DDB Life Style Study Discovers Halloween is Not Just For Kids

NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the DDB Life Style Study^® - the nation's longest running and largest longitudinal study of attitudes and behaviors, conducted annually since 1975 - 67% of American adults believe that Halloween is not just for kids.  In fact, for 13% of American adults, ages 18 – 44, Halloween is their favorite holiday – and the majority of these Halloween lovers do not even have children.

When many American adults think back to their childhood, they remember Halloween as a holiday that was primarily for children. Over time, however, the holiday has increasingly become one celebrated by adults too. 

"People who say Halloween is their favorite holiday feel like they are under a great deal of pressure most of the time in their lives," says Denise Delahorne, SVP, Group Strategy Director at DDB Worldwide, "and they are significantly more likely than others to say they love outrageous people and things. So, it is easy to see why the chance to suspend reality – even if just for a few hours by dressing up, decorating, and indulging in the tricks and treats of the holiday -- is very appealing."

While everyone seems to enjoy the icons of Halloween as part of the day's fun, such as ghosts, witches, and vampires, those for who hold Halloween as their favorite holiday have a slightly different perspective on these things. As it turns out, Halloween lovers are far more likely than others to believe in ghosts, witches, and vampires. In fact, 66% of Halloween lovers believe in ghosts, 33% claim to have actually seen a ghost, 41% believe in witches, 19% believe in vampires and werewolves, and 28% believe people can really put a curse on you that works.

What is it about Halloween lovers that cause them to think so differently than the mainstream about these things? "They tend to be people who are more "right-brain" thinkers and have good imaginations," says Delahorne. And, it should come as no surprise that Halloween Lovers are significantly bigger believers than everybody else in many other "mystical" things including psychics, astrology, seances, extraterrestrials, reincarnation, and even UFOs (which they are twice as likely to claim they have seen versus others).

To be fair, it isn't just the Halloween lovers who believe in ghosts. In fact, 43% of Americans believe in ghosts. So while the majority of us will enjoy the ghosts and witches that we see on Halloween, and think of them as part of the festivities and make believe, for some among us, it might just be another ordinary – albeit spooky — day.

About DDB

DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc (www.ddb.com) ranks among the top five consolidated advertising and marketing services global networks, according to Advertising Age. DDB emphasizes Social Creativity to grow the value and influence of brands around the world by creating ideas that people want to play with, participate in and pass along. The agency is consistently one of the most awarded at the Cannes Festival of Creativity and was recognized by The Gunn Report as one of the Top 3 Global Networks for 10 of the last 12 years. DDB was also recently named the Spikes Asia Network of the Year for the second consecutive year and the Eurobest Network of the Year for the third consecutive year. DDB Worldwide is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC) and consists of more than 200 offices in over 90 countries.

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SOURCE DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc.