At the end of October and the start of November lie two occasions that both came to Germany from abroad and are both still establishing themselves here: Halloween and Singles Day. Neither has the weight of Christmas or Easter, and they should not be overestimated. But both address a clearly defined audience, and those who know it can use them in a targeted way on a small budget. The important thing is not to confuse the two, because they follow completely different logics.
Two imported occasions, two logics
Halloween is an occasion for experience and celebration. It is about costumes, decoration, sweets and parties, and the value is created on site: in shops, in bars, at events, at the front door. Singles Day on 11 November, by contrast, is a pure discount and online occasion, born in China and driven by electronics, fashion and beauty on the internet. One lives off the mood in the neighbourhood, the other off the click in the online shop. For advertising, that means two very different approaches.
Halloween: local, young and about the experience
Halloween is growing in Germany but remains an occasion for those who really fancy it, above all younger people, families with children and an urban audience. Solid, current figures on the German Halloween market are scarce, so a sober view is worthwhile: it is a smaller but reliably recurring occasion with a few clear beneficiaries.
The strongest are the providers around costumes, decoration and sweets. Costume shops, craft and decoration retail, bakeries and food retail gear up for the demand for all things spooky. Added to this are families with children, for whom dressing up and knocking on doors are part of autumn; here a playful, age-appropriate approach counts. And finally, hospitality and event venues benefit: bars, clubs, theme parks and organisers turn 31 October into one of their strongest party nights of the autumn. For all three, the occasion is local. Those who advertise want to reach the people in their own town or neighbourhood, not nationwide.
Singles Day: online, price-driven, not a second Black Friday
Singles Day is a different animal. It is still small in Germany but growing noticeably: according to a Statista survey, around 15 percent of respondents planned to buy something on 11 November in 2024, compared with only 7 percent in 2021. Even so, it remains well behind Black Friday, which follows only about two weeks later. That is the decisive point: those who run both should not double up. Singles Day works as an early, online-driven kickoff, Black Friday as the big, broader discount event. How to reach the audiences around the actual discount season is covered in the article on Streaming Ads for Black Friday.
For most local providers, Singles Day is less relevant, because it strongly targets online retail and electronics, fashion and beauty. For online retailers, on the other hand, it can be a useful test run to build awareness early, before Cyber Week begins.
How to use both with onescreen
The two occasions need different targeting. Halloween is a case for tight regional address: you target a costume shop, bar or event venue by postal code, so you reach exactly the people who can come by. How that works is shown in the article on regional targeting in streaming TV. Singles Day is more a case for online retailers who want to build awareness and demand; here targeting by interests counts more than mere proximity.
In both cases the same expectation applies as always. The purchase rarely happens directly in front of the TV, but in the store, at the party or on the smartphone. Streaming advertising builds demand and makes sure you are present at the right moment. Why relevant attention counts for more than sheer reach is explored in the article Attention Over Reach. With onescreen you target both occasions specifically by region, age, gender and interests on the big screen, non-skippable and with full attention.
Bottom line
Halloween and Singles Day are not big occasions like Christmas, but both have their place. Halloween is worthwhile for local providers around costumes, sweets, hospitality and events, with tight regional targeting. Singles Day is mainly interesting for online retailers, as an early kickoff before the discount season and clearly separated from Black Friday. Those who know which of the two suits their own business can achieve targeted impact on a small budget.
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FAQ
Is advertising for Halloween worthwhile in Germany? For the right industries, yes. Halloween is a smaller but growing occasion, benefiting above all costume, decoration and sweets retail, hospitality and event venues. Because it is strongly local, targeting by postal code is worthwhile.
What is the difference between Singles Day and Black Friday? Singles Day on 11 November is an online-driven discount day from China that is still small in Germany. Black Friday follows about two weeks later and is the bigger, broader discount event. Those who use both should not double up, but use Singles Day as an early kickoff.
Who do I best reach on Singles Day? Above all online-minded buyers who specifically look for deals in electronics, fashion and beauty. For purely local providers, the day is less relevant than for online retailers.
How should I target Halloween and Singles Day via streaming? Halloween tightly by region and postal code, because people come on site. Singles Day more by interests, because it works online and nationwide. In both cases, streaming advertising builds demand before the purchase is completed elsewhere.