Boo! Halloween hits stores

Target stores have quickly transitioned to Halloween from back-to-school, and a centerpiece of this year’s seasonal presentation is the fast-growing lifestyle brand Skelanimals. According to Target, the Skelanimals brand’s unique mix of fashion savvy, adorable characters and dark humor has made it an international sensation, particularly among teens and tweens. The brand has recorded triple-digit sales increases year over year since its launch in fall 2006, according to Target.

To capitalize on the surging popularity during what should be a solid Halloween season due to the fact that it falls on Saturday, Target store nationwide will feature Skelanimal shops filled with paper party goods, costumes, accessories, treat bags, candy, plush items, toys, home decor, and girls’ apparel and fashion accessories.

As part of the program, two new Skelanimal characters were created -- Timmy the Spider and Oliver the Owl -- that will be supported by a media campaign to showcase the Skelanimals’ first CGI animated short film, which will be shown on Target in-store channels and the Skelanimals microsite at www.Target.com. In conjunction with the promotion Family Force 5 will be releasing an exclusive CD titled “Keep the Party Alive” featuring the animated short and bonus audio tracks.