13 Most Notable Black Friday Campaigns of 2023
In 2023, Shopify merchants broke Black Friday and Cyber Monday records, generating $9.3 billion in sales . With the most exciting shopping season of the year approaching, it’s time to start planning your Black Friday marketing campaigns now to make sure you don’t miss out on this year’s opportunity. Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is an exciting prelude to the holiday shopping season, giving consumers a chance to take advantage of the long weekend’s great deals, plan their gift plans in advance, or buy something special for themselves. Despite the stress and competition that comes with preparing for this sales period, the rewards for businesses who strategically execute their BFCM campaigns are huge. Here are some of the most creative Black Friday marketing campaigns we’ve seen.
1. Random discount codes for 22 Days Nutrition
22 Days Nutrition ’s Black Friday email provided each shopper with a unique discount code. Popular supplement brand 22 Days Nutrition went one step further to make Black Friday even more fun. The brand provided each subscriber with a unique discount code that offered a randomly generated discount of between 20% and 50%.
Brands have seen an increase in web traffic as shoppers become more curious to find out what discounts they are “earning.”
2. Sugarbones' Mystery Box
Cheyenne Federiconi has always loved creating. She started selling commissioned video game inspired artworks as a child. However, it was while attending art school that she discovered her artistic style. Her style was a feminine aesthetic with an empowering message.
“Pink, sparkly, girly designs are always perceived as weak or weak,” says Cheyenne. “So I combined that aesthetic with different themes and characters to create a dynamic that felt empowering.”
Breaking the stereotype of the starving artist, Cheyenne turned her talent into a business. Under the name Sugarbones , she initially made money by printing her designs on stickers, later expanding her business to include enamel pins, patches, accessories, and clothing.
Cheyenne sees BFCM as a time to have a little fun with Sugarbones customers, and her campaigns often utilize surprise and mystery.
“During BFCM, we will be adding a bonus sticker or small art print to every order,” says Cheyenne.
The prize that opens her door is a mystery box containing several pins, patches, and stickers.
“Ordering a mystery box is like receiving a gift without knowing what’s inside, which is exciting for people who like surprises,” says Cheyenne. “It’s also a great way to clear inventory without having to discount the entire store.”
Sugarbones’ BFCM campaign is built around fun and excitement, but Cheyenne works hard to make sure the campaign runs smoothly. As the sole owner and operator of the business, she carries a lot of responsibility.
To prepare for BFCM and the busy holiday season, Cheyenne prepares inventory at least a month in advance and completes all email and social media marketing materials a week in advance.
3. Tentree's Green Friday Campaign
Founded in 2012, Tentree is a clothing company that pledges to plant 10 trees for every item sold. Inspired by hiking and surfing, Canadians Dave Luba and Kalen Emsley founded Tentree to find ways to preserve nature.
At first, Tentree was hesitant about participating in Black Friday and Cyber Monday. “We didn’t want to avoid the negative effects of consumerism and encourage the sale of things we didn’t need,” says Shawn McIntyre, Tentree’s former eCommerce manager. Tentree’s Green Friday campaign is one of several small business Black Friday campaigns that aim to promote sustainable practices during the consumer event.
Shawn says, “We looked at our company, our mission, our products, and realized there was a huge opportunity to promote our purpose and make a difference during the busiest shopping period.” The team set a goal of planting one million trees through BFCM sales this year, doubling their goal from last year.
During the Green Friday campaign, Tentree will offer site-wide discounts along with additional daily promotions such as mystery bonus gifts, new product launches, and free shipping.
To reward its best customers, Tentree also offers early access and exclusive deals. Green Friday and other promotions are announced through a Black Friday email campaign that shows the number of trees planted in real time. The campaign is also advertised on social media.
Tentree’s primary goal is to raise awareness. To do this, they provide customers with a unique code that allows them to track the location of the tree they plant. From Madagascar to Haiti to Nepal, Tentree has successfully aligned Black Friday and Cyber Monday with their mission statement to plant the seeds of change.
4. Wallack's Customer Retention Campaign
The Wallack name is synonymous with art in Canada’s capital, Ottawa. This Ottawa art store and gallery has been around for over 80 years, and its legacy is now being continued by Michael Wallack, chairman and third-generation owner.
When Wallack's opened an e-commerce store, artists from far away could purchase items and browse the store's inventory.
“When artists are inspired, they want to decide on the materials or colors they need to complete their project, so our website is a useful place for planning and inspiration,” says Michael.
Wallack's offers discounts on items that most customers can benefit from during the BFCM sale.
Wallack's initially got into it to compete with American art suppliers and Canadian companies that had adopted the Black Friday Cyber Monday sales period. Now the main motivation is to provide benefits to lifelong customers.
Michael emphasizes that the company’s 12-month planning cycle is key to building a Black Friday e-commerce promotion that must align with profitability, inventory, and most importantly, customer demand.
“This period is an opportunity to help customers replenish their stock at better prices. We don’t see it as a way to acquire new customers, but rather as a way to give them the deals they need,” says Michael.
Wallack's is looking to discount items that will appeal to the most customers during its Black Friday Cyber Monday campaign.
In previous years, customers have enjoyed Black Friday sales on supplies and materials that need to be replenished frequently, such as oil paints and acrylic paints. Wallack's campaigns, which focus on servicing and selling to existing customers, are typically delivered through the website, email list, and social accounts. By approaching Black Friday Cyber Monday in their own way and putting artists first, Wallack's campaigns will continue to expand that legacy.
5. Barnes & Noble's #BNSignedEditions Campaign
Barnes & Noble has always been a trendsetter when it comes to Black Friday. In order to shun the traditional discount frenzy during the holiday shopping event, they decided to do something unique within the industry. Instead of slashing prices, the brand released over 500,000 autographed books from best-selling authors as part of their Black Friday campaign. In fact, the campaign was so popular that it contributed to Barnes & Noble’s most successful holiday season to date.
The brand has promoted signed editions of many authors, including Lee Child, Rupi Kaur, Nick Offerman, and Reese Witherspoon, a promotion that continues to this day .
6. Gymshark's Black Friday Wishlist Guide
Clothing and accessories are some of the most popular product categories on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Gymshark knows their products are popular, so they’ve put together a detailed guide to help shoppers make the most of Black Friday deals.
In addition to outlining the discounts shoppers can expect, Gymshark has included a step-by-step guide on how to create a wishlist to take advantage of the best deals.
7. Lush's Limited Edition Orangutan Soap
Black Friday is a great time to stand out from the crowd and share your brand values. Lush took advantage of this during Black Friday a few years ago. The skincare brand released a limited edition soap shaped like an orangutan to help the planet.
Every penny from the campaign went to Orangutan SOS and the Information Centre to raise awareness of how close orangutans are to extinction. Lush produced exactly 14,600 bars of soap over the Black Friday weekend, reflecting the number of Sumatran orangutans left in the wild.
8. Patagonia's “Don't Buy This Jacket” Campaign
Outdoor brand Patagonia is well known for its commitment to sustainability. Along with its Worn Wear campaign, which allows customers to repair their items for free, the brand launched a “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign for Black Friday. In contrast to the usual trend of slashing prices and offering huge discounts, the brand actively encouraged customers not to buy anything.
The aim of the campaign was to get customers thinking about consumerism and its impact on the planet, with the ultimate goal being to encourage people to reduce, reuse and repair the things they already own, rather than simply buying more.
9. Cards Against Humanity's Anti-Black Friday Campaign
Cards Against Humanity is another brand that’s bucking the traditional Black Friday trend. Like Patagonia and Lush, the card company is using the shopping holiday to promote values and highlight the impact of consumerism.
Instead of lowering prices, the brand raised them. This isn’t the first time Cards Against Humanity has taken advantage of traditional marketing trends on Black Friday. In a previous campaign, customers were asked to “buy nothing” for $5, while in another campaign, the brand slashed prices by a whopping 99 percent.
10. Cartier's Extended Return Policy
Luxury jewelry brand Cartier is so confident that customers will love its products that it has extended its Black Friday return period to three months. Shoppers who took advantage of the brand’s holiday discounts were able to return unwanted items until January 15, a gesture of goodwill intended to reassure hesitant shoppers.
Having a good return policy is a great way to convince new customers to try your products during events like Black Friday.
11. Free Shipping at Sephora
Like Cartier, Sephora wanted to remove barriers for potential customers. During its annual Black Friday event, the beauty brand offers free shipping all weekend and up to 50% off everything in the store. Adding incentives like these is a great way to attract new shoppers and leverage the power of impulse buying.
12. Polysleep's fake "leaked email" campaign
In 2016, Jeremiah Curvers suffered a double herniated disc in his lower back during a golf tournament, which left him bedridden for three months. He spent his recovery period researching mattresses that would provide better support and comfort.
His quest connected him with major foam manufacturers in the mattress industry, eventually inspiring him to found Polysleep, a foam mattress company based in Montreal, Canada.
“The hybrid foam we use is more breathable, and the construction provides more support all the way to the edges,” he says. Jeremiah also cites Polysleep’s competitive pricing as a differentiator, an advantage he says he’s earned by working closely with suppliers and maintaining low margins.
For Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Jeremiah takes a creative approach to his campaigns. One year, the Polysleep team created fake “leaked” emails to give their email subscribers information about upcoming sales.
Many subscribers participated in the sale, and many forwarded the email to friends and family who needed a new mattress. Jeremiah explains that the sale had a domino effect.
“After seeing that email, a lot of people started interacting with the brand on a more personal level because it took away the corporate veil and showed people the personality of Polysleep.”
13. Glossier's only year-round sale campaign
Black Friday is an anticipated shopping event for even the most reserved shoppers, and the anticipation can be even greater when discounts are rare.
For Glossier customers, Black Friday is the only time of year when beauty products are on sale. Dubbed “The Only Sale of the Year,” Glossier’s Black Friday campaign creates a sense of urgency and scarcity to encourage shoppers to make the most of the annual event.
Get ready for the ultimate BFCM
The strategies highlighted above are unique to each merchant, but the idea is that they all have one thing in common: running a campaign that resonates with your customers. Setting goals and devising a unique approach to Black Friday and Cyber Monday is essential to connecting with your target audience.
We hope this story of creative Black Friday Cyber Monday campaigns will give you some ideas for your business. To be more prepared, check out our 25 things to check in our Black Friday Cyber Monday preparation list and start planning for 2024.
Black Friday Campaign FAQs
What is the Black Friday Campaign?
A Black Friday campaign is a marketing strategy implemented by businesses to promote special offers, discounts, and deals on products or services during the Black Friday shopping period. It usually involves attracting customers and promoting sales through various tactics such as attractive advertising, email marketing, and Black Friday social media campaigns.
What Should a Good Black Friday Campaign Include?
A good Black Friday campaign should have several key elements:
- Clear and compelling offer : Your campaign should offer an attractive discount or exclusive deal that will grab your potential customers’ attention.
- Creative, eye-catching visuals : High-quality images or videos that showcase the products or services you offer can help grab shoppers' attention.
- Effective Marketing Channels : Leveraging multiple marketing channels like email, social media, and search ads will help you reach a wider audience and maximize your campaign visibility.
- Limited-time offers : Create a sense of urgency by setting a specific time limit for your campaign, which will encourage customers to make a purchase decision quickly.
- Seamless User Experience : Make the purchasing process seamless and user-friendly to prevent cart abandonment and increase conversions.
How to create a Black Friday campaign on Shopify?
To create a Black Friday campaign on Shopify, follow these steps:
- Plan what you'll offer : Decide what discounts or deals you'll offer during your campaign.
- Promotional Materials Design : Create compelling banners, graphics, and product images that showcase the benefits you offer.
- Set up a discount : Use Shopify's discounts feature to apply Black Friday offers to specific products or collections.
- Customize your store : Modify your store’s theme to fit your Black Friday campaign. This can include updating your homepage, adding a countdown timer, and creating a dedicated Black Friday landing page.
- Create a sense of urgency : Use limited-time offers, countdown timers, and apps or plugins that show inventory status to encourage customers to buy quickly.
- Optimize your checkout process : Streamline your checkout process, offer multiple payment options, and provide clear shipping and returns policies to ensure a seamless checkout experience.
- Promote your campaign : Leverage a variety of marketing channels, such as email marketing, social media, and paid advertising, to reach your target audience and drive traffic to your Shopify store.
How do you promote Black Friday on social media?
To effectively promote Black Friday on social media, consider these strategies:
- Plan your content : Create a content calendar of posts you want to share before and after Black Friday.
- Tease your offer : Build anticipation among your followers by teasing your Black Friday deals in advance.
- Use hashtags : Use relevant hashtags like #BlackFriday, #Deals, and #Sale to increase the visibility of your posts and reach a wider audience.
- Connect with your audience : Respond quickly to comments, messages, and inquiries to build trust and encourage interaction with your brand.
- Run social media ads : Use paid ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to target specific demographics and promote your Black Friday deals.
- Partner with an influencer : Partner with an influencer or brand ambassador to promote your Black Friday campaign to their followers and leverage their influence and reach.
- Create Shareable Content : Develop engaging, shareable content like videos, infographics, and user-generated content to help your audience spread the word about your Black Friday deals.