Fanta Builds an Original 'Haunted Universe' to Own Halloween
Updated: Sep 1
TL;DR: Coca-Cola's Fanta has unveiled a proprietary Halloween 'Haunted Universe' of original characters across ~50 markets — a bet that owning seasonal IP, built with an AI studio, can make Halloween Fanta's answer to Coke's Christmas.
Owning a season with original IP
Fanta, the Coca-Cola brand, has revealed a proprietary Halloween "Haunted Universe" — a cast of original characters including a scarecrow, a vampire, a cyborg Frankenstein and a werewolf DJ. Revealed on 18 August and rolling out from 26 August 2026 across roughly 50 markets, it was built over some 18 months.
The ambition is explicit. VP Ibrahim Khan framed Fanta as aiming to be an "entertainment brand," and the plan mirrors how Coca-Cola owns Christmas: build recognisable seasonal characters people look forward to every year.
The numbers and the machinery
Fanta's 2025 Halloween activity delivered around 10 billion impressions — a base big enough to justify investing in owned IP rather than renting entertainment tie-ins. The new push adds a "Haunted Fanta Factory" experience, a limited flavour and collectible packaging.
Notably, the work was produced by WPP Open X (Ogilvy-led) with AI entertainment studio Grail. Building a cinematic universe at this scale would once have been prohibitively expensive; AI production is part of what makes owned seasonal IP economically viable.
Marketing Minute's read: rent vs own
Our take: this is a strategic shift from renting culture to owning it. Sponsoring someone else's film or festival buys temporary relevance; building your own characters builds an asset you control and can compound year after year. Coca-Cola's Christmas playbook is the proof of concept.
The AI angle is the enabler, not the story. What matters is that lowering production costs changes what's strategically possible — mid-size seasonal franchises once reserved for entertainment companies are now within a CPG brand's reach.
What businesses should take from it
Consider whether your brand could own a moment in the calendar rather than borrow one. Seasonal IP you control appreciates over time; sponsorships evaporate when the cheque clears.
Falling production costs expand ambition. If AI tools make it ten times cheaper to produce characters, films or content, the question shifts from "can we afford it?" to "what franchise should we build?"
Quick FAQ
What is Fanta's Haunted Universe?
It's Fanta's proprietary Halloween world of original characters — a scarecrow, vampire, cyborg Frankenstein and werewolf DJ — rolling out from 26 August 2026 across ~50 markets, plus a 'Haunted Fanta Factory' experience, limited flavour and collectible packaging.
Who created it?
WPP Open X, led by Ogilvy, with AI entertainment studio Grail. It was built over roughly 18 months.
Why is Fanta building its own characters?
To own Halloween the way Coca-Cola owns Christmas — turning seasonal IP into an asset it controls and can grow year after year, rather than renting relevance through one-off tie-ins.
There's a strategic line between renting culture and owning it. Sponsoring someone else's story buys relevance until the cheque clears; building your own characters builds an asset that compounds every year. AI just made that kind of owned franchise affordable for brands that aren't entertainment companies. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
Renting culture buys a moment; owning IP builds an asset — and cheaper production is putting owned franchises within reach of ordinary brands.
Is there a moment in the calendar your brand could own outright, instead of sponsoring someone else's?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Marketing Dive, Adweek, The Coca-Cola Company.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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