Taking a cue from a legendary mad scientist and his classic monster, sweet treat brand My/Mo Mochi is slicing its products into pieces and reassembling them in weird mashups for a Halloween-themed promotion.
A related contest will give away a coffin-style cooler, dubbed the “FrankenFreezer,” filled with ice cream and decorated with spooky-season trimmings.
The “FrankenFlavor” campaign is a Halloween first for the fast-growing Los Angeles-based company, which already has a track record for launching pun-filled programs and taking liberties with language (portmanteaus in its marketing mix include “desquishious,” “snackisfied” and “mouthboggling”).
The promo seemed like an obvious move based on consumer insights, according to Russell Barnett, managing director and CMO. The My/Mo fan base is heavily into cosplay, anime, video games and other imaginative pursuits.
“We felt like it was very relevant, not forced, and a natural progression for us to continue to use the brand voice in a visual way,” he said. “We have no permission to talk about certain holidays, but this felt right.”
In other words, just creepin’ it real.
And the current state of affairs, with most October events like trick-or-treating canceled, nearly screams for some distraction, he said.
“Moments of joy are hard to find these days,” Barnett said. “We want to deliver on our purpose, which is play and escape.”
A whole host of companies are activating around Halloween this year, far beyond the endemic categories like candy, party supplies and booze. Brands like Samsung, Airbnb and Burger King have latched onto the holiday, while even a popular get-out-the-vote video parodied the classic horror flick Scream to hair-raising effect.
My/Mo’s colorful Instagram feed is at the heart of the promo, where consumers will find 18 mashups of the brand’s pillowy, rice dough-covered ice cream balls. Take a screenshot of a favorite “Frankenflavor,” tag the brand and potentially win the freezer and a year’s worth of product. (“Coffin freezer” is a real tool of the trade, by the way, referring to the freestanding coolers seen in many retailers. It just happened to work perfectly for a Halloween program).
Those odd combinations could turn up in future limited-time products, Barnett said, depending on consumer response.
Aside from the main prize, 30 fans will win a 3-month supply of ice cream. The campaign, which kicks off Thursday and runs through Saturday, comes from My/Mo’s in-house team, with an assist from London agency Lovers + OK Cool.
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