Do you have unused annual leave? WeRoad and agency, Dude London, have a Halloween horror story for you, the story of HR, the Horror Reaper.

Holiday Reaper is a humorous yet thought-provoking campaign that sheds light on the alarming reality of lost annual leave. As it’s the time of year where HR departments around the country are preparing for their annual ‘use it or lose it’ email to remind their people to take their remaining holiday allocation.

DUDE London created the campaign in the guise of a horror film trailer. Holiday Reaper features a monstrous entity that thrives on unclaimed leave. The protagonist, Sophie, faces the terrifying consequences of neglecting her annual leave, including endless work hours and the monotony of office life. Of course, while WeRoad has seized the Halloween moment to remind workers of the importance of using their vacation days, it is also positioning itself as the essential getaway provider needed before it’s too late. 

In 2022 and 2023, less than 40% of the UK workforce took all of their annual leave allowance.  In a recent survey, WeRoad found that a significant portion of workers are unclear about their company’s policies regarding unused vacation days, potentially leading to lost holiday time and increased workplace stress.

Key findings include:

• Half of those surveyed (50%) reported that they could carry over only some of their unused days.
• More than a quarter (26%) said their unused annual leave would expire completely.

The full campaign also features wild posters in sites around London and Manchester.

Justyna Chlopecka, marketing manager at WeRoad UK, commented, “We wanted to tap into that deliciously retro ‘80s horror vibe for this campaign. You know those classic slasher films where teenagers make questionable decisions? Well, not using your holiday allowance is basically the workplace equivalent. Our Holiday Reaper campaign channels the classic ‘80s horror movie, but instead of running from a masked killer, our protagonist is running from the scariest thing of all – watching their annual leave vanish into the void. It’s a tongue-in-cheek way to remind people that letting your holidays slip away is scarier than any ‘80s horror movie monster.”

Tomás Gianelli O’Ryan, creative director, DUDE London, added, “When we discovered how many annual leave days were going unused each year, we were truly horrified. So, we asked ourselves: what would happen if we made this fact even more horrifying? Based on a true story (not from DUDE London, of course), this campaign taps into that familiar year-end email from HR asking us to ‘use it or lose it;. We hope The Holiday Reaper scares people enough to go OOO before it’s too late.”

Credits
Client: WeRoad
Chief Marketing Officer: Fabio Bin 
Global Head of Brand: Margherita Galluzzo
Marketing Manager UK: Justyna Chlopecka
WeRoad Creative Team: Lorenzo Sala, Anna Harvey, Eugenio Guidi

Creative Agency: DUDE
Executive Creative Director: Curro Piqueras Parra
Creative Director: Tomás Gianelli O’Ryan
Creatives: Joe Ribton & Sophie Becker
Client Director: Hamish Day
Senior Account Manager: Adriana Sabia
Head of Production: Francesca Granata
Production Company: Spindle
Director: LIAKH
Executive Producer: Mayling Wong
Producers: Phelan Moeller & Edwin Brawn 
Director’s Assistant: Sophia Kawyani
1st AD: Paolo De Battista
2nd AD: Hollie Burton 
DOP: Adam Barnett
1st AC: Lydia Stott

Editing: Tim Swaby
Grade: Company 3
Colourist: Dominic Phipps
Grade Producer: Kerri Aungle

Sound House: Brother Music
Sound Designer: Hugo Ellingham

VFX: B.art