• by Danielle Oster , October 31, 2023

As technological advances in generative AI have advanced and increasingly made news headlines this year, brands, and their agency partners, have been tripping over themselves to find ways to incorporate the technology into marketing campaigns -- to widely varying results.

Perfetti Van Melle candy brand Airheads is just one example, as the brand decided to invite AI to the confectionery category’s big Halloween party. The brand is hosting an online “Scarefest” featuring films created using generative AI technology. Unable to resist a branded pun, they’ve dubbed it the “A.I.RHEADS Scarefest.”

Understanding that pushing too far in a fearful direction might not be a good fit for the brand, the company tasked directors with developing short (three minutes or less) Halloween-themed concepts that utilize AI to create films that balance the scary and humorous, while incorporating its Airheads balloon face mascot (which can be a tad creepy in certain contexts). There’s also an extension for fan-created films that follow the same brief.

“AI is such a hot topic and everyone loves a good scary flick on Halloween, so we thought why not try our luck in Hollywood this year,” Craig Cuchra, vice president of marketing at Airheads parent company Perfetti Van Melle, said in a statement.

Opinions on AI-aided art may vary, along with how much the films land with audiences, but it’s at least a break from the “AI wrote this ad” gotcha moments and other already-tired cliches of marketing incorporating the technology.

There’s a competitive aspect to the “Scarefest” as well. Viewers can vote for their favorite film on the festival website through the end of November. Fans can also enter their own films for a chance to win “a year’s worth” (it’s unclear how that’s determined, exactly) of Airheads candy and $2,000 cash. The fan-created film that receives the most votes will be crowned the winner.