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The crawl towards fall seems to come earlier and earlier every year — and for marketers, that’s a good thing. With back-to-school shopping and pumpkin spice mania starting in the dead of summer followed by September’s NFL kickoffs, October’s Halloween celebrations, and November’s cozy lead-up to Thanksgiving, there’s a lot to work with when it comes to everybody’s favorite season.
This fall, leading brands are using stand-out content and best-in-class activations across social, digital, and beyond to capture the essence of autumn in all kinds of creative and engaging ways. Here, check out five of the most exciting fall marketing campaigns we’ve seen so far and learn why they’re turning heads.
Marks & Spencer: Big Autumn Energy
Seasonal Spin: Welcoming Fall Fashion ‘24
Campaign Overview
UK retail giant M&S has pulled out all the stops to attract a younger, style-forward audience this fall. With a pulsating soundtrack and visuals of bold seasonal outfits set against autumnal foliage and city scenes, the campaign is a feast for the eyes and ears that are helping the brand transform customer perceptions.
“We’ve drawn inspiration from the cinematic world of high fashion, incorporating the essence of the season and everyday moments to create a campaign that feels both elevated and relatable,” says Kirsty Minns, Partner and Executive Creative Director at Mother Design.
This approach allows us to maintain accessibility for our audience while providing different hooks.
📽️ Related Reading: The 4 Best Branded Videos We’ve Seen So Far in 2024
Why the M&S Fall Campaign Stands Out
In addition to the campaign’s hero spot, social media efforts, and OOH print placements, M&S has made sure to feature a range of complementary content across its online store’s Inspire Me blog section. The easily shoppable articles cover current fashion trends and interior design tips — plus clever tie-ins re: must-see-TV and designer collabs — for a cozy yet stylish fall season.
Dunkin’: Ready, Set, Pumpkin!
Seasonal Spin: Pumpkin Spice Mania
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Campaign Overview
Even though National Pumpkin Spice Day is October 1st, brands get started with their fall-flavored roll-outs long before summer comes to a close. This year, Dunkin’ appeased thirsty fans by bringing back the beloved beverage on August 28th following a series of teaser posts to stir up excitement.
From jumping on microtrends like “very mindful, very demure” to putting together highly shareable, lo-fi graphics, the brand is delighting on social media and working up quite the appetite among its audience. Just in time for more pumpkin-flavored treats throughout the season.
Why the Dunkin’ Pumpkin Spice Campaign Stands Out
To the delight of Irish coffee lovers from coast to coast, last year Dunkin’ launched a new line of boozy beverages known as Dunkin’ Spiked. Now, they’ve upped the ante with a limited edition — you guessed it — Pumpkin Spice version. Double-tapping into that scarcity mindset, special releases like this just fuel the fandom fire. And as “a staple amid everyone’s favorite cozy season,” Brian Gilbert, Dunkin’s Vice President of Retail Business Development explained,
We knew we had an opportunity to create something special with an adult twist on the beloved beverage.
☕ Related Reading: Fervent Fandoms: How Marketers Can Tap Into Stans + Pop Culture
Urban Outfitters x Pinterest: Shift Happens
Seasonal Spin: Back-to-School Shopping
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Campaign Overview
Zeroing in on the transition from high school to college, this summer Urban Outfitters launched “Shift Happens,” a three-part back-to-school campaign targeting dorm-bound Gen Zers. The punny title is meant to signal that “we recognize the coming of age experience can be overwhelming and filled with the unknown,” says Shea Jensen, President of Urban Outfitters. “Our goal is to make the transition to adulthood an empowering and inspiring journey.”
Kicking off with a live two-day event, the brand worked with a selection of influencers to bring their “multifunctional sanctuary” Pinterest boards to life in an immersive, shoppable-by-QR-code in-person experience before taking the show on the road. Partnering with popular featured brands, UO is also hosting pop-up shops at 20 schools around the country to make sure students can snag their dorm essentials.
Why UO’s Back-to-School Campaign Stands Out
But the message goes far beyond interior decor. With a broader focus on mental health, identity, and self-expression, the additional UO100 On Campus initiative is developing an army of student brand ambassadors alongside plans to spotlight the creative work of 100 college-aged artists, musicians, and creators.
Our goal is to help [students] discover what manifests their own individuality, to help them find a community of like minded people, and to provide connection through exciting events and activations.
– Shea Jensen, President, Urban Outfitters
Pepsi: Make Your Gameday Epic
Seasonal Spin: Hyping Up the NFL
Campaign Overview
Truly living up to its epic promises and proportions, Pepsi’s fall campaign combines it all: a Hollywood movie tie-in, original music, nostalgia, cultural moments, and more. (But really, how often do you think about the Roman Empire?) Spinning off of a 20-year-old ad that featured Beyoncé, Pink, and Britney Spears singing “We Will Rock You” in the Colosseum, the star-studded reboot is as worthy of the silver screen as its theatrical partner Gladiator II — scheduled to hit theaters just in time for Thanksgiving.
We wanted to create a visual spectacle that captured the energy and intensity of the sport while also paying homage to the iconic film and the original Pepsi campaign.
– Jake Scott, Director
Why Pepsi’s NFL Campaign Stands Out
Beyond the glitz and glam of the short, this far-reaching campaign is designed to engage audiences everywhere they look — from in-store displays across the country to limited edition AR-activated cans, Megan Thee Stallion’s new song on streaming, and My Roman Empire, a portrait generator tool to transform yourself into a Pepsi Gladiator or Roman Royalty. The fun keeps going across social media, too, with behind-the-scenes footage, on-set interviews, exciting product giveaways, and surely more to come.
This seismic campaign captures the essence of the excitement and anticipation fans have for gameday and delivers the kind of entertainment our audience has come to expect.
– Jenny Danzi, Head of Brand Marketing
Tourism Ireland: Home of Halloween
Seasonal Spin: Celebrating Halloween
Campaign Overview
Much in the same way that St. Patrick’s Day inspires springtime travel, Ireland’s betting on its Halloween heritage to pull in visitors from around the globe this fall. Deployed across 12 international markets, Tourism Ireland’s “Home of Halloween” campaign aims to position the spookiest day of the year as a prime reason to plan a trip to the country.
“Halloween is one of the world’s favorite festivals, but not everyone knows that it originated here in Celtic culture around 2,000 years ago,” said Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland. With an eerie, black-and-white film leading the effort, the country’s travel bureau paints a spellbinding picture that may just get folks planning their next All Hallow’s Eve adventure.
We’ve worked with academics and experts to trace the story back and then bring it to life, through scenery, storytelling and culture, with modern-day appeal.
Why Tourism Ireland’s Halloween Campaign Stands Out
Like all standout big rock content, Tourism Ireland’s effort doesn’t stop there. After driving viewers to Ireland.com, folks will find the holiday’s origin story, Irish traditions, and a wealth of information about all kinds of Halloween activities, haunted sites, and local festivals happening throughout the fall.
B2B partners are also encouraged to participate in any way they can, and the icing on the cake? As new information gets added and visitors browse events and articles, they can save any info right to their own personal boards for quick and easy trip planning.