Brands that dare

Brands that dare

Wisdom 💡: This Halloween, brands are going full-throttle spooky, from TikTok ghouls to chairs that threaten your lumbar health. Ad Age crowned the best of 2025 in its first-ever Halloween Marketing Awards, highlighting campaigns that blend laughs, scares, and genuinely creepy creativity. Marketers are leaning into edgy, niche content, treating October like the new April Fools’, but with better costumes and fewer fake-news fears. Standouts include Disney+’s “edge-of-your-seat” chair, Skittles’ six-second “Ghost Roommate” TikTok sitcom, and Gushers’ unforgettable horror-comedy “Fruithead.” If you thought Halloween was just candy and costumes, 2025 proves it’s now a playground for bold, brilliantly scary brand storytelling. However, be sure to take a lesson from our PR playbook, and make sure your brand doesn’t have any skeletons in the closet. 

PRocess perks

Wisdom 💡:  Everyone loves the sparkle of creativity, the brainstorms, the big ideas, the “what if we…” moments, but no one wants to talk about the boring stuff that makes it possible. In a recent article, our friends at PRDaily shared that the truth is, creativity doesn’t thrive in chaos; it needs structure, like clear roles, smart systems, and workflows that don’t make you want to cry. In the age of AI, where machines can handle the grunt work, the real value of comms pros is in the thinking: the bold, strategic, dot-connecting kind that no bot can replicate. So yes, the process might not be sexy, but it is indeed the secret sauce behind every headline-grabbing idea. 

Sleigh the season

Wit 😁: He’s baaaaaack. Target’s Hot Santa campaign is a Wit + Wisdom fave, and we are swinging our feet under our seat knowing he has returned. This year, Kris K. reprises his role as the cheeky, “weirdly hot” team member spreading joy and a little mischief through flirty ads and playful social spots. Alongside his return, Target is also rolling out Step Into the Holidays, a magical, character-filled campaign featuring the Get-Ready Yeti and Gifting Mice, to spotlight parents as the season’s “Chief Joy Officers.” Together, the dual campaigns aim to lift spirits and shopping carts alike as Target leans into humor and heart during a challenging retail season.

Pepper Pick

Happy Halloween, friends! Treat yourself to some frightfully fun food deals and spooky steals today. 🎃