If you haven’t already guessed, Halloween is my favourite time of year. As a kid, I had an antique trunk full of costumes and props to escape my day-to-day world and imagine limitless possibilities. As an adult, Halloween is a great time to get creative, wear anything you want, and be anyone you want to be; A hero, a villain, or the undead. I also love Halloween’s pagan roots of Samhain marking our descent into the darkest time of year when the veil between the living and spiritual worlds is at its thinnest.
How I became a zombie
If this were a normal Halloween, I’d be busy planning and crafting social media content for one of Toronto’s biggest Halloween events. At a time when the need to escape our pandemic reality feels greatest, Halloween, like everything else, is a little different this year. What would have been an extra hour of costumes and dancing thanks to Daylight Savings’ Time on a full-moon Saturday night is now a spooky night in. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t have a little fun, right?
My personal goal recently has been to channel my pandemic anxiety into creative expression. In my determination to un-cancel Halloween, I called my friend Holly, the owner of Blood, Sweat and Lipstick to chat about creative concepts that align with both of our brands. She’s an insanely talented makeup and SPFX artist and you should definitely contact her for your next creative project. I told her about a demon cheerleader outfit that I have and how it reminds me of this old video for Canadian pop-rock band Gob’s 2000 hit ‘I hear you calling.’
And that my ghouls, is all the inspiration we needed to make this zombie cheerleader look rise from the grave. My undead transformation was made by Blood, Sweat and Lipstick with love, liquid latex, and special effects magic. Thanks to this awesome collab, we both have some killer content to share this Halloween. If you own a creative brand, now is the perfect time to get inspired and create some killer content.
Here are my top 3 tips for crafting killer content this Halloween:
1) Watch scary movies for inspo
I’m a horror movie lover. I know not everyone is as into them as I am, but hear me out, ok? From a creative standpoint, scary movies are really inspiring. I love watching creepy flicks and contemplating how they were made. If you’re all about the screams, let me know what scary movies are on your watchlist in the comments.
Scary movies, music videos, and pop-culture can be remixed as you craft your own creative content. After all, remixing and appropriating pop-culture is how culture progresses, am I right? But that’s a whole other blog post. While you’re watching, see what scenes catch your eye and think about how you can incorporate similar ideas into your brand’s aesthetic. Is it a vampire fashion shoot for your clothing line? A Tim Burton-esque whimsical setting for your food brand? A skull and bones product shoot? Or a creature themed music video? I see you Backstreet’s Back.
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, get a little weird, and have some fun. Just remember to stay true to your brand’s identity.
2) Discover killer costumes and scary props
Once you’ve brainstormed ideas, take a trip down to your local party shop for supplies. If you’re drawing a blank, seeing props and costumes might spark your creativity. My favourite indie costume store near Toronto is the Amazing Party Store in Mississauga. It’s also open year-round for all of your off-season content ideas. They have the biggest selection of wigs, contacts, and decorations that I’ve ever seen.
We went there to grab my white wig, Primal contacts in ‘Zombie II,’ and some pyrotechnic smoke bombs to play with.
3) When all else fails, make it a party
Or just throw on some frightful tunes and shake your bones until you think of something. Here’s my Halloween Spotify playlist so you can dance until you drop dead:
Getting inspired to create killer content can be tough with everything going on right now. I encourage you to find inspiration through pop culture, have a little fun with costumes and props, and make it a party. It’s a great time to let your imagination soar and light up your content calendar. I’m here to help you share your passion on social media, so contact me to get cracking on content ideas for your creative brand.
