Crest & Oral B brands have banded together to create a wonderfully entertaining and effective multichannel campaign timed for the Halloween holiday.

What is more compelling than cute, little kids? How about cute, little kids in Halloween costumes and makeup as varied as King Tut, a bumble bee, an Astronaut, Wolfman or an Olympic body builder? Now put them in a focus group setting to taste test healthy treats that will replace Halloween candy this year. The treats are the likes of Veggie Fruit Chews, Artichoke Butter Cups or Asparagus/Beet Flavoring.

Their reactions are adorable, laughable and sometimes gross (a little girl, Adrianna, vomits). The focus group moderator does an admirable job trying to convince the tots that healthy snacks are better than Halloween candy. When he asks “How do you like Halloween without candy”, mayhem ensues.

The main stay of the campaign is a 1:30 spot plus a short posted on social channels including Facebook, You Tube and Twitter, as well as featured on the Crest and Oral B websites. All channels offer a link to product coupons.

The concept is a cross between the AT&T “It’s Not Complicated” campaign and Jimmy Kimmel’s segment showing videos from parents telling their kids that they ate all of their Halloween candy.  (The Jimmy Kimmel segments are a must see.) The premise is that Halloween candy is sacred. Parents know it and Crest and Oral B aren’t going to mess with it.

The ending slate reads “Nothing is more horrifying than Halloween without candy” followed by “Thankfully, there’s Crest + Oral B”. This is the only mention of the brands and is so much more effective than extolling the virtues of brushing teeth and avoiding candy that they’ve done in the past. As the saying goes…”if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”