Fanta wants to own Halloween. What about your brand?
Fanta doesn't run a campaign for every date on the calendar. It chose Halloween and returns to it every year, until the brand became synonymous with the season. This article shows you how to choose the right dates for your business and turn them into a real opportunity.
There are brands that, when a certain time of year rolls around, like Christmas or Halloween, seem to be everywhere. This isn’t a coincidence: they’ve spent years building that connection.
That’s exactly what Fanta is trying to do with Halloween. And the way it does it offers lessons for any business.
1. What Fanta Does for Halloween
Fanta doesn't just post a picture with pumpkins on the 31st. It has turned Halloween into a recurring annual event.
In previous years, it featured horror icons like Chucky, Michael Myers, and Beetlejuice on its cans. This year, it launched the “Haunted Universe,” a universe of original characters designed to last for several years, and featured Ghostface, the villain from the Scream movies, on a limited-edition can.
The campaign features a special flavor, collectible packaging, influencers, and in-person experiences, including activations in Lisbon and Porto. It kicked off in August, well before Halloween.
According to the brand, the 2025 campaign generated about 10 billion impressions. But the most important result is something else: year after year, Fanta becomes more closely associated with Halloween.
2. The mistake of trying to be part of every holiday
Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Christmas, World Coffee Day. The calendar is full of dates, and many companies feel they have to mark them all.
The result is usually a generic image featuring the logo and a “Happy … Day.” This content is created out of a sense of obligation, just like that of dozens of other brands on the same day, and doesn’t always generate interest or meaningful results.
Posting on every occasion doesn’t make a brand more visible. Often, it just makes it easier to ignore. Fanta shows another way: instead of being present on every occasion, it really focuses on a date that fits the brand.
3. How to Choose the Right Dates
Halloween makes sense for Fanta, a fun brand with a young audience. For another brand, it might not. Before deciding, answer these four questions:
Does my audience relate to this date? A cosmetic clinic has a lot to say on Mother’s Day. A tire shop, probably not.
Do I have something to offer on this date? The best dates are those when the business has a product or offer that makes sense at that moment.
Does the occasion align with the brand’s identity? A serious, institutional brand might seem out of place in a humorous Halloween campaign.
What goal do I want to achieve? If the occasion doesn’t help drive sales, generate leads, or strengthen the brand, it’s just another post.
The goal isn’t to be present for every occasion, but to identify those where your brand has something relevant to communicate and where it’s worth investing.
4. From occasion to plan: preparing for 2027
Instead of just posting a themed image on the day itself, think of a comprehensive approach: a special offer, content in the weeks leading up to the event, ads, and a simple way for customers to make a purchase. And repeat the idea every year, so your audience starts looking forward to it.
Now is the right time to plan for 2027:
- Choose key dates and define the goal of each campaign: to increase sales, generate leads, or boost brand awareness.
- Start preparing each campaign at least one month in advance. Fanta’s Halloween campaign began rolling out in August, allowing time to build anticipation before the big day.
- Define your approach: offer, content, ads, and the landing page where you’ll direct people.
- Finally, evaluate the results and decide what to repeat the following year.
What is your brand’s special date?
Fanta didn’t become associated with Halloween because it posted more than other brands. It did so because it chose a date that made sense and returned to it every year.
You don’t need to be present on every occasion to be remembered. You need to choose the right ones and give people a reason to associate that occasion with your brand.
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Schedule a free consultation, and we’ll help you choose the right dates and plan your 2027 campaigns.