• by Sarah Mahoney , October 16, 2017

While there’s nothing wrong with old stand-bys like witches, sexy nurses and the ever-popular pirates, experts say this Halloween is going be more influenced by binge-watching than classic costume themes.

Shoppers are already seeking out all things Stranger Things, for example, with the long-awaited Season 2 of the Netflix hit set to begin Oct. 27. (The world’s already gone gaga for the trailer.) Besides selling costumes based on the hit series, seasonal retailer Spirit Halloween is running a contest so people can attend the premier. And Target has just introduced a whole new line of Stranger Things’ merchandise, including collectible toys, Season 1 packaged to look like a VHS tape, and “What would Barb do?” t-shirts.

But Walking Dead and Game of Thrones characters are also expected to make plenty of appearances. (Ikea, a retailer that doesn’t usually get much Halloween-related traffic, got a GoT boost this summer when show costumers revealed that they rely on its fur rugs to make Jon Snow’s epic costumes.)  And it turns out that the Pokémon GO fans who have been wishing and hoping that the brand’s upcoming Halloween event will include the launch of some Gen 3 Pokémon won’t be disappointed.

The National Retail Federation’s latest research bears out this growing cross-over between pop-culture and Halloween this year, and reports that 17% of people planning to celebrate Halloween this year expect to wear pop culture-inspired costumes, up 12% from last year. (Overall, almost half of the 179 million Americans planning to celebrate the holiday say they intend to wear some kind of costume.) And the NRF says that percentage rises significantly among younger Millennials and older members of Gen Z, with 34% of those in the 18-to-24 demo planning to wear pop-culture themed outfits.

Party City is also using a contest to build interest, offering two lucky people an all-expenses-paid trip to Heidi Klum’s Halloween party. (The super model has long been considered the reigning Queen of Halloween.)

The retailer is also running a new ad campaign, its first from Hill Holliday, themed, “Oh, it’s on.” (Ads are running on digital channels and broadcast TV.)

And of course, it wouldn’t be Halloween without offending someone. Party City is catching plenty of heat on Twitter for its adult Wall costume. And after complaints, HalloweenCostumes.com has pulled its Anne Frank costume for girls.