Temptations Cat Treats Honors Halloween With First “Horror Movie for Cats”

Temptations, the pillow-shaped cat treats, have releasd Scaredy Cat to YouTube. The video, which runs just over four minutes long, is characterized as the “world’s first horror movie for cats.” As funny as that sounds — the video, which you can see below, features CG cats facing off against rain, lightning, and other things that go bump in the night at an old, creaky house — is actually the continuation of a long-standing tradition. Back in 1999, Whiskas (who make the Temptations treats) made what they referred to as the first-ever TV ad for cats. It featured a series of colorful clips including obvious cat “bait” like fish.

Unsurprisingly, the current spot has done gangbusters on social media. After all, what is there to Facebook and Twitter except funny cat videos?

You can check it out below.

The Halloween-themed ad campaign comes at a time when live-TV viewership is down almost across the board, making it more important than ever for brands to make a splash — especially with their virtual advertising, where more people are likely to encounter it.

Of course, horror fans are starved for any kind of content they can get in a year where movie theaters are mostly closed and it’s not entirely clear whether anybody will be able to trick-or-treat on Halloween. Not that Scaredy Cat qualifies as a “real” horror release, but it’s a fun few minutes that plays with genre tropes, and if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that beggars can’t be choosers.

Corporate America is already adjusting; Reese’s, sensing an opportunity to grab some viral love, is apparently developing an automated trick-or-treat delivery system. A portable door that will travel to neighborhoods around the U.S., the Bluetooth-controlled contraption will be activated by hearing “trick or treat” and will respond by vending a King-Sized package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. No cats allowed, presumably, although it might be fun to see them attempt it.

You can check out an Instagram post below with the movie’s official synopsis: