The Halloween Lagniappe

I bought more Halloween candy than we'll have trick or treaters. A lot more.

Not for snacking on November 1, but for the Halloween lagniappe.

 

A lagniappe is what my friends in New Orleans call a small surprise gift that a merchant adds to a customer's purchase. Think "baker's dozen" = 13.

In that spirit, when a pint-sized superhero, princess, or Hogwart's student rings our bell and greets me with "trick or treat" when I open the door, I'll give them a piece of candy.

That's when I'll start having fun. With the lagniappe. As I do every Halloween.

"That's a great costume," I say. "I think you deserve another piece of candy."

And plop, another piece of candy goes into their goodie bag and is greeted with a big smile ... often behind a mask ... but I can see it in their eyes. "Uh. Wow. Thanks, mister." often follows.

"Have a few more," I say as I put three or four more pieces in their bag.

That usually gets a wide-eyed look of surprise and joy as they realize they've hit the motherload of the annual knock-on-doors-and-get-candy scam.

Sometimes when they scamper across the front yard to a waiting and waving parent, I yell, "Wait a minute." And when they stop and turn around, I challenge them: "Can you catch this in your bag?" and toss them an other piece of candy. 

They're happy even if they don't catch it and have to pick it up. Ecstatic when they position the bag properly for a catch.

When I was a kid, the big hit was the house that was giving out full-size chocolate bars.

I think a bunch of small chocolate bars is better. Seems like a bigger haul.

I hope trick or treaters in this millennium feel the same. 

Either way, I'll know they'll be having fun.

Maybe as much as I'll be having.

________________________

But this is a blog for marketing writers. 

And I do have something more on point.

Just sometimes I need to recharge by writing something just for the joy of writing. Such as writing about giving candy to diminutive Captain Americas, Moanas, and Harry Potters.

So, back to marketing writing:

Please, please, please as we approach Halloween, exercise your creative muscle and avoid overused words, phrases, and puns like:

Spook-tacular

Monster Deals

Frightfully Good (and its cousins Horrifyingly Good and Spooky Good)

Spook-tober

Treat Yourself

Eerie-sistable 

Boo-tiful 

You will not stand out (and thus not get attention or generate curiosity) using them ... especially in tired old headlines and email subject lines such as:

Trick & Treat Your Way to a Bargain This Halloween

Get These Spooky Deals Before They Ghost

Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun 

Treat Yourself This Halloween with Our Spooktacular Offers

Witch-ing  You a Happy Halloween

No Tricks, Just Treats 

NOTE: I give you permission to use "Trick or Cheese." Once. In an applicable spot. But don't let anyone know I had anything to do with it.