For this month’s ad testing, we put two Halloween-themed candy ads in front of 250 Americans from our proprietary Agora USA panel to see what resonated most with consumers this spooky season.

Butterfinger: Mischief and Nostalgia Collide

Butterfinger leaned into classic mischief with its “Nobody lays a finger on my Butterfinger” line, updated for a Halloween setting with the Headless Horseman. The spot blends suspense-movie parody with humor. The result? Strong brand recall and solid engagement, proving that nostalgia and clever tone still resonate when refreshed for seasonal storytelling.

M&M’S: Character-Driven, Crowd-Pleaser Strong

M&M’S stuck to its roots—fun, familiar, and personality-driven. The ad features the brand’s beloved characters watching their scariest movie—a baking show, balancing humor and charm in a way that clicked with nearly everyone who watched. Viewers showed 100% ad recall and extremely high likability and purchase intent, making this one of the most universally appealing ads we’ve tested this year.

Sweet Takeaway

Both ads nailed the balance between Halloween spirit and brand identity—Butterfinger through playful mischief, M&M’S through timeless character storytelling. The takeaway? Seasonal creative doesn’t need a major twist to win; it just needs to feel unmistakably “you.”

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