Gen Z Halloween Insights to Know for Your Winter Holiday Campaigns👻

It’s not just the pumpkin spice talking—Halloween is a prime opportunity for brands to get playful and connect with younger audiences. Gen Z, in particular, is going all in on Halloween celebrations, even coining #Summerween to start the party as early as June, months before fall officially began.

Why is this important for marketers? Because Gen Z makes up a significant portion of Halloween celebrants, and their influence on trends and spending habits is undeniable. In fact, while 75% of Americans are planning to celebrate Halloween next week, 91% of Gen Zers say they’ll be celebrating in some capacity, with a hefty chunk (about 40%) planning to shell out more than $200 to do it. (Not for nothing, but that’s twice as much as the typical Halloween celebrant is planning to spend this year).

For brands, that means one thing: 🍬 A chance to grab Gen Z’s attention (and dollars) if you can match their energy and keep it authentic.

📲 Gen Z Embraces User-Generated Content (UGC)

If Gen Z loves anything more than TikTok trends, it’s sharing their authentic, unfiltered experiences—especially during Halloween to Winter Holiday season. This generation thrives on expressing creativity and individuality. So, it’s no surprise that they look to user-generated content (UGC) not just for entertainment, but for inspiration when planning their costumes and decor.

According to a survey by Pinterest, 83% of Gen Zers use social media for creative ideas and inspiration—way more than any other generation. This means that brands have a unique opportunity to position themselves at the epicenter of this trend-spotting behavior. But how?

Instead of flooding your feeds with overproduced ads, embrace a more community-driven approach by encouraging your fans to share their Halloween and Holiday-themed posts, and then elevate those UGC gems on your own channels. Host a “Most Dramatic Outdoor Decorations” or “Coziest Decor” contest, use branded hashtags to easily curate content, or even feature standout posts on your Story or main feed. You can motivate fans with a chance to win a prize or simply give them the thrill of being showcased by a brand they love.

Take a page from Chipotle’s #Boorito campaign. The brand invited fans to post their costumes on social media for a chance to win a year of free burritos. The result? Tens of thousands of entries, millions of organic impressions, and a ton of brand buzz—all fueled by UGC. Plus, a few trending costumes available at Spirit Halloween.

👉 Takeaway:

🗳 Gen Z Prioritizes Interactive Experiences

Scroll-stopping content is great, but Gen Z doesn’t just want to watch—they want to participate. This generation thrives on interactivity and actively seeks out ways to engage with brands, whether it’s through a quick poll on Stories, a clever quiz on your website, or a dynamic live video where they can share their thoughts in real-time.

Research from Gartner reveals that 62% of Gen Z prefers to engage with brands through interactive content, compared to 44% of Millennials. They want to be part of the action, and they expect to see engaging elements that let them shape their own experience.

So, when planning your content, think outside the box. Consider creating social media polls to let them vote on your team’s Halloween costumes or an ugly sweater contest, or post a series of quiz questions like “What’s Your Spooky Season Personality?” to entertain and engage them.

Flipside, it doesn't have to be anything super innovative or taxing. Starbucks nailed this concept with their seasonal Instagram Stories, where they allowed followers to vote on their favorite Halloween Frappuccino flavors, boosting their engagement rates.

The point is Gen Z is looking for a conversation - a connection point that goes beyond the typical monologue that most ads feel like. Leaning into creating these kinds of interactive touchpoints (like getting votes on a store display) can turn a passive follower into an active participant, transforming your content from “seen” to “experienced.” 

👉 Takeaway: Interactive content boosts engagement and makes your brand more relatable to younger consumers, who are all about making their voices heard and shaping their own experiences.

🎃 Themed Content Makes Your Brand Relatable

Gen Z may love a good meme, but they’re also serious when it comes to finding useful information—especially if it helps them perfect their end-of-year experience. 42% of Gen Z Halloween celebrants plan to spend big celebrating Halloween. They're also expected to be top spenders this winter holiday season. That means a chunk of their budget being set aside for decor, parties, clothes, supplies, and other seasonal essentials. And they’re looking for content that helps them make smart decisions on where to spend that money.

So, don’t just create content for content’s sake. Consider creating videos that are relevant to your audience’s holiday needs. For Halloween, it could be a DIY costume guide, tips for throwing an unforgettable Halloween party, or even a breakdown of the best local haunted houses.

But there’s a trick here: keep the content lighthearted, human, and self-aware. Don’t sell anything, just be helpful. Lean into humor, be a little self-deprecating, and show off the human side behind the business. Instead of being the all-knowing authority, be the playful friend who’s there to share a laugh and a little guidance.

Take Sephora’s Halloween beauty tutorials as an example. Sephora’s videos (like this disco alien tutorial) not only showcased various looks but also included personal tips and bloopers from makeup artists. The result? Videos that felt less like sales pitches and more like hanging out with a knowledgeable friend. 

👉 Takeaway: Use Halloween as an opportunity to position your brand as a friendly guide. Provide valuable content in a relatable way to build trust, credibility, and ultimately, a loyal community.

🎬 Conclusion

Halloween is a prime opportunity for marketers to break out of the usual routine and connect with younger audiences in fresh, creative ways. But here’s the kicker: Gen Z expects more than just catchy slogans and spooky graphics. They want brands to create content that resonates with their culture, encourages participation, and provides genuine value.

Think of Halloween marketing as less about selling and more about showing up authentically for your audience. Be where they are, speak their language, and celebrate the things they care about. Show them that your brand understands the thrill of putting together a last-minute costume, the excitement of hosting a horror movie night, or the joy of discovering a seasonal treat.

So, embrace the spirit of Halloween and have a little fun with it! Whether it’s a clever UGC challenge or a comprehensive costume guide, infuse your campaigns with authenticity, creativity, and a sprinkle of magic.