This Halloween, Mars Wrigley Canada has a solution for what to do with those less desirable trick-or-treat offerings like apples or raisins.

The brand’s “No Tricks Just Treats” campaign truck will visit neighbourhoods across the GTA and Hamilton, including South Lake Regional Health Centre and a local fire station, offering families the opportunity to trade in their unwanted Halloween “tricks” for Mars Wrigley treats like Skittles, M&Ms, Snickers, Twist, Mars and Starburst.

Mars Wrigley will donate the food and $1 to Food Banks Canada for every pound of unwanted items collected and Mars Wrigley treats given to consumers, up to $5,000.

“We’re always looking for ways to elevate the fun and inspire moments of everyday happiness, and this year our ‘No Tricks Just Treats’ activation does just that, making sure Halloween magic doesn’t end on October 31st,” says Ellen Thompson, general manager of Mars Wrigley Canada.

Thompson tells strategy Mars Canada has made significant contributions to Food Banks Canada throughout the year and that the ‘No Tricks Just Treats’ is a key initiative this fall.

“Experiential marketing is a core component of our strategy to engage consumers in meaningful and memorable ways,” Thompson says. “‘The No Tricks Just Treats’ truck is a great example of this, as it allows us to directly interact with families and communities and ultimately inspire moments of everyday happiness. Looking ahead, Mars Wrigley plans to explore additional experiential marketing opportunities to further elevate our brand presence and consumer connections.”

Thompson adds that Halloween is central to the brand, and that it takes a long-term approach to understanding the holiday, identifying emerging trends to stay ahead of expectations.

To better understand Canadians’ Halloween habits and trends, Mars Wrigley conducted its Spooktacular Trends Report, an Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Mars Wrigley that sampled 2,000 Canadians. The numbers revealed that millennials are most likely to dress up, while Gen Xers are most likely to give out candy and Gen Z most likely to go to a party. Gen Z and millennials plan to celebrate by dressing up and plan one-to-three weeks in advance.

“No Tricks, Just Treats” will be amplified through media relations around the truck and survey findings, along with influencer partnerships across the GTA. The brand’s AORs managed the campaign. Middle Child led creative, production, XM, influencer and lifestyle public relations. Enterprise Canada is managing corporate public relations and the Spooktacular Trends Report.

Last fall, as part of its Excel ASMR campaign aimed at college students, QR codes on packs of gum drove students to its Spotify page and provided more info about charitable partner, Food Banks Canada. The non-profit was the recipient of $1.00 per stream, with Mars donating $25,000 to Food Banks Canada.