A celebrity event designer’s playbook for Halloween launches

What brand owners can learn from an event designer

• A new wrapper isn’t enough – seasonal products need distinctive flavours, formats, packaging or interactive elements.
• Nostalgia works best when familiar Halloween cues are reimagined rather than simply reproduced.
• Brands planning for 2027 should explore unexpected colours, theatrical shapes, multisensory experiences and flavours beyond pumpkin spice.

Halloween has become one of the industry’s most visually competitive seasonal occasions, but a black packet, orange filling or scattering of bat-shaped sprinkles is no longer enough to make a product feel distinctive. As manufacturers compete for limited shelf space and fleeting consumer attention, the difference between seasonal relevance and a superficial makeover is becoming increasingly obvious.

California-based Edward Perotti has seen plenty of both. The luxury event designer has created more than 2,000 events worldwide, transforming everything from private gatherings to large-scale celebrations into immersive experiences. His work provides an unusual lens through which to examine bakery and snack innovation, looking beyond whether a product tastes good to consider whether it can command a room, create anticipation and become part of a larger occasion.

Manufacturers have good reason to pay attention because seasonal products must now perform across supermarket shelves, social media feeds, party tables and gifting occasions, often while competing against familiar products carrying only the lightest seasonal makeover. Launches that stand out give consumers something worth discovering, displaying, customising or sharing instead of merely announcing that Halloween has arrived.

“When I walk down a supermarket Halloween aisle, it’s immediately obvious which brands get spectacle – and which ones just phoned it in,” says Perotti. “If all you’ve done is slap an orange wrapper on the same old product, congratulations, you’ve met the absolute bare minimum. That’s not Halloween; that’s lazy seasonal marketing.”

Spectacle starts with the product

Perotti believes the more convincing seasonal launches alter something fundamental about the experience, whether that’s the flavour, shape, packaging or way the product is served.

“Brands that actually understand spectacle go further: they try to create something new, playful and immersive,” he says. “Maybe it’s a limited-edition flavour, a clever shape or packaging that actually makes you smile – or better yet, stop and stare. If your Halloween product doesn’t make me pause, you’re just dressing up the same old thing and hoping nobody notices.”

An entirely new formulation or major manufacturing investment won’t be viable for every seasonal launch, but familiar products can still attract attention when their format, packaging and marketing create a recognisable Halloween identity. Perotti points to Oreo and Reese’s as two brands that understand how those elements can reinforce one another.

“Let’s be honest – most brands think throwing a pumpkin on the box counts as seasonal, but the ones that actually get it turn products into events,” he says.

“Take Oreo, for example. They don’t just dye the filling orange and call it a day. They roll out new flavours, playful packaging and marketing that actually makes you feel part of the fun. The same goes for Reese’s – those pumpkin and ghost shapes aren’t just cute; they’re an invitation to play.

“They understand that seasonal products should be more than a checklist item. They create anticipation, spark interest and – most importantly – make you want to share the experience.”

Shareability involves more than designing something that will look attractive in a photograph. Perotti’s vision of spectacle is physical and participatory, with products becoming part of the entertainment rather than simply sitting alongside it.

Asked which commercial products he might select for a Halloween event, he names Tate’s Bake Shop cookies, Pocky’s limited-edition flavours and Chuao Chocolatier’s Halloween collections, but he would also rethink how guests encounter them.

“I’m not just tossing them on a platter and calling it a day,” he says. “I’m talking interactive treat stations, dramatic displays with creative lighting and maybe a little dry ice for that spectral touch. Each snack gets styled to be part of the spectacle, not an afterthought. If you’re not up for the show, your snack won’t see my event.”

Brand owners may not control how products are displayed at every gathering, but they can design them with staging in mind. Distinctive shapes, individually presentable portions, dramatic unboxing and packaging that doubles as a serving or display element can help a product move beyond the shelf. Giving consumers simple ways to arrange, personalise or finish a product can create a sense of theatre without demanding professional event-design skills.

Nostalgia needs somewhere new to go

Halloween is closely tied to childhood memory, giving established brands an advantage that newcomers can struggle to reproduce. Familiar cereals, sweets, cookies and flavours can trigger an emotional response before the pack is even opened.

Perotti immediately associates Halloween with caramel apple pops, popcorn balls and the seasonal cereal characters Boo Berry, Count Chocula and Franken Berry, although he warns that recognition alone isn’t an innovation strategy.

“Nostalgia is a beautiful thing – until it becomes an excuse for lazy copy-paste marketing,” he says. “A pack of caramel apple pops or a classic popcorn ball instantly takes me back to those chilly, sugar-fuelled Halloween nights as a kid. And I cannot forget the truly iconic cereals – Boo Berry, Count Chocula and Franken Berry. Those boxes alone make me emotionally excited for the whole month of October.

“But here’s the challenge for brands: tapping into those memories doesn’t mean recycling the same tired product. It means reimagining the classics. Take the essence – those flavours, those shapes, that sense of discovery – and give us a new spin.”

Manufacturers could reposition a childhood favourite for adults, recast a familiar flavour in a different format or use contemporary packaging to revive the excitement once created by a cereal box. Nostalgia is most effective when the comfort of recognition comes with something unexpected.

“Maybe it’s a grown-up version of a childhood treat, a modern twist on the packaging or an experience that brings back those cereal-box Saturday mornings – but in a way that feels fresh, not just familiar,” says Perotti. “Nostalgia should be a launchpad, not a finish line. If all you can do is repeat the past, you’re missing the whole point.”

Premiumisation presents a similar opportunity because expensive ingredients and elaborate formulations aren’t the only ways to make an everyday product feel special. Perotti has seen ordinary foods become focal points at high-end events when strong presentation gives them confidence and a clear role in the occasion.

“Luxury isn’t about caviar on everything – it’s about the experience and emotion,” he says. “I’ve seen a simple hamburger slider turn into the highlight of a gala with the right presentation and a little drama. So, mainstream bakery and snack brands, here’s your wake-up call: stop relying on just nostalgia and start thinking like a show producer.”

Packaging comes into play by creating a reveal, providing a backdrop or inviting interaction. Texture, graphics and structural design can signal that a product deserves to be displayed rather than tipped anonymously into a bowl, while storytelling gives those visual decisions a purpose.

“Don’t just tell me your snack is limited edition – give me a backstory, a personality, a reason to care,” says Perotti. “Make me feel like I’m part of something special, not just grabbing a snack off the shelf.

“If you want your product to feel extraordinary, start acting like it is. Give us the theatre. Give us the story. Otherwise, it’s just another cookie on the shelf.”

Planning now for Halloween 2027

Pastel ghosts, pink popcorn balls, mirrored pumpkins and shimmering drinks are among the trends Perotti expects to shape Halloween in 2026. Brands already developing their 2027 pipelines should be looking beyond this softer, social media-friendly aesthetic.

“If pastel ghosts and disco pumpkins are the big ideas for 2026, then by 2027, I expect brands to finally remember that Halloween is supposed to be fun, not just Instagrammable,” he says. “Let’s move past the cute and safe trend and get back to bold, immersive and – dare I say – just a bit weird.”

Electric blues, acid greens and metallic purples could challenge the traditional orange-and-black palette, while more theatrical shapes bring greater drama to cookies, confectionery and savoury snacks. Perotti believes oversized products, surreal forms and geometric designs could all help launches stand apart.

Flavour also needs to escape the gravitational pull of pumpkin spice. Smoky, spicy and tart profiles could introduce mystery and surprise, particularly as adult Halloween celebrations expand the occasion beyond products designed primarily for children.

Holographic finishes, interactive features and designs that change under different lighting could make packaging equally adventurous, although they must enhance the experience rather than become expensive gimmicks.

“If your product doesn’t make people say, ‘Wait, what is that?’ you’re not trying hard enough,” says Perotti. “Halloween is the time to take risks – so stop playing it safe and start giving us something we can’t wait to talk about.”

Perotti expects the Halloween table to become a multisensory environment by 2030, with products designed around texture, aroma and even sound as well as appearance and flavour. Snacks might glow under ultraviolet light, packaging could unlock digital content and decorating elements could allow consumers to complete the products themselves.

Although his prediction is deliberately theatrical, it carries a practical commercial lesson because Halloween gives manufacturers unusual permission to experiment. Consumers anticipate exaggeration, surprise and a little absurdity during the season, making it a useful testing ground for formats and ideas that could feel too risky at other times of the year.

“The biggest opportunity bakery and snack brands are missing at Halloween is actual creativity,” says Perotti. “Every year, I see the same tired orange-and-black packaging and spooky sprinkles parading as innovation. Newsflash: just because you swapped out rainbow for pumpkin-shaped doesn’t mean you’ve nailed Halloween.”

Seasonal launches aren’t required to reinvent an entire category, but they do need to give consumers a compelling reason to buy. When the only discernible change is an orange wrapper, the disguise is unlikely to fool anyone.