Fanta Launches Original Halloween Characters in Shift Toward Brand Entertainment

Industry Pulse News Desk · 2026-08-24

The Coca-Cola soda brand is introducing proprietary horror personas as part of a long-term strategy to establish Halloween as a core marketing platform.

The Coca-Cola Co.'s Fanta brand is launching its own proprietary lineup of Halloween characters, marking a strategic shift toward original entertainment content and long-term brand building around the annual holiday.

The initiative, designated as Fanta's Haunted Universe, introduces four original spooky personas created in partnership with artificial intelligence entertainment studio GRAiL. Over the next three months, the campaign will feature custom soda packaging, collectible consumer rewards, and interactive live events expanding on the brand's existing Haunted Fanta Factory platform.

The rollout begins with a horror-movie-style video trailer featuring the new characters, which offer modern updates on traditional horror archetypes including vampires and Frankenstein-style monsters. The move represents a transition from previous licensed Hollywood film tie-ins toward owning proprietary intellectual property.

Company executives indicated the goal is to establish Halloween as a multi-year seasonal anchor for Fanta, comparable to Coca-Cola's historical marketing association with Christmas. The campaign also reflects broader changes in corporate advertising strategies, as consumer brands reduce traditional television spend in favor of digital and social media content.

While television advertisements remain a minor component of the global campaign, select regional markets in the United States and international territories have phased out television spots entirely for the rollout to prioritize direct digital engagement with younger demographics.