October is a huge spending month for Americans. We are projected to spend $9 billion on costumes, candy, and decorations for Halloween alone, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), with celebrants spending an average of $90 each.1 October is a great month to connect with customers – from frivolous Halloween celebrations to more sober moments such as raising awareness for breast cancer, Yom Kippur and National Teachers’ Day. Here’s how brands use October’s energy moments to connect with consumers.
October is the official month of breast cancer awareness. One in eight American women will develop breast cancer over her lifetime. Many brands are moved to participate in national breast cancer awareness month to support customers and employees who have been affected by breast cancer. The National Football League (NFL) launched their A Crucial Catch: Screening Saves Lives,” campaign to remind women about the importance of having a regular mammogram.
They encouraged fans to visit NFL.com/pink to sign up for a personal screening reminder, donate to the American Cancer Society, and post a social pledge to get screened or to help a loved one to make time to get screened. They also had players wear pink gear on the field for the month of October, to keep the initiative at the forefront of fans’ minds.
World Teachers’ Day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1994 to recognize the role of teachers in society. The day is now celebrated in over 100 countries.
Quaker Oats’ campaign, “Fuel for the Real Fit,” focused on the health benefits of Quaker Oats and featured real Indians going about their day and while fitting in healthy habits. For World Teachers’ Day, Quaker Oats make an entry into this series specifically celebrating teachers and the work they do to shape India’s young minds.
Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Jews traditionally observe this day by fasting for a 25-hour period, praying and attending synagogue. Although this is a very serious day, toothbrush purveyor Oral-B decided to have some fun. They created a commercial that poked fun at the fasting component of the day. The commercial shows two friends, one of whom is concerned that because he swallowed a piece of food in his teeth, he didn’t properly atone. It then cuts to a Rabbi toting Oral-B electric toothbrushes as the easiest way to avoid the same fate.
Halloween is a 9-billion-dollar industry and despite the pandemic, consumers are still going to want to celebrate. Although there will be more masks and gloves than usual!
Burger King’s #ScaryClownNight was one of the most talked about Halloween campaigns. It kicked off with a 90-second video in which a young man flees an army of scary clowns. One of the clowns bears an uncanny resemblance to Burger Kings’ arch nemesis’ mascot, Ronald McDonald. It also included real-life meetups of scary clowns at Burger Kings nationwide.
1 https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1012/how-much-americans-spend-on-halloween.aspx#:~:text=This%20holiday%20season%2C%20Americans%20are,an%20average%20of%20%2490%20each.
As Content Marketing Manager, Natasia is responsible for helping strategize, produce and execute Data Axle's content. With a passion for writing and an enthusiasm for data management and technology, Natasia creates content that is designed to deliver nuggets of wisdom to help brands and individuals elevate their data governance policies. A native New Yorker, when Natasia is not at work she can be found enjoying New York’s food scene, at one of NYC’s many museums, or at one of the city’s many parks with her two teacup yorkies.