The Coca-Cola Company’s (NYSE: KO) Fanta has launched Fanta’s Haunted Universe, an original Halloween property built around four characters inspired by classic horror archetypes. The initiative, developed with entertainment studio GRAiL, begins with a cinematic trailer and is set to expand through additional content and experiences during the Halloween season.
The launch marks a strategic shift for the brand, which has spent the past two years working with recognizable horror properties. Fanta is now attempting to build intellectual property that it can develop across stories, characters and consumer experiences.
From Collaborator to Creator
At the center of Fanta’s Haunted Universe are four original characters inspired by vampires, werewolves, supernatural spirits and futuristic horror. Each character has been developed with a distinct personality, backstory, supernatural abilities and role within the broader fictional world.
Rather than treating Halloween as a single seasonal campaign, Fanta is positioning the universe as an expandable entertainment platform. The introductory trailer serves as the first chapter, with additional stories and experiences expected to follow.
“Ibrahim Khan, Global Vice President of Marketing at Fanta, said the brand wanted to answer what would come after two years of collaborations with major horror properties. The company’s response, he said, was to move “from collaborator to creator” and build an original universe of its own.
That transition is significant for a consumer brand operating in an increasingly crowded entertainment and marketing landscape. Original characters can give brands greater control over storytelling while creating opportunities to extend campaigns across digital content, social media and experiential formats.
Technology Supports a Human-Led Creative Process
Fanta worked with GRAiL to develop the new universe, using technology alongside human creative direction to explore concepts and bring the fictional world to life.
The company said technology was incorporated into the creative process to help achieve the visual scale and ambition of the project. The approach reflects how brands and entertainment companies are increasingly experimenting with new production technologies while retaining human creative oversight.
For Fanta, the combination allows the brand to approach Halloween as an entertainment property rather than simply a promotional moment.
Building a Longer Halloween Story
The first cinematic trailer introduces the world and its characters, but Fanta’s broader ambition appears to be extending the narrative throughout the season.
The brand said more character stories, content, experiences and surprises are planned as its full Halloween campaign gets underway on Aug. 26.
The strategy also gives Fanta a way to build continuity from one Halloween season to the next. Established horror franchises can provide immediate recognition, but an original universe potentially gives the brand greater ownership over its characters and storytelling.
Whether Fanta’s Haunted Universe develops into a lasting entertainment property will depend on how audiences respond to its characters and the stories that follow. For now, the launch represents a notable change in the brand’s approach: after borrowing from the established language of horror, Fanta is attempting to create a horror world that belongs to it.
