Things That Go Bump in the Brief

Advertising is never short of things that come back to haunt it - slogans that refuse to die, jingles that become earworms, and creative tropes that are tried and tested favourites. So it feels only right, as Halloween approaches, to turn our spotlight on the industry’s real spirits: the ghosts that have drifted through British advertising screens over the years.

From Dougal Wilson’s elegantly fabric-swathed poltergeists for IKEA to the Ring-inspired haunt of Phones 4U, these spectral beings have sold everything from flat-pack furniture to crisps. Sometimes they’ve been funny, sometimes romantic, sometimes downright unsettling.

Ghosts, of course, are perfect advertising metaphors. They’re echoes of the past, back for one more run. They thrive on recognition - that flicker of “haven’t I seen this before?” that gives both horror films and heritage brands their power. They also embody transformation: the line between life and afterlife as thin as the one between nostalgia and novelty. And in the hands of great directors and brave clients, they offer something advertising rarely achieves - a shiver that’s both emotional and commercial.

Some of this (admittedly incomplete) list were award-winners, others award-dodgers turned cult classics. All remind us that British adland’s creative spirit is, quite literally, unkillable.

IKEA, 'Ghost Party', Mother, 2018

A drab house party of plain white sheet-ghosts is gate-crashed by a riot of patterned, fabric-swathed spirits who literally brighten the room. Dougal Wilson’s direction turns a haunting into a design intervention - the ghosts whirl, twirl and restyle the space with IKEA’s textiles. It’s a perfect metaphor for self-expression at home: even the dead don’t want to live with beige.

Phones 4U, 'Missing Our Deals Will Haunt You', adam&eveDDB, 2011

This spot was the most complained-about ad of 2011. Shot like a scene from 'The Ring', this tongue-in-cheek horror pastiche shows a ghostly girl stalking a motorist in a dimly lit car park, brandishing a phone offer instead of a curse. Viewers shrieked; the ASA fielded hundreds of complaints before ruling the ad acceptable as long as it went out post-watershed.

Halifax, 'Ghostbusters Crossover', adam&eveDDB, 2018

Seamlessly, Halifax bank toiler Greg appears alongside Venkman and crew inside the original 'Ghostbusters' movie. The adam&eveDDB mash-up rekindled nostalgic affection while showing Halifax as the everyman hero in a blockbuster universe. It’s brand integration done right - cheeky, technically dazzling, and affectionate to its source material.

Tesco, 'Spookermarket', BBH, 2015/2018

Hidden cameras captured shoppers as trolleys moved by themselves, product displays rattled and disembodied laughter echoed through the aisles. The prank campaign cleverly blended real reactions with cinematic jump scares, turning everyday grocery shopping into found-footage horror. It racked up millions of organic views - a reminder that when brands stop taking themselves too seriously, audiences don’t mind being scared.

Walkers, 'Scarily Giant', VCCP, 2023

Gary Lineker finds his snacks turning monstrous in a horror-movie spoof that escalates from kitchen comedy to full-blown crisp carnage. The cinematography nods to 80s creature features, while the punchline - that big bags mean “bigger flavour” - lands with a wink. Walkers successfully managed to spoof slasher tropes, proving even the undead can’t resist a multi-pack.

Coca-Cola, 'Ghost', Dentsu Creative, 2021

A Coca-Cola bottle materialises between two worlds as ghostly figures share a drink across time and space. Instead of aiming for scares, it focuses on intimacy and connection - turning the act of sharing a Coke into a quiet moment of reunion. It’s the brand’s optimism seen through a supernatural lens: haunting, effervescent, and unexpectedly romantic.

Asda, 'Home for All Things Haunted', Saatchi & Saatchi, 2017–2019

Each autumn, Asda transformed its stores into glowing green cathedrals of kitsch, complete with dancing skeletons, flying pumpkins and luminous ghosts cruising the aisles. The campaign balanced Halloween energy with retail charm, showcasing Asda’s seasonal range as pure family fun. It was unapologetically silly - a supermarket musical where everyone, living or otherwise, left with a full basket.

From Wilson’s fabric-swishing wraiths to supermarket séances, ghosts in British advertising reveal the industry’s playful obsession with resurrection - of ideas, icons and emotion. Fear, nostalgia and humour keep returning from the grave because they work. After all, the truly scary thing for any creative is to be forgotten or ignored.