• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, October 5, 2007

M&M's are kicking off the Halloween season with a chance for consumers to win $1 million in an instant win game and sweepstakes. Furthermore, Joey Fatone, of NBC's "The Singing Bee," will join the brand at its M&M's World retail store in Times Square on Oct. 17.

Fatone and the spokescandies will share M&M's with the crowd expected to gather after a Headless Horseman gallops through Manhattan, leading a secured armored truck containing thousands of packages of M&M's.

On those packages will be Universal Product Codes that could help consumers win the $1 million. They have until Oct. 31 to register at mms.com and enter the contest using the UPCs on their packages of M&M's. One lucky person gets the grand prize, while more than 1,000 people may receive instant-win prizes. They include five family trips to the Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World theme park, a 52-week supply of M&M's Chocolate Candies and selected Halloween movies on DVD.

"Halloween is an iconic American holiday--who better to help usher in the season than another classic favorite, M&M's?" says Anibal Martini, global marketing director, M&M's, in a release. "We create fun opportunities to deliver unique experiences to our consumers."

To support the contest, the Hackettstown, N.J.-based Mars Snackfood U.S. will launch a TV campaign on Monday, featuring Red and Yellow M&M's and Halloween's signature Headless Horseman.

In the spot, a Headless Horseman gallops through a spooky neighborhood. To the shock of trick-or-treaters, Red sits in the spot previously reserved for the horseman's head. As the horse comes to a stop, the horseman pops Red out of the neck hole and places him on the ground. Yellow then emerges from the horse's saddlebag, and viewers discover he has been chopped in half, beheaded by the Headless Horseman.

Red and Yellow head off to trick or treat, and Yellow, with part of his candy shell tucked under his arm, says with characteristic wit, "I don't think he likes me." Viewers are then directed to mms.com for a chance to enter the contest. The campaign will air on networks including CBS, NBC and ABC.