Fanta generated more than 7 billion impressions from its Halloween activations without spending a dollar on paid media, according to the brand's global marketing lead.

Ibrahim Khan, global vice president of marketing at Fanta, discussed the strategy on Adweek's "Adspeak" podcast with host Rebecca Stewart. The volume of impressions — sourced from fan-generated content rather than bought placements — frames a deliberate bet that Halloween was a holiday competitors had left unclaimed.

How did Fanta claim a "white space" holiday?

Khan's team identified Halloween as a "white space" on the marketing calendar. The brand built a recurring franchise around the holiday rather than running a one-off seasonal push.

Fanta's execution leaned on community creativity. Khan encourages user-generated content on TikTok, where fans remix, parody, and react to the brand's Halloween assets. According to Adweek's episode summary, that participation produced a scale of impressions that a paid-only approach could not match.

What did Universal Pictures and Blumhouse bring?

Fanta partnered with Universal Pictures and Blumhouse to produce collectible horror-themed cans.

Khan describes the licensing deal as an exercise in "constructive tension" — balancing the licensor's IP integrity with Fanta's own brand voice. Character selections leaned on assets that could flex across generations and the 50+ markets where Fanta operates without losing relevance.

Why is the can itself the campaign?

Khan argues that product design has become Fanta's most scalable storytelling surface. A collectible can sits in refrigerators for weeks, travels through photos, and earns shelf-space attention in ways a 30-second spot cannot replicate.

In the episode, Khan explains how product design can become a storytelling platform, how to balance brand authenticity with licensed IP, and why giving audiences creative freedom can drive deeper engagement.

Who is the executive behind the strategy?

Ibrahim Khan runs global strategy and marketing for Fanta under Coca-Cola. He brings more than a decade of Coca-Cola experience across diverse markets.

His earlier roles include senior marketing director for sparkling flavors in greater China and Mongolia, where he oversaw Fanta, Sprite, and Schweppes. Khan also led marketing for Sprite in its largest global market and managed sparkling portfolios across ASEAN. He handled brand strategy for Coca-Cola and Fanta across Thailand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. His specialties include global brand management, digital transformation, and cross-cultural consumer experiences.

What's the long game?

Khan treats Halloween as a recurring franchise rather than a single campaign. Each year's release is built to drive anticipation for the next, with packaging drops, character reveals, and creator partnerships timed for organic reach.

The model offers a template for marketers with leaner budgets: identify an uncontested seasonal moment, lead with product, invite fans in, and commit across years.

For category incumbents plotting seasonal allocations into 2025, Fanta's Halloween franchise suggests the biggest returns may still come from creative ownership of the calendar slots no one else has bothered to claim.