Mars is gearing up for Halloween with a wide range of marketing campaigns and activations across multiple brands, including M&M’s, Skittles and Twix. The marketer is betting on a short-form sitcom, candy deliveries and podcasts to reach consumers across multiple channels.
This year’s festivities hold a rare opportunity for marketers and consumers alike, as the last time Halloween landed on a Friday was 2014. As a result, Americans are expected to spend a record $13.1 billion on the holiday, beating out the $11.6 billion spent in 2024. Nearly $4 billion is anticipated to be spent on candy alone.
Mars is reviving the M&M’s Halloween Rescue Squad for the third year. As part of the program, consumers in Gopuff delivery zones will be able to request a candy refill starting at 5 p.m. ET on Oct. 31. This year, the brand partnered with Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi of “Jersey Shore” fame to increase the amount of candy offered, along with free Treat & Greet kits. The kits are filled with branded merchandise, such as a bowl and T-shirt.
M&M’s also launched a Halloween-themed campaign, according to information shared with Marketing Dive. In a spot for the campaign, a group of trick-or-treaters kidnap the spokescandies after they run out of candy to give out. It is implied that they will eat the sentient candies as retribution for the empty bowl, which ties back into the idea of the rescue squad.
Skittles is taking advantage of short-form content in the form of a sitcom. The ads follow the antics of a man and his ghost roommate, with Skittles playing a key role in the plot. The campaign will air across multiple channels, including TV, social and digital. Additionally, there will be a podcast integration with “Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce.”
Twix meanwhile is combining two major candy holidays to create Hallowmas, a celebration of both Halloween and Christmas, which ties back to the brand’s positioning of being both a cookie and candy. In addition to limited-edition drops and a social-media based giveaway, the brand will host an event at the Grotto pop-up in Brooklyn from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. The pop-up will mix elements of both holidays, such as remixed carols and Zombie Claus.
Mars, a privately held company, plans to invest $2 billion in U.S.-based manufacturing through 2026 in an effort to increase capacity.
