Mall Rats Holiday
Bringing Mall Rats back for Christmas as a creator-led whodunit set inside Hot Topic stores, starring an animatronic Santa with secrets.
11M+
VIEWS
+7%
PREFERENCE LIFT
19%
AD RECALL
+6%
UNPROMPTED AWARENESS
Background
After Mall Rats’ Halloween breakout, Hot Topic wanted to prove the IP could work year-round and own the cultural moments that matter most to Gen Z, starting with the Holidays.
Challenge
Keep the Mall Rats momentum going with a Christmas story that felt distinctly Hot Topic. Edgy, creator-led, and a world away from every other sparkly retail ad in December.
Solution
Mall Rats returned for Christmas: a creator-led whodunit set in-store, centred around an animatronic Santa and a cast of suspects with perfectly-rehearsed alibis.
TLDR;
A creator-led Christmas whodunit, shot in malls, built for social and Gen Z.
