Halloween special: HK marketers share their chilling horror stories

It’s Halloween again, a time when the air is filled with excitement and a hint of spookiness. Originating from ancient Celtic traditions, Halloween has evolved into a festive occasion marked by costumes, trick-or-treating, and eerie decorations. 

In Hong Kong, marketers are skilled at creating engaging stories that captivate audiences during Halloween. From creative ads to immersive events, their creativity draws in consumers eager for festive experiences. 

For example, Pizza Hut Hong Kong has partnered with iProspect Hong Kong for a Halloween campaign featuring a hidden spooky face hunt. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) launched its “Hong Kong Halloween” campaign, offering festival experiences such as 3D light show and limited “ghostly” tram. 

However, this creative process often requires late nights and intense brainstorming sessions. The pressure to produce engaging content can lead marketers to push their limits, sometimes resulting in unexpected and even chilling experiences. 

In light of this, we reached out to some of the marketers in Hong Kong to share their spine-tingling encounters within this ecosystem. 

Here are some of their horrific moments.

Terence So, head of marketing for Greater China, AirAsia

I love traveling very much, just like most Hongkongers do, while I work in the travel industry. The spookiest moment in my life happened during a trip to Shanghai.

One evening, after exploring the city all day, I relaxed in my hotel room, lying on the bed and flipping through TV channels. The room felt cozy until something strange occurred.

I sensed a presence on my left, as if a ghostly hand was waving at me, casting eerie shadows. I looked, but there was nothing there. I tried to refocus on the TV.

The strange feeling persisted, growing stronger each time. Suddenly, the TV turned off, leaving me in darkness with only the city lights outside.

With my heart pounding, I quickly got dressed, determined to leave and find a new place.

I packed my things and hurried out, eager to leave that spooky night in Shanghai behind me. The memory of that night still gives me shivers.

Ellen Yau, Asia lead of brand strategy of women's health, Bayer Consumer Health

If you knew me well, you’d know I’m terrified of ghost stories and steer clear of horror films. However, my job often requires travel. A few months ago, I found myself heading to Seoul. Due to a late flight, I arrived at my hotel exhausted and with limited room options. Reluctantly, I accepted the only room available, which was at the very end of a long corridor.

As I opened the door, a musty odour greeted me, and the room gave off an unsettling vibe as if someone had just hastily exited. Despite the discomfort, my fatigue was overwhelming. I quickly showered and collapsed into bed, though I barely slept.

The next morning, I felt unwell, a nauseous feeling that didn't subside for two days. On the third day, I discovered the bathroom hadn't been properly cleaned. After reporting this to the hotel staff, they immediately moved me to a new room. Upon entering my new quarters, a wave of fresh air washed over me, and miraculously, my nausea disappeared almost instantly.

This experience taught me always to request a room near the corridor and never to settle for the last room available, especially not in a dimly lit hallway. It might just save you from a night of unpleasant surprises.

Happy Halloween! Here’s to safe travels and better room assignments! Whether it’s a ghostly encounter or a less-than-ideal hotel room, we’ve all had our spooky moments. What’s yours?

Charlotte Ho, general manager of branding and marketing, Hong Kong Resort

Discovery Bay Easter egg hunt on the beach has been organised for 17 years in 2024. Over the years, I had a lot of satisfaction seeing families’ smiling faces and the success of the event.

But there was a year that I experienced the scariest moment of my working life. Due to the thunderstorms and non-stop heavy rain on the site, after all participants had registered, we had to reschedule a few game sessions to another day of the Easter public holidays after there was no sign of easing up of the rain, as it was unsafe for kids to play on the beach under such adverse weather.

The announcement of the Discovery Bay Easter Egg Hunt rescheduling had not gone down well, and now I found myself in the midst of a group of angry customers, their frustrations boiling over. “Why wasn’t this communicated earlier?”, “We’ve planned our whole day around this!”. Another parent added, “This is unacceptable! My children have been looking forward to this for weeks!”

Although the terms and conditions, and adverse weather arrangements of the event were spelled out during online registration, the customers were just angry at that moment.

Fortunately, the incident was finally solved with satisfaction and the crowd started to disperse. I realised that sometimes, no matter how much you have done, when it comes to outdoor events, we are at the mercy of God. All we can do is to well prepare for all contingencies.

This incident serves as a constant reminder to me about the importance of making participants aware of the terms and conditions in order to make sure they know what they have signed up for, as well as the importance of crisis management training. Since then we spent a lot of time and effort to perfect our weather contingency plans and communication to customers.

Iris Kan, marketing director, Hong Kong and Macau, L’OCCITANE Group

Back in my rookie days as a marketing trainee, I faced a spooky challenge: creating a single-page leaflet for a big campaign. I thought it would be a breeze, but after my first draft, I was hit with a tidal wave of feedback from managers, each with their own wild ideas. 

After 14 revisions (yes, it’s v14), I felt like I was trapped in a haunted house of design! Late nights fueled by caffeine and a dash of panic became my new normal.

Finally, we found a design that resonated with everyone, teaching me the importance of clear communication and the art of surviving the marketing maze!

Anthony Tsang, head of marketing and digital (Greater China Region), Oriental Watch Company 

One of the most mysterious moments I encountered was during my first business trip to Taiwan.

I was exhausted from a day filled with meetings and visits, and I accidentally ended up staying in a famous spooky hotel in Taipei. There were rumors about flashing lights, knocking doors, and TVs turning on and off. On the first night of my stay, I was working late in my hotel room when the air conditioner suddenly shut off.

I felt the temperature in my room drop significantly; it became super cold. I tried to put on my jacket, but I could still feel a cold breeze around me. Suddenly, the lights in the hotel room began to flicker, and the wash basin started to leak.

At the same time, I heard the toilet door creaking, as if someone were pushing it open and closed.

I was terrified and decided to go to the hotel reception for assistance. It was quite late, and when the front desk manager saw my keycard and room number, she didn’t ask any questions. She simply said she would upgrade me to another room, which would be better.

A sudden realisation struck me: I didn’t want to stay in that hotel anymore. Luckily, I called my Taiwanese friend to pick me up and stayed overnight at his place. He told me not to stay in that super spooky hotel again.

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