While you're still nursing that post-Halloween candy hangover, let me hit you with some marketing truth that'll scramble your brain like Sunday morning eggs.
The band Ghost just pulled off the most gloriously unhinged audience play I've seen all year. And no, I'm not talking about some basic "tag us in your costume" BS.
Picture this: A Swedish metal band with a satanic pope as frontman (technically it's Papa V as we're on the fifth one in the lore now) drops a Halloween contest. But here's where it gets spicy...
The prize? Not money. Not tickets. A TITLE.
The winner of their UnHallows Eve Masquerade Contest will be crowned "Most Ritual Ready 2025."
(For clarity, they call their concerts 'rituals'.)
That's it. That's the prize. And their fans are losing their minds over it.
See, while you're out here offering a free month or a 20% off coupon, Ghost said "screw conventional prizes" and gave their people what they actually crave: Recognition. Status. The opportunity to be seen by their unholy hero.
The kicker? Fans vote for each other. It's like American Idol met a cult meeting and had a beautiful marketing baby.
What's Ghost getting from this satanic stroke of genius?
Ghost knows their audience doesn't want boring corporate swag or a throwaway freebie. They want to BELONG. They want to be crowned by the very clergy they worship.
So here's my deliciously uncomfortable question for you:
When's the last time you let your audience show you their weird, wonderful love? When did you stop asking for email addresses and start asking for their SOULS (Saja-boy-style)?
Your audience is out here ready to go absolutely feral for you. But you keep offering them vanilla when they're craving ghost pepper.
Time to get weird with it, rebel. Your brand's waiting. 🤘
Check out Ghost's contest and the winner HERE.