This Halloween, Coca-Cola’s Fanta brand is launching one of its most ambitious seasonal campaigns to date and it’s not just about what’s in the can. Instead, it’s about immersive horror, iconic characters, and tapping into Gen Z’s love for live, shareable experiences.
At the center of the campaign is The Haunted Fanta Factory, a live horror-themed activation set to run nightly in New York City from October 29 to 31. Visitors will encounter escape rooms, themed environments, and spooky surprises featuring Hollywood horror icons like Chucky and M3gan all part of a collaboration between Coca-Cola, Universal Pictures, and Blumhouse.
Coca-Cola’s Bigger Halloween Strategy: Making Fanta the “Christmas Coke” of October
While Coca-Cola is already entrenched in the cultural fabric of Christmas marketing thanks to its iconic Santa Claus campaigns the company is now aiming to replicate that seasonal magic with Fanta and Halloween.
“We are trying to make Halloween to Fanta what Christmas is to Coke,” said Ibrahim Khan, global VP of marketing at Coca-Cola.
Fanta’s lighthearted image and fruity flavors make it a natural fit for the playful, costume-driven vibe of Halloween and Coca-Cola sees the holiday as a critical moment to connect with Gen Z, a demographic known for its love of experiences and online sharing.
Halloween Spending Is Rising and Brands Want In
Coca-Cola’s Halloween push is strategically timed. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend a record $13.1 billion on Halloween in 2025 up nearly 13% from last year.
Even amid inflation and tariff concerns, Halloween remains a massive retail opportunity and brands across sectors are eager to grab a slice. But it’s not always easy. Past Halloween marketing misfires like Dunkin’s spider donut backlash or Heinz’s controversial campaign have taught companies that spooky can backfire if not done carefully.
Coca-Cola is aware of the risks, which is why the brand’s team was deliberate in choosing a “horror-comedy” tone, rather than going full slasher.
“We were very deliberate about leaning into what we call horror comedy,” Khan said. “Not a hard, gory, slasher kind of world… and Universal Pictures and Blumhouse guided us along the way.”
Movie-Branded Cans, Limited Flavors, and a Global Rollout
The Halloween campaign isn’t limited to New York. Fanta will launch across 50 global markets simultaneously, with millions of soda cans sporting popular movie villains and horror characters. A limited-edition flavor will also be sold at AMC Theatres.
It’s part of a larger shift by Coca-Cola to embrace entertainment IP as a branding engine. In 2025 alone, the company has collaborated with:
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Disney’s Star Wars, releasing special edition cans and bottles featuring dozens of characters.
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Marvel, promoting superheroes like Captain Marvel and Deadpool via branded packaging and TV spots.
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And now Universal Pictures’ horror universe, leaning into spooky season.
Is AI Powering the Campaign? Not Yet
Coca-Cola has gained attention in recent years as an early adopter of AI in marketing sometimes drawing criticism for overly synthetic creative outputs. But for this Halloween campaign, AI played a minimal role.
“This campaign goes up in 50 markets… millions of consumers, thousands of associates touch it,” said Khan. “We are not ready to take all of that on using AI right now. When we feel the capability is ready at our end, we will 100%.”
Khan’s comments reflect a growing corporate mindset: while AI may streamline some marketing processes, creative direction, cultural sensitivity, and IP coordination still require a human touch especially at the global scale Coca-Cola is operating.
Winning Gen Z with Fandom, Not Just Flavor
One of the more fascinating aspects of Fanta’s Halloween play is its understanding that Gen Z isn’t necessarily in love with going to the movies but they are obsessed with movie characters and pop-culture fandom.
“Gen Z may not go to the theater to go watch ‘Star Wars,’ but they will watch it or be aware of it,” said Khan. “Or they will have some connection with that icon and that IP.”
This insight explains why Coca-Cola is shifting budget away from traditional TV ads and into digital-first activations like haunted houses, limited edition packaging, and social media experiences.
Khan added that in today’s media environment where TV viewership is fragmented and ad-skipping is the norm product-driven experiences and social buzz are more effective ways to drive relevance.
“In this day and age, where our ability to speak to a captive audience on a television set is gone, we have to find different ways of connecting with them,” he said. “Social media is where it’s at, and product experiences are what they talk about.”
Halloween Could Be Fanta’s Secret Weapon
With bold moves like the Haunted Fanta Factory, character-branded packaging, and high-impact partnerships with Universal and Blumhouse, Coca-Cola is making a serious play to own Halloween through Fanta.
It’s not just a seasonal campaign it’s a strategic rebranding of Fanta as the soda of choice for Gen Z’s favorite holiday. And if Coca-Cola succeeds, Halloween could become Fanta’s Christmas and another billion-dollar seasonal win for the world’s most iconic beverage company.
