Who Profits From Halloween?

Oct. 27, 2008— -- Imagine the now-famous Joe the Plumber's surprise when he was spoken to directly by the candidates in last week's third and final presidential debate. Now imagine how unsurprised he'll be each time he answers his door this Halloween and finds scores of trick-or-treaters who look just like him.

It happens every year: Someone's 15 minutes of fame happen to come in mid-October, making them an instantly popular Halloween costume. Of course, because it's an election year, there will be no shortage of Barack Obama, John McCain and Sarah Palin costumes. And retailers selling rubber masks and other topical Halloween costumes are ready to rake in the profits.

Click here to learn more about who profits from Halloween at our partner site, Forbes.com.

While it's safe to expect a Michael Phelps or two, complete with eight gold medals (even if it is a bit chilly to be wearing just a Speedo at the end of the month), Hollywood is a major driver of Halloween costume trends as well.

Teen pop icon Hannah Montana should be a popular choice, not to mention any of the characters in High School Musical. Blockbuster films The Dark Knight and Iron Man are also fueling Halloween sales, with spending expected to reach $5.77 billion, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). Total sales in 2007 were $5.07 billion.

"Hollywood has a tremendous influence over what adults, children and even pets wear on Halloween," said Tracy Mullin, president and CEO of the NRF, in a statement. While traditional costumes like witches, pirates and cats remain favorites among adults, 574,000 adults said they plan to dress up as a political figure, according to a survey conducted by NRF and BIGresearch, a market research firm.