Halloween marketing started months before October, and Reese's is making sure the season has a long runway.
The Hershey Company began publishing its 2026 Halloween strategy in July.
This was followed by seasonal products in August and now a nationwide Halloween hunt.
Created by MiltonOne with Saatchi & Saatchi New York and MSL, the campaign connects product promotions with a street hunt.
Reese's recruited actors Christina Ricci and Kathy Najimy and three creators for its first-ever Halloween Council.
They will select America’s Trick-or-Treatiest Street, whose residents will receive a neighborhood block party in partnership with Zillow.
Melissa Blette, senior brand manager for Reese's, said the effort recognizes the traditions and neighbors who make Halloween memorable.
"As a leader in the Halloween candy space, Reese's has had a front-row seat to what makes the holiday special for generations," she shared in a press release.
"It's the anticipation leading up to Halloween, the traditions people return to every year and the neighbors who bring entire streets to life that create the kinds of memories people carry with them for years."
The timing of the promotional campaign reflects a commercial reality for candy brands.
Halloween demand now gives marketers opportunities to reach shoppers well before trick-or-treat night.
Survey and Census Data Narrow the Field to 150 Streets
Reese's announced its search for America's Trick-or-Treatiest Street on October 1, but the seasonal activity started much earlier.
Hershey's July research examined how consumers celebrate before Halloween.
Its August portfolio announcement outlined seasonal products and occasions.
The street competition plays a role within a longer marketing calendar and puts neighborhood traditions at the center of the campaign.
Reese's assessed candy and costume purchasing, Halloween decor, Census data, walkability, and local reputation to identify 150 contenders.
Survey responses from 15,000 residents fed into the selection, and a first-ever Halloween Council will review the finalists and select the winning street.
Ricci and Najimy will be joined by creators Rachel Iwanyszyn, Zaire Alford, and Macy Blackwell on the council.
"The best Halloween streets aren't just the ones that decorate or have the biggest budgets," said Ricci.
"They are the ones that create an atmosphere where trick-or-treaters keep coming back, and the entire community becomes part of the experience.
"I'm looking forward to helping Reese's uncover the street that truly deserves the title."
A two-part social content series follows their search before the winner is announced on October 21.
The wider campaign also includes creative work tied to Reese's "Everything Happens for a Reese's" platform.
Earlier activity included a limited-time Reese's Pumpkins PB Whip Latte collaboration with The Nitro Bar, announced in August.
Together, the releases show how Reese's is extending brand activity across the weeks leading up to Halloween.
55% of Parents Start Halloween Early
"Unwrapping Halloween: Hershey's State of the Season Report," fielded with Morning Consult in July, surveyed 3,026 U.S. adults, including 924 parents.
The report found that 55% of parents were already in "Halloween mode" before October.
The research also connects Halloween with shared neighborhood experiences.
Forty-one percent of consumers said the perfect Halloween block is one where everyone participates.
These preferences give Reese's a research-based rationale for making community participation the focus of its street competition.
Three insights emerge from the findings.
- Early demand creates more selling opportunities. Brands should plan seasonal promotions early to reach consumers before October.
- Participation gives seasonal marketing a shared purpose. Teams should connect products with local traditions to encourage community involvement.
- Research can guide experiential concepts. Marketers should turn consumer preferences into public activities to give audiences a reason to participate.
Reese's gives its seasonal marketing distinct reasons to attract attention at different points in the calendar.
Our Take: Can a Neighborhood Prize Strengthen Reese's Brand?
A neighborhood-wide reward gives Reese's a way to make its Halloween positioning tangible.
We'd argue that it strengthens the brand only if residents treat the contest as a real account of their own traditions.
Zillow has a natural role here through its connection to homes and neighborhoods, and Reese's supplies the products and the recognition.
If the competition reads as a branded photo opportunity, the community angle loses credibility.
Candy brands are competing this Halloween on where they stage the campaign.
Rival SNICKERS took the sports route with adidas, pairing a Halloween cleat with co-branded bars and a Carnell Tate game-day activation.
Both campaigns put seasonal candy into a setting fans already care about, one on a street and the other on a football field.
Explore these top experiential marketing agencies to find a partner for seasonal activations and community-focused brand campaigns.
