• by Tanya Gazdik , Yesterday

Rivian is launching a Halloween campaign including a partnership with Sony Pictures. 

The effort includes a spot starring the original Ghostbuster himself, Bill Murray, directed by Gil Kenan, who also directed "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire."

The spot opens in the middle of a house caught in total chaos, with lights flickering, appliances running wild and food everywhere -- the work of the Green Ghost, or  Slimer, from the first "Ghosbusters." But just as things reach a tipping point, the commotion stops dead in its tracks as something outside catches the spirit's attention.

Alongside the spot, Rivian has built a real-life, fully custom Ecto-1—which they are calling Ecto-R1—that reimagines the iconic Ecto-1 through Rivian's own design language.

Like in previous years, Rivian owners will be able to download Halloween content into their vehicles. Starting tomorrow, an over-the-air software update rolls out to transform every Rivian into a ghost-hunting machine. Turn on Halloween Mode for sounds, lights and clues that unlock hidden characters and even a few unexpected surprises.

This year, Halloween Mode gets its own dedicated Ghostbusters in-vehicle app that pulls together everything spooky in one place. Driver can open it while parked and the driver display instantly transforms. If it is switched on before driving, key visual cues stay active, but the full feature set only is on display when the vehicle is in Park. 

A single red toggle switch controls the entire experience—syncing interior lighting, themed audio, and exterior displays. Halloween Mode is live through Nov. 2.

Rivian's vertically integrated hardware and software stack enabled teams to design a multi-sensory experience, deploying custom lighting sequences, soundscapes, an interactive scavenger hunt and a redesigned on-theme voice assistant.

Drivers can engage Trick or Treat Mode and the driver and rear displays are taken over, the Ghostbusters theme song starts playing, and the exterior lights and sound effects switch over to match. Drivers can customize the track or exterior effects right from the center display.

The effort also includes the brand’s retail spaces in Laguna Beach, Austin, Venice, Miami Brickell, San Francisco, and New York City Meatpacking District, which are throwing local celebrations featuring the physical Ecto-R1 builds on display, limited-edition merch, and themed refreshments to match the occasion. 

The Ecto-R1 will also be featured in the NYC Village Halloween Parade, and Rivian’s Menchie's Frozen Yogurt popup in Los Angeles.