Reese's Created a Roving, Remote-Controlled Door to Help Make Trick-or-Treating Safer This Halloween

With the COVID-19 pandemic still in full force, this year’s Halloween celebrations will look significantly different than they did in 2019. Trick-or-treating, specifically, is problematic as attempting to visit as many neighbors as possible in a single night is pretty much the opposite of staying “bubbled.” But major candy brands are doing what they can to keep the Halloween spirit alive with interesting interpretations on how to make trick-or-treating coronavirus-friendly.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are a Halloween favorite, and for 2020, the always inventive brand is introducing an over-the-top new candy delivery system: the Reese’s Trick- or-Treat Door. This robotic door uses voice-recognition technology to deliver candy hands-free. When the remote-controlled, nine-foot-tall front door (lamps and all!) uses its three motors to lumber your way, simply say “trick-or-treat,” and a Bluetooth speaker should know it’s time to spit out a king-size Reese’s candy bar via a retractable shelf in the mail slot.

But as magical as this door may be, it ain’t Santa Claus, meaning it won’t be able to stop by every kid’s neighborhood. Instead, Reese’s will decide where the door will land via Instagram: The brand wants interested parties to explain why the door should visit their town, tagging the posts with @Reeses and using the hashtag #ReesesDoor.

Sour Patch Kids is another candy brand looking to bring the goods directly to trick-or-treaters. As part of their “reverse trick-or-treating” campaign, the pucker-worthy candy plans to make deliveries to families’ doorsteps in a dozen cities—with packages including both Sour Patch Kids Zombies candy and Sour Patch Kids toilet paper so you can T.P. your own house to show your love of sour.

And not above a motorized gimmick, Sour Patch Kids will also be arriving in one area with a massive mobile jack-o-lantern. Again, if you want these freebies delivered to your door, Sour Patch Kids wants you to suggest your city via Instagram by going to @sourpatchkids.

Meanwhile, though fancy delivery vehicles may be cool, Mars Wrigley is using technology to stay even more socially-distanced. Earlier this month, the massive candy maker unveiled “Treat Town”—a trick-or-treating app. And despite its digital setup, this Town can result in real candy: Users looking to hand out candy at their virtual door can purchase candy credits; then when friends and family come electronically knocking, these credits can be handed out and then used to get real candy in online or brick-and-mortar stores. Because in the end, trick-or-treating may be fun, but it’s really the candy that counts.