Ketchup on your face is usually the result of a messy bite, but for McDonald’s, this everyday occurrence has become the starting point for a new Halloween campaign. In collaboration with Leo UK, the brand has transformed its familiar dipping sauces into a face paint palette, replacing accidental food stains with deliberately designed costumes. The Spooky Sauces campaign uses products audiences already know well to offer a different way of taking part in Halloween celebrations.
The six shades are inspired by McDonald’s sauces, with names combining familiar flavours and Halloween themes: Sweet N’ Spooky, Tomb-Mato Ketchup, Curry Cauldron, Boo-Boo-Q, Sweet Chills and Garlic MayOoOo. The specially designed kits also include a mirror, makeup brushes shaped like fries and a sponge inspired by a Chicken McNugget. Every element of the collection draws on the visual identity of the brand’s food and packaging, transforming them into props for creating costumes.
Rather than relying on a traditional advertisement, McDonald’s has built the campaign primarily around social media. It launched on 16 October with a video on TikTok and Instagram, revealing the collection through a cinematic product presentation. A velvet backdrop, focused lighting, close-up shots and a mysterious gloved hand create a distinctly Halloween atmosphere, while ASMR-style sound effects further emphasise the product details.
The following day, an Instagram competition gave fans the chance to win one of 100 Spooky Sauces kits. To enter, participants were asked to tag a friend and suggest which McDonald’s menu item they should transform into for Halloween. This extended the campaign beyond presenting the product, inviting audiences to contribute their own costume ideas.
Until 31 October, the campaign will also feature UK-based content creators using the palettes to develop original Halloween looks inspired by the McDonald’s menu, restaurants and packaging. Their video tutorials encourage followers to try their own versions, while the brand further promotes participation by interacting with and reposting fan-created looks across its channels.
Ben Hooper, Creative Director at Leo UK, explains that the idea came from an experience familiar to almost anyone who has eaten fries or Chicken McNuggets with dipping sauce.
“Whether it’s dipping fries or nuggs, we’ve all ended up with ketchup or sweet curry on our face. Usually by accident. So this Halloween, we’re making a look of it. From Tomb-Mato Ketchup to Boo-Boo-Q, we’re turning our sauces into spooky face paints so fans can swap their usual post-nugget mess for something properly frightening,” said Hooper.
Ana Saffer, Marketing Manager – Digital, Comms, UK&I at McDonald’s UK, highlights how the campaign presents familiar products from a perspective audiences have never seen before.
“We all know and love our dips, but we’ve never seen them quite like this… we’re looking forward to seeing our fans serve some iconic Maccies looks,” said Saffer.
The Spooky Sauces campaign continues an approach in which McDonald’s gives audiences an active role in the brand’s communication. Following World Menu Heist, which invited fans to help select targets, this time their creativity becomes part of the Halloween content. Familiar dipping sauces are therefore not only the inspiration for a new product, but also a shared theme around which the brand, content creators and audiences develop their own interpretations.
