BelOrta turns hail-damaged pears into ‘VamPears’ for Halloween

Campaign turns a problem into an opportunity by marketing hail-damaged pears as special Halloween pears

25-9-2026

This Halloween season, Belgian fruit and vegetable cooperative BelOrta is marketing pears under the name ‘VamPeren’ (VamPears) that sustained visible damage during the hailstorms at the end of May. With eye-catching Halloween packaging, BelOrta is putting these pears in the spotlight in an original way.

The hailstorms at the end of May left clear marks in many Belgian orchards. In some areas, the damage was considerable and part of the crop was even lost. Other pears remained perfectly sound in terms of taste and quality, but developed small blemishes on the skin.

With ‘VamPeren’, BelOrta has chosen not to hide these visual imperfections, but to turn them into a positive story. The many hours of sunshine in July and August also resulted in a pleasantly sweet flavour. Beneath the skin, it is still the familiar pear: juicy, sweet and full of flavour.

From hail mark to ‘VamPeer’

Around Halloween, the pears are temporarily given special packaging and become ‘VamPeren’. The visible marks and scars fit surprisingly well with the Halloween theme. What would normally be regarded as a cosmetic imperfection thus becomes a distinctive part of the campaign.

A QR code on the packaging allows consumers to discover how an ordinary pear becomes a ‘VamPeer’. The campaign explains how hail can leave marks on the skin while the fruit is growing, while the flesh and flavour remain unaffected.

The campaign reflects a broader idea: fruit does not have to look completely flawless to taste good. By giving fruit with visible, purely cosmetic damage a proper market outlet, BelOrta aims to prevent perfectly edible fruit from going to waste. At the same time, the campaign helps affected growers retain as much value as possible from their crop.