8 Creative and Inspiring Black Friday Campaigns
Black Friday is a highly anticipated event that marketers prepare for well in advance. Originally a one-day sale following Thanksgiving, it has since expanded, with many companies launching deals weeks ahead of the official date.
For shoppers, Black Friday is a prime opportunity to snag the best deals. According to a YouGov report, 36% of Americans plan to participate, with 60% identifying fashion as the most sought-after product category.
With countless brands running Black Friday campaigns, how can you make yours stand out?
In this blog, we explore 10 unforgettable Black Friday campaigns to inspire your own strategy and help you craft a standout promotion.
1. Walmart - Tap into popular culture
The 2000s teen comedy Mean Girls became a cultural phenomenon, and Walmart tapped into its nostalgia for a standout Black Friday campaign featuring the film’s original stars.
Designed to spark millennial nostalgia and build excitement around the upcoming Mean Girls remake, the campaign cleverly wove iconic scenes and dialogue into an ad showcasing Walmart’s Black Friday deals.
Walmart also used the campaign to promote its Walmart+ membership, offering subscribers early access—three hours ahead of the public—as a strategic move to attract younger shoppers and boost sign-ups for its subscription service.
Outcome: The campaign gained significant media coverage and was well-received by consumers, generating buzz across social media.
2. IKEA ‘Buy Back Friday’ - Promote a cause
Best known for its furniture and homewares, IKEA took a different approach to Black Friday in 2020 with its “Buy Back Friday” campaign.
As part of its commitment to becoming a circular company by 2030, IKEA used the shopping event to make a bold statement about sustainability. According to its Shorty Awards submission, the campaign aimed to reinforce the brand’s eco-friendly values.
Customers in 20 countries were invited to return unwanted IKEA furniture starting on Black Friday, receiving up to 50% of the original value in store credit. The returned items were then refurbished, displayed in stores, and resold at reduced prices.
Any unsold furniture was either donated to charity or recycled, ensuring that nothing ended up in a landfill.
Outcome: Over 61,000 items were resold, generating 1,200+ media mentions across news outlets and blogs, 4,600+ social media mentions, and a total of 88.6K+ engagements (likes, comments, and shares).
3. Nike - Reward loyalty
In 2023, Nike rolled out an early Black Friday campaign, offering exclusive discounts for its members.
The promotion featured a 25% discount at checkout with a special code, while non-members were encouraged to sign up and use a tracked code for an additional 25% off select styles.
When launched site-wide, the digital campaign leveraged AI to deliver personalized recommendations, custom product bundles based on customer behavior, and exclusive discounts for loyalty members.
Outcome: The campaign resulted in a 32% increase in sales compared to 2022.
4. Samsung - Use gamification
In 2022, Samsung Electronics Australia introduced a bold and innovative Black Friday campaign called “The Reverse Auction.”
Turning the traditional Black Friday model upside down, this campaign allowed customers to set their own price for some of Samsung’s most popular products, including TVs and smartphones.
Unlike a typical auction, each participant could place only one bid, requiring strategic thinking about the amount they were willing to pay.
A smart use of gamification, the campaign drove engagement through a “Breaking News” video series across social media, keeping audiences intrigued and invested.
Outcome: The campaign generated high engagement, with over 50,000 people registering for the auction—some securing discounts of around 50% on Samsung products.
5. Patagonia - Practice what you preach
Outdoor clothing brand Patagonia has always been committed to its mission—inspiring social responsibility and driving solutions to the environmental crisis.
In 2011, Patagonia used Black Friday to make a bold statement, running an ad in The New York Times with the headline: “Don’t Buy This Jacket.
The campaign aimed to raise awareness in a bold, unmistakable way, urging people to read the full ad and take the Common Threads Initiative pledge. This initiative encouraged consumers to buy only what they need, repair what breaks, and reuse or recycle everything else.
Outcome: While this approach might have seemed risky, European Marketing Director Jonathan Petty told Marketing Week that it helped build a loyal community that values Patagonia’s mission.
“Our customers expect very high quality, which is why they keep coming back to us. At the same time, we help consumers make more mindful choices by encouraging them to shop more responsibly.”
6. Gymshark - Be creative
Fitness brand Gymshark has built a highly active and engaged community on Instagram, making it the perfect platform to promote its 2018 Black Friday campaign.
Known for its bright, high-exposure photography that creates an aspirational aesthetic, Gymshark took a bold, unexpected approach—blacking out its imagery to grab attention and put the “Black” in Black Friday.
The “Black Out” campaign showcased models wearing Gymshark’s Black Friday exclusive products, along with user-generated content from fans. To maximize impact, the brand used a mix of Instagram ads, including stories, carousels, and dynamic ads, running them alongside organic content.
Outcome: According to Marketing Week, the campaign reached 16.4 million people and delivered an impressive 6.6:1 return on ad spend.
7. Glossier - Make it exclusive
Beauty brand Glossier leverages Black Friday for its only sale of the year, typically running through Cyber Monday.
This strategy creates a sense of exclusivity and urgency, drawing in and engaging loyal fans. The brand usually offers 25% off sitewide and 35% off gift sets.
To enhance the excitement, Glossier releases and promotes new, limited-edition sets that are only available during the sale.
Outcome: According to Bloomberg, Glossier’s Black Friday sales continue to grow year over year. In 2020, sales during the Black Friday week were 10% higher than in the same period in 2019.
8. . Amazon - Build anticipation
The eCommerce giant Amazon has mastered Black Friday, offering an extensive range of deals across its vast marketplace to cater to every shopper.
To build excitement, Amazon runs countdowns leading up to its week-long Black Friday promotions. Each day, a new deal is revealed, encouraging customers to return daily for the latest offers.
Amazon employs an omnichannel strategy, reaching consumers across multiple platforms. It leverages TV ads to attract shoppers and promote its Black Friday deals, such as its 2023 campaign featuring a yeti.
Outcome: According to DigitalCommerce 360, customers purchased over 1 billion items on Amazon during the 2023 Black Friday season, with more than 500 million coming from independent sellers.
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