Watching the various uploads of old commercials on YouTube, you may find a toy you once had or snacks you used to enjoy in the cafeteria at school. The television shows or movies you watched with friends, or perhaps the stores in the mall that have since closed.
In these old commercials, everything remains the same, just as we remember it.
I've discussed the importance of commercials to my generation before, so feel free to check out my Collections section and the "Commercials of YesterYear." You'll find articles featuring things like the "Beautiful" Mount Airy Lodge, Pace's "New York City?!" salsa, as well as the famed "Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!" of auto racing!
Holiday commercials seem even more nostalgic than the rest. Maybe it's because of the increased amount of holiday television specials we all watched back then, but I have an easier time remembering the holiday ads. You can also check out my several holiday commercials in the above-mentioned commercials section under the Collections tab.
There are hundreds of memorable Halloween ads. Perhaps not all of them are directly about Halloween, but with monsters, ghouls, and fall themes, they all evoke the feelings of past Halloweens from our childhood.
Continuing this series from back in 2022, here is Part II of Five Spooky Halloween Commercials. I'm not sure just how "spooky" these are, but they definitely give off that great retro Halloween vibe.
I can't wait to dig in, so let's start!
Universal Monsters USPS Postage Stamps (1997)
In the mid-1990s, there was a significant surge in merchandise featuring Universal Monsters. Seemingly from out of nowhere, but likely due to copyright laws requiring their use, Universal used these classic monsters on everything from throw blankets to postage stamps. They are still heavily used today at the Universal Studios theme parks in California and Florida. A planned revival of new films for the entire franchise of monsters was in development, but was scrapped after Tom Cruise's "The Mummy" bombed a few years ago.
I would have loved to have seen the others, especially a new Creature from the Black Lagoon!
At the time, the most sought-after piece of Monsters merchandise was a set of USPS postage stamps. These stamps were insanely popular, evoking a seemingly nerdy piece of 90s nostalgia. This occurred during the comic book boom and the Beanie Baby craze, which led many parents of '90s kids to buy things because they believed that everything kept in new condition would increase in value over time.
At the time, one of my Uncles was a stamp collector, and he wished to get me involved, so he gifted me a set of these monster stamps. They were in mint condition, still in their shrink wrap on a nice cardboard display. I thought the pictures of the monsters were nice, but at 13 years old, I thought, "Oh, cool... stamps," and tossed them into the drawer.
I remember seeing them occasionally over the years, but have no idea what ever happened to them.
Halloween McNugget Buddies (1996)
I've written about the McNugget Buddies before in an article about Five McDonald's Halloween promotions, so if you would like to learn more about their history, please visit that article.
This commercial was a great find for me because I always forget that the last set was released as late as 1996. I remember having the McNugget toys to play with from much earlier. Debuting in 1988, I must have played with that set quite a bit from the time I was four years old, because I remember playing with "Boomerang" (the Crocodile Dundee one) quite often, incorporating it into many different games and series of play. Years later, by the time I was in sixth grade, I don't even remember being excited about getting a set.
This 1996 set turned out to be the last of them, but based on the costumes, I prefer the original set, which featured Boomerang and other occupational costumes, such as a cowboy or mailman. The 1993 set had some great Halloween costumes that, for pretty cheap on eBay, you could get today and use as Halloween decorations in your home.
Actually, upon reviewing the photos of the 93 set, the Pumpkins, Frankenstein, Vampire, and Mummy would look great on our fireplace mantle...
The Buddies would return this one last time in 96 with six new costumes (and a cheaper, thinner plastic). The Alien, Ronald McDonald, Dragon, Spider, Fairy Princess, and Rock Star McNugget were available, as shown in the commercial above.
Beetlejuice HBO Movie Intro (1989)
Beetlejuice is easily my favorite "horror" movie, perhaps because it's not really that scary. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of the horror genre, so it makes it tough around Halloween, but there are plenty of somewhat family-friendly horror films that I have a laundry list of "must-watch" movies each Halloween.
Make sure to watch beyond the 15-second commercial for Beetlejuice, too!
I didn't have HBO growing up as a kid, but that introduction to a movie with that catchy 80s synth/jazz sound takes me right back. Even as a non-HBO viewer, I watched enough at the neighbor kid's house (or back when you could watch the scrambled channels at the start of each new show for a minute before it scrambled again) to instantly recognize that intro song.
Real Ghostbusters Proton Pack (1986)
I wish I still had my original one of these. The story about getting it is honestly more memorable than ever using it. I'll have to ask my Dad if he remembers, but one day, when I couldn't have been any older than 3 or 4, my Dad stayed home from work one day and drove me across town to the Toys R Us to buy a proton pack. I was obsessed with the Ghostbusters at the time, and I was constantly playing with my Kenner Real Ghostbusters figures. I remember him even having a coupon from the newspaper. On the ride over, I recall him showing me the Toys R Us circular, and I also remember getting out of the car and seeing the brightly colored Toys R Us sign in front of me with great excitement.
It was very out of character for Dad to be home during the week, let alone to be the one to take me out just to get this toy. Even more so, because it was more expensive than a $2 or $3 figure.
I doubt he remembers, but I'll have to ask him what was really going on that day that they covered up with a fancy new toy.
Eventually, my Proton Pack saw better days. The big yellow foam pool noodle that we stuck at the front of the wand broke and was duct-taped together. The holster broke, so Dad bent a wire coat hanger into a similar shape to replace it. The cheap, yellow plastic tube that connected the wand to the backpack would continuously fall off, and eventually, I sloppily glued it into place.
But it was still my proton pack. I had it for quite some time, well into college, even, complete with the original box (albeit damaged significantly from years of being stored in a few hurricane-flooded basements). However, if memory serves, when I decided to "grow up" after getting married, I sold it along with my Ghostbusters firehouse playset. That grown-up phase only lasted a short while, and I wish I had both of those back.
Especially that firehouse.
Elvira's Blockbuster Commercial (1997)
This commercial, featuring Elvira, perfectly captures the quirky charm of late 80s nostalgia, although it was actually made ten years later, in 1997. With her signature beehive hairdo, plunging neckline, and campy humor, Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark, slinks onto the screen, inviting viewers to "make it a Blockbuster night."
The ad, tied to the now-just-a-memory video rental giant, evokes memories of autumn evenings spent browsing VHS tapes under flickering fluorescent lights of our favorite rental store as we picked out our favorite flicks for movie night. Elvira's playful innuendos tap into the retro vibe as she's surrounded by classic Universal monsters, which remind us of a time when we'd bring those VHS tapes home and pile onto the couch as a family, ready for a movie night with popcorn.
For those who grew up in the era, this commercial isn’t just an ad; it’s a portal to a simpler, spookier time when renting a movie felt like an event. The commercial stirs a bittersweet longing in me for the tangible rituals of the video rental store in the pre-streaming era. The ad’s grainy quality and kitschy production values only enhance its charm, reminding us of a time when low-budget horror and campy charisma ruled October nights.
Nancy Kerrigan and other skating stars, enjoying the early-to-mid 90s spike in popularity in figure skating, participated in another lost art: the holiday-themed television special. Just watch the commercial, and if you're like me, you would actually be willing to watch figure skating just to see some of the stuff in the ad, like the skating witch, mad scientist, scarecrow, vampires, and even Beetlejuice!
Any special that uses such great theming deserves attention, and I wish networks would put more effort into doing them these days. I honestly think things like this have been gone long enough that, with the right combination of star power and over-the-top theming, you could see massive interest from people longing to go back to the way it used to be and younger people being interested in something that seems "new."
If you're interested, the entire special, including other commercials, is available here.
BONUS COMMERCIAL!
I know, I know, Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, isn't "spooky," or even Halloween-related for that matter (except during their Halloween Horror Nights events each year). Still, there are some really cool parts of this commercial! For me, and other children of the '80s and '90s, this advertisement is filled with nostalgic scenes that I vividly remember from my childhood during the "good" days of Universal Studios in Orlando.
You'll see Jaws, Gozer, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and more! While not "Halloween-y," even the great Hannnah-Barberra ride is included!
In my opinion, this particular theme park is hurting these days. It's nowhere near as good as it once was. It doesn't really have any cohesive theming, and I will forever prefer the days when the park included Alfred Hitcock and Murder, She Wrote-themed attractions, the I Love Lucy museum, and classic rides like the original King Kong, Earthquake, Back to the Future, and Jaws.
Thank heavens E.T. is still there, with the best queue in all of Florida theme parks, but who knows how much longer it'll stay open when some Gen Z executive decides to replace it with a dumb K-pop ride.
In any case, it was a wonderful blast from the past that featured some cool bits of horror-related material I came across while browsing one of my favorite retro-commercial YouTube channels, and I thought I'd share it here. And it's my site, so I say it belongs! :)
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