Spook season is officially here and that means it’s time to supercharge your holiday campaigns with smart, fun, and effective email and SMS ideas. Here’s your guide to Halloween email and SMS marketing examples for 2025, written in a friendly, easy-to-follow style, using real ideas you can adapt right away. Think of this as your go-to playbook for crafty holiday communication, with a dash of storytelling, a splash of urgency, and good-old conversion-focus.
Why Halloween advertising matters (yes, you read that right)
Sure, Halloween might not feel as intense as Black Friday or Christmas when it comes to shopping frenzy. But hear this: people are shopping, decorating, dressing up, and looking for deals. In the U.S., Halloween spending continues to climb.
That means Halloween advertising isn’t just about posting a spooky graphic. It’s about tapping into a mood – fun, festive, a bit eerie and connecting with your customers when they’re in a “holiday” mindset. Whether you’re a small shop or a bigger brand, this can work. Smart email campaigns and SMS blasts can drive traffic, spark engagement, and win conversions.
Also: if you’re producing video assets, tools like Invideo let you create Halloween Ads easily, scripts, visuals, storyboards, edits – all in one place. Invideo So you can tie your email/SMS efforts to unified visuals.
Email marketing: key strategies for Halloween success
Before diving into examples, here are a few strategic pointers to help your campaigns stand out.
1. Launch early
Don’t wait until October 31-day. Start teasing 2-3 weeks ahead (or earlier, depending on your audience), build anticipation, drop hints, and make your campaign part of the conversation.
2. Segment your audience
Different parts of your list may respond better to different messages. Families shopping for kids? Send DIY costume ideas. Young adults looking for parties/decor? Send trend-led offers.
3. Use themed visuals + copy
Colour palettes like black, orange, purple. Graphics like pumpkins, cobwebs, ghosts. Use fun word-play: “fang-tastic offer,” “no tricks – just treats,” etc.
4. Create urgency
Time-limited deals, flash sales, “only until midnight,” countdown timers — these push action.
5. Link the experience
If your email leads to a landing page, make sure the visuals, tone and offer all match. Smooth transition = better conversion.
6. Add SMS for high engagement
Because SMS has high open-rates and immediacy. Use it for quick reminders, exclusive offers, last-minute deals.
Real-world Halloween email examples you can model
Here are some example campaign ideas you can adapt, with the keywords “halloween advertising” in mind.
Example 1: “Early Bird Treat”
Subject line: 🎃 Early Treats Drop -Our Halloween Sale is Live!
Email body: “You’ve got first dibs on our spooky-good deals. From now until Oct 20, save 20% on costumes, décor and more. Because Halloween advertising doesn’t wait—neither should you!”
Features:
- Big hero image: product in Halloween setting
- Countdown timer: “Sale ends in 5 days”
- Clear CTA button: “Shop the Haunted Sale”
- Teaser line: “Stay tuned—scarier deals ahead Oct 24–31!”
Why it works: Builds awareness, captures early shoppers, frames you as ahead of the curve.
Example 2: “Segmented Costume Guide”
Subject line: Costume ideas for you + exclusive offer inside
Email body: “Hi [Name], ready to stand out this Halloween? Whether you’re dressing up solo, with friends, or for the kids, we’ve got picks. + Get a free accessory when you spend $50.”
Features:
- Three sections: Adult, Kids, Couple/Friends
- Visuals: Each section has an image
- Offer: Free accessory or discount code
- Link: “See all costumes”
Why it works: Tailored content, relevant to each segment, which increases engagement.
Example 3: “Last-Minute Flash Sale / SMS-linked”
Subject line: Midnight Madness – 40% off for 4 hours only 👻
Email body: “The clock is ticking. Between 10 pm–2 am tonight only you get 40% off everything on Halloween. Use the code SPOOK40.”
SMS follow-up: “FLASH SALE now live till 2 am: Use code SPOOK40 at checkout!”
Why it works: Builds urgency, uses email + SMS to reinforce the message, catches late-night shoppers.
Example 4: “Interactive / UGC Campaign”
Subject line: Show us your costume & win!
Email body: “Share a pic of your Halloween look using #MySpookyStyle and tag us. Winner gets a $100 gift card + we’ll feature your pic on our homepage.”
Features:
- Encourage user-generated content
- Link to submission page
- Offer small discount for everyone who participates: “Thanks for sharing — here’s 10% off your next purchase.”
Why it works: Builds community, drives social engagement, gives you content for future campaigns.
Example 5: “Post-Halloween Clearance”
Subject line: Don’t miss out! Halloween clearance ends tonight
Email body: “All Halloween stock must go. Up to 60% off decorations, costumes, props. If you’ve been waiting—now’s the moment.”
CTA: “Clear out the Horror”
Why it works: Captures shoppers who hesitated, uses urgency and big savings.
SMS Campaign Ideas for Halloween
While email remains powerful, SMS is an under-used channel for many brands. It allows immediacy, short messages, and quick conversions.
- SMS idea 1: “Spooky hour flash: 30% off everything from 6–8 pm tonight. Code: NIGHT30”
- SMS idea 2: “Hey [Name], your cart’s haunted 👻 Come back now and grab 25% off before midnight!”
- SMS idea 3: “Last chance! Halloween sale ends in 3 hours. Tap here to save: [link]”
- SMS idea 4: Target segmented list—parents: “Costume bundles for kids – shipping free today only!”
- SMS idea 5: Post-event reminder: “Clearance alert: Halloween stock now 50% off. Grab while it lasts.”
Pairing SMS with email increases reach and reinforces your message. Imagine someone sees the email in the morning, then gets a reminder via SMS in the evening—touching multiple times boosts conversion.
Tying into “Create Halloween Ads” for full-funnel impact
If you want your halloween advertising to hit hard, you’ve got to think beyond email and SMS: visuals matter. That’s where tools like Invideo shine. With Invideo you can Create Halloween Ads, scripts, storyboards, visual assets, edits – all done with ease.
Here’s how you can plug it into your campaign:
- Use Invideo to build short video promos (10-20 sec) themed around your Halloween offer: e.g., “Don’t miss our Haunted Sale – Oct 20–31!”
- Include the video in your email (animated GIF or thumbnail) to boost click-through.
- Use the same visual in your SMS link landing page so your brand experience is consistent.
- Launch your display/promo ads (on social platforms) using those visuals. Thus your email, SMS, and paid ads all reflect the same campaign — unified message, unified look.
By doing this, your halloween advertising becomes a cohesive experience: customers see your offer in multiple places, with consistent visuals and tone. That builds trust and recall.
Putting it all together: a sample campaign timeline for 2025
Here’s a simple timeline you might follow:
- October 1–7: Teaser email: “Something spooky is coming…”
- October 8–14: Early bird email + SMS: “Get ahead of the crowd — 20% off our Halloween collection.”
- October 15–21: Mid-campaign: Highlight hero products, costumes, bundles. Email + SMS combo. Use visuals created with Invideo.
- October 22–30: Peak phase: Flash sales, countdown timers, cart abandon SMS push.
- October 31 (Halloween): Final push email & SMS: “Last hour—the sale ends tonight!”
- November 1–3: Clearance email + SMS: “The horror bargains continue—everything Halloween is now up to 60% off.”
This gives you multiple touch-points, builds momentum, and capitalizes on both the lead-up and the moment itself.
Quick checklist before you send
Before you hit “send,” run through this:
- Are subject lines short, clear, and themed?
- Are visuals consistent with Halloween mood (but still aligned to brand)?
- Are CTAs clear and strong (“Shop Now,” “Grab Deal,” “Claim Your Treat”)?
- Are offers time-bound or limited to create urgency?
- Is the landing page matching the email/SMS in look and message?
- Have you segmented your list where possible?
- Are you using SMS as reinforcement for your email?
- Have you used your Halloween advertising tool (like Invideo) to tie your visual assets together?
- Have you scheduled the campaign timeline and reminders?
- Have you A/B-tested subject lines or SMS messages where possible? Many sources say testing improves results.
Why this content works — and why you should act now
Halloween gives you a theme. When you tie your campaign into a theme, you get a hook. People are already in a festive mindset: looking for fun, deals, costumes, decorations. By aligning your email and SMS strategy to that mood, you ride the wave rather than fighting it.
And because your visual assets (via tools like Invideo) are ready, you’re not scrambling last-minute. Your message is cohesive. Your brand looks polished. Your audience sees you everywhere. That gives you an edge.
Plus, doing it this year can set you up for next. You’ll collect data, learn what worked, grow your list, and set the stage for future holiday campaigns.
Final word
So there you have it: clear, actionable ideas to power your halloween advertising this season. Use email and SMS in tandem, make your creativity count, launch ahead, and tie your visuals into your message. Tools like Invideo can handle the ad production side, so you focus on connection and conversion.
If you’re ready to roll, start drafting your first email now, pick your segment, choose the offer, activate your SMS channel, and line up your visual assets. When October comes, you’ll be ahead of the curve—and your audience will be tuned in.
Happy campaigning, and may your haunted deals be more treat than trick.
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