Making Halloween a Floral Holiday
Category Creation — The Bouqs Co., 2023-2026
Halloween is a $12B consumer holiday, and one of the fastest-growing slices of it is décor. But flowers weren’t part of the conversation, and neither was Bouqs.
Before 2023, fewer than 200 customers a year chose “Halloween” as their checkout occasion. The opportunity was to give people a reason to buy flowers in an otherwise soft fall season, and maybe even buy them for themselves.
The Challenge
In an innovation workshop with our merchandising team, I pitched the brand’s first Spooky Collection: a limited-edition assortment that positioned flowers as Halloween décor, not just gifts.
It tapped into rising searches for Halloween décor and the emerging “Summerween” trend, and it was visually arresting enough to reach every kind of Halloween fan: the dark, the silly, and the serious.
The Idea
What I Did
I launched the integrated campaign in 2023 as a small test, then led the evolution as it grew into a full collection the following years. I set the copy direction and messaging, and gave direction across email, organic and paid social, and site, so every channel told the same spooky-but-giftable story.
Each year, I partnered with our merchandising team to test new bouquets and bundles. In its latest form, the collection included a bulk box for DIY décor, a grand-gesture bouquet of 50 black roses, and a LEGO bundle.
In 2026, I took it further on two fronts:
CTV. I led our first-ever Spooky commercial, made end to end in just over a month through our creative-as-a-service partner. It was a new format for us, built on mood and vibes while still cueing gifting, and our way of taking credit for the category we created.
Influencer. I gave direction to double down on this tactic, resulting in content with Halloween-niche, DIY, and “spooky community” creators, a completely different profile from our typical influencers. I partnered with the social lead on the talent criteria and the creative briefs.
The Outcome
From a gap in the calendar to a seasonal growth driver:
37x
More customers choosing “Halloween” at checkout
3x
Self-purchase rate vs. average ecomm orders
2.6x
Black rose revenue, 2023 to 2025
2x
Spooky orders by year 3, on track for 2.2x in 2026
What started as one idea in a workshop became a four-year franchise. Our black roses were born in Spooky and became so popular they’re now sold year-round. And Spooky changed who buys from us: customers are three times as likely to buy for themselves, a big shift for a brand built on gifting.