MTR Malls brings spooky fun to THE SOUTHSIDE

MTR Malls has partnered with Havas Hong Kong to create a Halloween experience at THE SOUTHSIDE, a lifestyle and cultural landmark in Hong Kong Island South.

This comes as MTR Malls has united its five shopping destinations, including THE SOUTHSIDE, The Wai, Maritime Square, PopCorn and The LOHAS, delivering four distinct Halloween themes across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories.

For this year's Halloween activation, Havas Hong Kong crafted a creative concept centred around the unsettling notion of toys gone wrong. Havas Hong Kong is entrusted with bringing THE SOUTHSIDE's chapter to life, developing the "TOYrifying" creative concept that transforms the Hong Kong Island South lifestyle landmark into a playground of playful terror.

Running until 1 November, the campaign targets young urban consumers and families seeking unique, shareable Halloween experiences in Hong Kong. It aims to position THE SOUTHSIDE as a must-visit Halloween destination, blending playful frights with unexpected delights. The campaign is designed to create an immersive experience that captures the spirit of Halloween, encourages social sharing, and draws crowds for a season of memorable moments.

The character roster includes a menacing purple-and-orange bear with signature terrifying eyes, a mischievous clown peering from a cluttered toy box, and an array of darkly reimagined figures including a sinister doll, a haunted robot, a stitched creature, and a ghostly duckling. Each character was meticulously designed to strike the perfect balance between playful and eerie, appealing to Halloween revelers seeking thrills without excessive frights. 

Regine Tsui, general manager, Havas Creative Hong Kong, said: "THE TOYrifying SOUTHSIDE showcases our concepts that are both visually arresting and strategically aligned with a broader brand initiative. Working within MTR Malls' ambitious cross-mall framework, we wanted to deliver something that feels distinctly 'SOUTHSIDE' - sophisticated yet playful, familiar yet surprising. The twisted toy concept taps into universal nostalgia while offering the Instagram-worthy moments today's consumers crave."

Beyond the mall activations, Havas Hong Kong also extended the campaign's visual identity “on-the-go". The out-of-home executions bring the "TOYrifying" characters directly to commuters, with the sinister toys peering through train windows and inviting passengers to "Play with me!" - creating an immersive journey that begins the moment riders board the train to Wong Chuk Hang. 

Beyond THE SOUTHSIDE, four other MTR Malls are joining the festive vibes with their own distinctive themes, bringing different kinds of spooky fun along the ride - including "HalloWAI x Hong Kong Ghost Stories" at The Wai, " Halloween Lost in Space" at Maritime Square, " Spook-tacular Dance Party" at PopCorn and “Zombie Fun Hub” at The LOHAS.

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