The Fall Experience
Good old-fashioned trick or treating, adorable pumpkin patches, even a brisk and sensible fall hike are quintessential autumn experiences that leave lasting memories. We crave these moments and do them again and again each year.
For me, the art of the scare hands down is probably one of the most memorable way October impresses!. Haunted Houses with downright scary settings and creepy creatures are to be reckoned with. Why do we as people crave this macabre vibe? Is it that emotional draw? The fear, the adrenaline?
In my opinion, people love a good haunt because it takes them out of reality for a moment and allows them to explore our dark side in a way that is safe! Or they hope is safe, muh hahahaha.
With all that considered, I love looking to Fall for event inspo. What can I translate into ideas from the events I happen to love!?
While it wasn’t Fall YET, I noticed fans immersing themselves in the creepy at Comic Con this year through branded activations from some beloved and well known properties.
Here are a couple I thought were pretty cool.
Adult Swim’s Teenage Euthanasia hearse (a’hem, yep this was ours!)
This pink pallbearer hit the road back in 2021 to hand out ice cream as a literal creamatorium (its own version at least) at Dragon Con and in NYC. But we brought it back to life (pun intended) at Comic Con this year and added a sponsor on board. The reinvented hearse roamed the streets of San Diego blasting its creepy music, popped its top and offered fans a sample of HINT water and a super fun photo opp. What I love about this kind of activation is, although simple,….it was super accessible and visible to everyone. No long lines to get your spooky fix!
The Haunted Mansion - A quick shoutout to Disney!
I loved what Disney did to promote The Haunted Mansion. Maybe it is the nostalgia talking, but I geeked out everytime I saw one of the Haunted Mansion pedicabs that were built to look like the actual ride car from the parks!
Every person who took a ride in the pedicab, eventually took on one more creature….a REAL hitchhiking ghost! This was seriously my favorite activation at Comic Con and I didn’t even participate! Everyone got to take a peek of the spooky spirits and witness the fun as you walked around Gaslamp district, whether you hopped on a pedicab or not!
As you go into Fall, start thinking about activations for 2024! Notice what events and activities really hit home for you and your families. I think this is where we can get some of our best inspo! Is it the challenge of a corn maze, the thrill of someone jumping out from behind a wall to scare you? Is it the creativity of getting to plan a costume or the wholesomeness of taking your kids to pick apples? Whether spooky of not, there are bound to be some ideas hiding in plain sight this fall that can act as a thought starter for your brands best experience yet.