6 of the best Halloween car campaigns

Treats, not tricks: Six Halloween car campaigns that nailed it

Our favourite brands and manufacturers outdo themselves every year when creatively celebrating holidays and special occasions through eye-catching advertising. 

Halloween is no exception, and car brands take advantage of spooky season to scare, poke fun at, or even rile up the competition.

We’ve had a look through the archives of Halloweens-past and dug up some of our favourites from across the globe. 

From the informative, to the funny, to the downright scandalous, we've gathered six of the best Halloween car campaigns for your viewing pleasure.

BMW USA

"Now every car can dress up as its favourite superhero." 

The rivalry between BMW and Mercedes-Benz is well known. 

Both German, both premium, both stacked with some of the best cars around. Whether you're after a zippy little hatch or an SUV that can cart around your entire family (with space to spare) – they have something for everyone.

But rather than ignore this rivalry, BMW decided to embrace it with this clever ad in which they 'dress' a Mercedes up as ‘its favourite superhero’. 

You guessed it, it's dressed as a BMW. 

However, this little bit of banter didn't go completely in their favour, and Mercedes responded with a biting remark. Something along the lines of "scary costume... especially that radiator grille!"

Ouch. We'll send you some burn gel BMW, just in case you need it.

Mercedes-Benz

"Unofficial servicing can be dangerous"

Whilst perhaps not as witty as the previous campaign, we still love this ad brought out by Mercedes-Benz. 

It was part of a series of images that transformed everyday tools into scary shadows, highlighting the perils of bypassing main dealers and authentic parts when servicing.

Plus, they speak with credibility. 

There are always perils associated with non-approved servicing. They can actually increase repair costs and ultimately worsen the deprecation value of the vehicle. This is why we recommend you always use approved manufacturer servicing and parts for your lease car. 

It means that your manufacturer warranty remains valid, and you'll avoid extra fees at the end of your lease term.

We even offer vehicle maintenance packages that get added onto your monthly lease payment - it's the easiest way to keep your vehicle serviced at approved garages (saving you a lot of hassle). 

Hiding a valuable message in a fun campaign? We've doffed our proverbial cap to you, Mercedes. 

SKODA

"The moment has come to face the monster"

SKODA came up with this spooky graphic a few years ago, and behind it was another serious message. 

Their focus was to help those suffering from amaxaphobia - the fear of being in, or riding in, a vehicle.

While we're not sufferers of this ourselves (we make very good passenger princesses, as well as drivers), we applaud SKODA for doing something a little bit different and genuinely trying to help those who do find themselves afraid of being in a car.

It's thoughtful campaigns like this that showcase why SKODA has evolved into one of our favourite manufacturers - combining practicality with compassion in a way that truly resonates.

Honda

"Cavernous!"

What better way to show off the boot capacity of one of your cars than with a load of bats and an apt play on words? 

We’re fond of the odd pun, even the most questionable ones. In fact, the more questionable the better, as far as we're concerned.

In the UK, we have the trusty Honda Jazz, but this is known as the Honda Fit in places such as Japan, North America and China. Despite its compact size, it can still pack it in, and the stats speak for themselves: this not-so-compact hatchback offers 1614L of boot space with the seats down.

So, if a cavernous boot is on your wishlist for your next lease car, don't hide from our latest Honda Jazz lease deals. Now, it's not quite the Batmobile, but it is a more affordable option, for sure.

Batman mask - and Christian Bale - not included. Sorry.

MINI

"BOO!"

Listen, sometimes you just have to take your advertising right back to the basics. 

And nothing screams basic at Halloween more than a MINI hatchback with a sheet over it saying ‘BOO’. 

Simple, funny, effective - and we love it.

This Halloween ad was produced as a part of a series of similar visuals that also included an orange backlit MINI with the phrase "Save a pumpkin, carve the road."

Combined, this campaign sought to play on the visceral reactions shared between Halloween frights and test-driving your perfect car.

Greenpeace (Volkswagon)

"Trick. No Treat."

So, this one is not technically an ad created by VW themselves, but it certainly got a lot of attention. 

In terms of controversy, this tops the lot.

This ad from Greenpeace came out after that emission scandal. Yeah, you know the one.

And well, whilst we won’t pass comment on the technicalities, we feel its creativity bags its place on our top list.

Anyone up for some light pumpkin carving? We're doing a Carparison themed one.

So there we have it – some of our favourite Halloween ads of years gone by. 

Whether it's BMW's playful jab at Mercedes, Honda's bat-filled boot, or SKODA's compassionate approach to driving anxieties, each campaign brings something unique to the table while showcasing what makes these brands stand out year-round.

Which of these spook-tacular campaigns caught your eye? Perhaps BMW's costume contest with Mercedes, or MINI's brilliantly simple ghost sheet?

And while we eagerly await this year's fresh batch of Halloween automotive creativity, why not treat yourself (no tricks, we promise) to a browse through our latest lease deals? After all, finding the perfect car doesn't have to be frightening with Carparison by your side.

Happy Halloween, and happy driving!