Angry Birds, Progressive's 'Flo' Are Hijacking Halloween

We've all encountered at least one M&M or Energizer Bunny in the history of trick-or-treating and Halloween parties. But this year, one marketer, Progressive , is doing everything in its power to make sure you run into someone dressed as its leading lady Flo this year. While the beloved red-lipsticked Flo has starred in the insurance company's TV commercials for years, Progressive has painstakingly outlined the 10 steps to dress like Flo for Halloween. It also links to the official costume on sale at Amazon for $29.95. Progressive is promoting a #DressLikeFlo hashtag on Twitter and has built a section on its website dedicated to videos on how to dress like her with, "I [heart] Insurance" and nametag printouts and a check list. It even links to the exact shade of Mac lipstick and navy-blue Converse sneakers to wear. So far, at least a dozen pictures of people in Flo costumes have been posted to her Facebook page. On Friday afternoon, red, yellow and black Angry Birds were the No. 2, 4 and 10 best-selling costumes, respectively on Amazon. Flo was No. 7. A child-sized Buzz Lightyear from "Toy Story" topped the list. So what other brand-y costumes can we expect this Halloween? Well, Ad Age is betting those ladies that have set their sights on Flo and religiously insist on couple costumes will force their dudes into Allstate Mr. Mayhem get-ups. (This could be resurgence for that havoc-wrecking pitchman, who was a write-in during the National Retail Federation's Halloween survey last year. Sorry Cavemen.) If volume on Amazon is any indicator, Angry Birds -- both the birds in any color and the green pigs -- will likely also show up at your door this Halloween. So might Jersey Shore's The Situation, the cast of "Pan Am" and Steve Jobs. In some circles, we may find blast-from-the-past Mac and PC guys accompanying the Apple cofounder. Sure to top the list of the scariest brand mascot costume this year: the Kia Hamsters. What's Ad Age 's personal brand costume favorite? The Heinz family! There's Sexy Ketchup, Mustard Man and, even, something for baby.

Angry Birds, Progressive's 'Flo' Are Hijacking Halloween

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