people interact with your product.

Hydralyte apparently decided that selling electrolytes was too easy, so it made an entire fake horror movie.

We're talking creepy posters, an eerie trailer, mysterious identical women, and a soundtrack.

The big reveal? It was all an advertisement for hydration products.

I need whoever came up with this campaign to lead every brainstorm I ever attend.

Imagine using your AMC A-List benefits to see what you think is the next psychological thriller, only to find out you've been marketed electrolyte sachets.

Honestly, I've been influenced by worse.

But what I love about this campaign is that it doesn't immediately give away the punchline. It gets people curious, makes them wonder what they're watching, and gives them a reason to stick around for the reveal.

Marketing lesson: Give people a reason to be curious. Instead of immediately telling your audience what you're selling, create an experience that makes them want to find out for themselves.

OUAI apparently woke up and decided it wanted to be A24.

The haircare brand created a THREE-PART horror-comedy series starring Victoria Pedretti, featuring a villain called The Chopper who terrorizes office employees with scissors and absolutely criminal haircuts.

Because apparently, ghosts, demons, and serial killers weren't enough. We now have to worry about a bad haircut taking us out.

And honestly, I understand the fear.

But here's where it gets good. Instead of making another product commercial with someone dramatically running their fingers through their hair, OUAI built an entire little horror universe around a problem its products could help solve.

The products weren't just randomly thrown into an advertisement. They actually had a place in the storyline.

I would like to formally request a season two. Preferably with a villain who gives people unsolicited bangs.

Marketing lesson: Give people a reason to stick around. Build enough intrigue that your audience wants to know what's going on before you reveal what you're selling.

If there's one thing these campaigns have taught me, it's that being memorable is a competitive advantage.

We're all fighting for the same five seconds of someone's attention. And unfortunately, another Canva graphic with a pumpkin and the words "Spooky Season" isn't going to change anyone's life.

You don't need to manufacture a coffin, turn your product launch into a psychological thriller, or make your packaging part of someone's eternal resting place.

(Although, I admire the ambition.)

You just need to give people something worth talking about.

Because if Pringles can make a burial urn go viral, I think your B2B company can probably find a more interesting way to announce its next product update.

Until next time, stay curious, stay creative, and PLEASE keep your marketing departments supervised.

— Maddie