Here at Gushers, we think the worst thing about Gen Z and Millennials is their preference for candy over fruit snacks. So we decided to remind them that Gushers is simply better during candy’s biggest season, Halloween. We took on BIG candy during “their” holiday - with the power of nostalgia. But not the warm and fuzzy kind. We wanted more of the ‘hey remember that fever dream you keep locked away in the back of your mind? It’s back but worse. It was nostalgia that felt appropriate for the season. So we reimagined our most unforgettable ad that was living rent free in brains for decades, Fruitheads, but this time it wasn’t all fun and fruit. We turned our classic ad into a real short horror film about fruit-flavored perfection. We know what you’re thinking, “but Gushers, you’re so sweet, why horror?!” BECAUSE THIS AUDIENCE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF IT. With iconic talent on both sides of the camera the horror film took the unsettling ingredients of its origin story and crafted a chilling new narrative no other brand could tell. To distribute that narrative, we modeled our approach on the streamers, podcasters, and influencers who had popularized clipping, and being a bit of a fruit snack influencer ourselves we leveraged the effectiveness of our film in bite sized bits that would drive audiences back to discover more. With small screen virality achieved, we took our horror film for midnight screenings at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. But best of all? Gushers burst through the Halloween clutter to steal spooky season making us the #1 brand associated with a Halloween horror film, increasing our top of mind presence with our audience, and driving a significant lift in purchase intent.