Gummy brand Haribo is promising to bring childlike joy to Halloween.

The century-old German confectionery has linked up with Publicis Canada to launch a seasonal activation in the form of an exclusive pop-up store at Toronto’s Union Station.

“Haribo is the leading gummy candy brand globally but in Canada, our strong presence across popular retailers is more recent,” says Mareike Temmen, senior marketing manager at Haribo. “Halloween was coming, and we engaged Publicis to seize the moment. Together, we thought, what better way to introduce Haribo to Canadians than to (literally) make adults feel like a kid in a candy store?”

Store staff is engaging passersby to try out a little trick-or-treating or to solve the mystery of the missing Haribo mascot, Goldbear.

This is against the backdrop of half-boarded windows, colourful cobwebs, skeletons, shelves that mysteriously move or fall on their own, and hands that pop out unexpectedly from the walls.

The store is meant to attract commuters by creating Instagrammable moments, inviting consumers into the happy world of Haribo, says Chris Desjardins, SVP of sponsorship and experience at Publicis Canada, the agency helping to bring the program to life as the first creative agency the CPG has had in Canada.

“This campaign was a true team effort,” Desjardins says. “Led by our sport and entertainment team, our strategy and creative teams collaborated closely with Haribo to develop this breakthrough, amplifiable, experiential activation with the goal of making Haribo the ‘go-to candy’ for Halloween.”

North Strategic, Publicis Canada’s PR agency, engaged with influencers and the media to drive interest.

This isn’t the first time the Haribo brand has deployed Goldbear to connect with consumers. It has sent out the mascot onto the streets as a “Haribo Happiness Helper,” targeting young families and handing out packaged samples of gummy bears with trikes and mobile brand ambassadors in a guerilla style format.

From Strategy Online