Cult Classic 90s Fever Dream that will drive you Absolutely Fruity

The original 90s Gushers “Fruitheads” commercial has lived a wild second life online; memed, remixed, and beloved by internet culture for its surreal, slightly unsettling tone. We tapped into that organic fandom by creating a modern reboot: a cinematic horror short film directed by SNL’s Mike Diva and starring Bradley Whitford. The goal was to reignite cultural obsession, fuel PR and social conversation, and position Gushers as the most talkable brand in candy.

Campaign
FruitHead

Brand
Gushers

Year
2025

Gushers | FruitHead

The Details

  • Make Gushers the most talkable brand in candy

  • Lean into the fandom that already exists around the 90s Gushers Fruithead commercials. People say those old spots gave them nightmares, so we made their nightmares come true for Halloween

  • Earned Media

    Social Engagement

  • Over 1B earned media impressions

    8.4% lift in purchase intent

    32M social views

    3M social mentions (in one month)

    718% social reach (YOY)

    #1 brand associated with Halloween

  • Led Creative vision and strategy to reboot the iconic 90s Fruitheads commercial

    Directed cross-agency partners through concepting, production, and launch

    Oversaw development of the cinematic horror short film and social-first adaptations

    Drove PR, social, and earned-media strategy to spark cultural conversation

    Ensured alignment across cross-functional teams

Awards & Recognition

Black and white schematic illustration of a face with various facial features labeled, including eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and hair, along with general labels for face shapes and expressions.

Winner: Best Halloween Campaign of 2025, “and it wasn’t even close”

#13 on AdAge’s list of
Top campaigns of 2025

Text that reads 'ADAM WELLS'

#9 on ADWEEK’s list of
Top campaigns of 2025

Partners

The word 'IMAGINE' in large, gradient-colored letters with the word 'ENTERTAINMENT' in smaller white letters beneath it.
A young man with facial hair and multiple earrings in his ears, wearing a black baseball cap tilted to the side, and a colorful shirt, looking to his left against a blue background.
Bold text reading 'LORD DANGER' with a stylized cartoonish face with spiky hair and sunglasses.
Colorful text spelling 'MONSTERA' with each letter in a different bright color
Edelman logo with a stylized geometric design in blue and black
Text reading "The Social Lights" on a teal background.
Logo of the General Mills company featuring a large blue ampersand with a red heart at the top, alongside the words 'General Mills' in blue.

  • "This is the best advertising campaign I've ever seen. I'm going to buy all of the Gushers now."

    @LEIBFORTHBRIANJ

  • "It will be hard to top “FruitHead,” the fantastic short film from General Mills’ Gushers snacks, which has an irresistible premise"

    —AdAge

  • "Well this is a surprising spooky season treat!"

    —Variety

  • “Everything about this horror short is just absolutely phenomenal. You've gotta watch FruitHead… and look, I’m just saying. A full-length movie? I wouldn’t complain.”

    —Horror4Kids

  • “I’m obsessed. Who else is giving out gushers this Halloween?”

    @vampoppy