In a marketer’s calendar, few dates can compare to Black Friday, the biggest sale of the year marking the beginning of the holiday shopping season. That’s why, on Black Friday, all retailers hold large-scale marketing campaigns trying to outshine the competitors and win the audience’s hearts.
Sometimes it’s hard to come up with creative Black Friday ideas. This year, we’ve got you covered! In this article, we have collected examples of the best Black Friday campaigns from both big and small brands to make sure there is something that businesses of any size can learn from.
The best Black Friday campaigns of all time
Let’s take a look at the most creative and attention-grabbing examples of Black Friday marketing.
Reverse auction by Samsung
About the company: Samsung is a South Korean multinational major appliance and consumer electronics corporation.
The 2022 campaign: On Black Friday, customers anticipate big discounts and are willing to spend money on things they have been eyeing for a while, particularly electronics. Last year in Australia, Samsung came up with the Reverse Auction to encourage people to make up their minds. Bidding started at full retail price and continued to decrease until either all available items were bid for or the price reached $1.
The campaign was promoted through a series of videos that portrayed the Reverse Auction as a breaking news story on TV. While most auction items were known beforehand, the brand included mystery products revealed only on the day.
The exciting shopping experience drew over 50,000 customers who purchased products at nearly 50% below the recommended retail prices.
Key takeaway
Use dynamic pricing + urgency to keep people glued to your campaign and nudge indecisive shoppers into action.
How to adapt this for your brand
If a full-blown auction is too complex for your brand, run a “price countdown” sale. Announce in email that selected products will drop in price every X hours during Black Friday until they sell out.
You can do it in Selzy using our automation:
- Send a teaser email with the schedule.
- Schedule reminder campaigns before each drop.
- Segment and resend to non-openers/non-clickers with a slightly tweaked subject line.
#BlackOwnedFriday by Google
About the company: Google is an American multinational search engine company.
The 2020-2022 campaigns: In 2020, Google launched a special Black Friday campaign to support and draw attention to black-owned businesses and shops during the holiday season amidst the pandemic.
Google invited Wyclef Jean and Ari Lennox to write jingles for local Black-Owned businesses they loved. The music pieces were later transformed into animated videos and Spotify tracks. As the word spread, more and more people on social media shared their favorite places, leading to half a billion media impressions.
But the main highlight of the campaign was the debut of the Black-owned badge on Google Search and Maps. Now, businesses could add the Black-owned badge to their Business Profile, and other people could easily find them through searches like “Black-owned shops” or “Black-owned restaurants.”
What makes #BlackOwnedFriday rather unique is that the campaign was repeated a year later and then again the following year, and who knows, we might see a new one this year, too.
Both in 2021 and 2022, Google again invited Black artists to create music videos, except this time, they were interactive, allowing viewers to buy whatever they saw on screen.
Key takeaway
Turn your Black Friday campaign into a platform for others: spotlight partners, causes or businesses your audience cares about.
How to adapt this for your brand
Instead of only pushing your own discounts, run a “Support X” Black Friday edition:
- Curate and email a list of partner brands, local stores, or creators that align with your values.
- Add short stories about each partner in the email.
- Use Selzy segments to send localized versions.
Project Black Friday: The Bank Never Wins by TWOJEYS
About the company: TWOJEYS is a Spanish unisex jewelry brand.
The 2020 campaign: For Black Friday 2020, the brand created a short movie featuring guest stars, the company’s founders, and employees. The film tells the story of a heist at a casino bank and the theft of 10 million euros worth of jewelry.
It was launched on the company’s Instagram page and resulted in more than 5000 orders within the first 24 hours of publication. Also, it gained 5 million views on Instagram.
Key takeaway
A strong storytelling concept can turn a simple discount into an event people want to share.
How to adapt this for your brand
Pick a simple narrative that fits your brand. Then:
- Build a short email series telling the story in episodes.
- Each email reveals clues or rewards.
- Use email automation in Selzy so new subscribers who join mid-story get a quick catch-up sequence before the finale.
Mystery bag by The Verge
About the company: The Verge is a tech news website.
The 2019 campaign: The website chose a good old marketing strategy –– a prize draw but with a twist a bag full of the best tech gear and gadgets.
There was only one condition: to subscribe to The Verge Twitter account, and that’s it! Existing followers also could participate in the contest and even enter it again and again in exchange for a retweet.
Key takeaway
Mystery and FOMO are super powerful. Giveaways and mystery bundles can grow your audience while you promote your sale.
How to adapt this for your brand
Create a “Black Friday mystery box” giveaway:
- Ask people to join your email list to enter.
- Promote via social, then drive everyone to a subscription form.
- Send a dedicated email revealing what’s inside for winners, and offer a “consolation” discount for everyone else.
Are you ready to solve the mystery? by 22 Days Nutrition
About the company: 22 Days Nutrition is a plant-based health food company.
The 2018 campaign: Curiosity is hard to resist. Having added just one new element to the marketing campaign, the brand significantly increased the traffic to their website.
They sent each customer Black Friday emails offering a unique discount ranging from 20% to 50%. Which one have you got? Go shopping online and find out your fortune!
Mystery savings is a popular format for Black Friday email campaigns and often involves scratch cards or spin-a-wheel mini-games. For most small businesses, interactive elements in emails would be the most affordable way to spice things up, engage subscribers, and drive sales.
Key takeaway
Mystery discounts gamify your sale and give everyone a reason to shop.
How to adapt this for your brand
Run a “spin-the-wheel” or “reveal your discount” mechanic:
- In your Black Friday email, invite subscribers to click a CTA to reveal their discount.
- Redirect clicks to a landing page or dynamic thank-you page showing their discount code.
Create automation branches in Selzy:
- The high-discount segment gets a last-chance reminder so they don’t waste it.
- The lower-discount segment gets a “stack it with…” upsell suggestion.
#BNSignedEditions by Barnes & Noble
About the company: Barnes & Noble is an American bookseller.
The 2016 campaign: Who said Black Friday is just for discounts? If lowering prices doesn’t align with your brand values or business model, it’s still possible to find an alternative and run a successful campaign.
Take a look at Barnes & Noble’s solution: in 2016, they released over a half-million autographed books from acclaimed authors as their Black Friday deal. As a result, they had one of their most successful holiday seasons.
Key takeaway
You don’t have to compete on “biggest discount” — limited editions and exclusivity can be just as compelling.
How to adapt this for your brand
- Create a limited run of something special:
- Signed products, bundled sets, “collector’s edition” packaging, early access to a new line, or bonus content.
- Promote these as “only X pieces available” and visible only to email subscribers.
- In Selzy, create a VIP segment and send early access emails to them first.
Black Friday Deals for Days and #UnwrapTheDeals by Walmart
About the company: Walmart is an American multinational retail corporation.
The 2020 campaign: During the pandemic Black Friday completely took over online spaces. For obvious reasons, many retailers launched their campaigns exclusively on social media, via emails, or on their websites. Despite being a giant offline retailer, and one of few stores that could at least partially operate offline during the lockdown, Walmart still chose not to stay away and also enter the online game.
The brand launched a 6-day shopping campaign on social media, where they ran multiple mini-campaigns within the main one.
One of these mini-campaigns #UnwrapTheDeals, a shoppable AR-filter for TikTok, brought the most impressive results. With 5.5 billion views and over 1 million videos created with the hashtag, the campaign helped Walmart break traffic records for a digital sales event.
Key takeaway
Extend Black Friday into a multi-day campaign and use mini-events to keep engagement high.
How to adapt this for your brand
You don’t need a complex AR. Try a “Deals for days” email series:
- Plan 3-6 themed days.
- Send a daily campaign via Selzy focusing on one theme, plus a round-up email at the end.
Limited edition orangutan soap by Lush
About the company: Lush is a British cosmetics retailer.
The 2017 campaign: Another good example of a not-just-discounts approach. Lush chose a creative way to highlight one of the company’s key values –– being a cruelty-free brand.
On Black Friday 2017, the company launched a limited edition soap to draw attention to orangutan’s near extinction. All the revenue from sales went to the Sumatran Orangutan Society.
Key takeaway
Cause marketing can transform a sale into a statement, especially if the product and cause are linked.
How to adapt this for your brand
Choose a cause closely related to your product and:
- Create a limited Black Friday product or bundle where X% or all proceeds go to that cause.
- Explain the story clearly in your email: what the issue is, how this product helps, what the goal is.
- Use Selzy campaigns to update subscribers on progress.
Alternative Black Friday marketing campaigns
On Black Friday and Cyber Monday an average brand pushes a sale or promotion, it may be hard to stand out. That’s why many retailers set themselves apart from the competition, opting for more thought-provoking campaigns. Here are the best examples:
Black Friday pranks by Cards Against Humanity
About the company: Cards Against Humanity is a fill-in-the-blank party game for adults.
Cards Against Humanity are known for their unconventional Black Friday campaigns. Doing them for over a decade, the company reached the point when people are genuinely anticipating the upcoming Black Friday, as everyone wonders what CAH are up to this year. For this article, we picked two of our all-time favorites.
The 2013 campaign: While other brands were reducing prices as much as possible, Cards Against Humanity raiseds them. Such a mockery of a Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales culture!
You probably wonder about the results, and here they are:
CAH sold a bit more games than usual on Black Friday, but what’s more importantly they experienced a nice sales spike on “Regret Saturday” from people who were waiting to buy the game until it came back down in price.
The 2015 campaign: Two years later, Cards Against Humanity offered people to buy absolutely nothing for $5. And yes, 11,248 people gave them $5. Some enthusiastic fans filled out the form multiple times to give the company more than $5, and one person transferred $100 that way.
In total, Cards Against Humanity made $71,145 from that prank. Some of that money went to charities, but some of it, the team spent on buying fun things. When we say “fun,” we mean a Macbook Pro and a gold vibrator with lube.
It’s quite a bold move, but if it fits into your brand like in the case of Cards Against Humanity, then why not?
Key takeaway
If your brand voice goes beyond the norms, lean into it. Subverting expectations can generate huge PR and loyalty.
How to adapt this for your brand
You don’t have to copy their exact shock value, but you can:
- Run a “No discount, just honesty” campaign explaining why you keep fair prices year-round.
- Launch a playful stunt.
- Use email as the primary reveal channel. Like, tease that something “weird” is coming, then explain the stunt, and link to a landing page or a product.
A “mistake” tweet by McDonald’s
Key takeaway
Imperfection, if handled well, can feel human and relatable, creating viral attention.
How to adapt this for your brand
Rather than faking mistakes, you can:
- Craft a “looks like a mistake” pre-header or subject line for email.
- Inside, play it off with humor and then reveal the actual offer.
- Use Selzy to A/B test playful vs straightforward subject lines and see how your audience responds.
About the company: McDonald’s is an American multinational fast food chain.
The 2017 campaign: People still argue whether it was made on purpose, or was an honest mistake by a sleepy staff member (didn’t get enough coffee!). But the fact is that the “mistake” tweet existed for 9 hours and generated 23,000 likes and 11,000 retweets.
Don’t Buy This Jacket by Patagonia
“Buy Less. Buy Better” by Hiut Denim
Key takeaway
A bold, counter-intuitive message that challenges overconsumption can strengthen brand trust.
How to adapt this for your brand
- Send a Black Friday email with a “Buy less” or “Repair first” angle, offering free repairs or tips on extending product life.
- Combine it with limited but thoughtful offers.
- Use Selzy segmentation to target existing customers with “care, not just consumption” content, and new subscribers with the story behind your values.
About the company: Patagonia is an American designer of outdoor clothing and gear for silent sports.
The 2011 campaign: In 2011, Patagonia launched their first alternative Black Friday campaign called “Don’t Buy This Jacket,” which was meant to make a wider audience aware of the pitfalls of consumerism.
With this smart ad, the company encouraged people to reduce, reuse, recycle, and repair their items instead of buying new ones. The campaign was published in the New York Times, both in online and paper magazines.
About the company: Hiut Denim is a Welsh brand producing jeans for men and women.
The 2017 campaign: The brand shut down their website for Black Friday –– a simple yet elegant move. They stated, that they are already charging a fair price and become sick of all the Black Friday ads and special deals.
The campaign resulted in numerous positive reviews from Hiut Denim’s existing customers and even attracted new audiences:
Key takeaway
Sometimes the best campaign is to opt-out of Black Friday entirely.
How to adapt this for your brand
- Send an email on Black Friday explaining that your site is closed/discounts are off for the day, with a candid note.
- value in content instead of discounts: styling tips, how-to guides, behind-the-scenes stories, etc.
- Create a follow-up campaign later that offers a values-aligned promotion.
Ten Things That Last by Buy Me Once
#BlackoutFriday campaign by Pantee
Key takeaway
Curating a small set of long-lasting, high-quality items can be an antidote to overwhelming Black Friday promos.
How to adapt this for your brand
- Build a “Ten things that last” Black Friday email.
- Highlight durability, guarantee, repairability, or timelessness over the percentage discount.
- Use dynamic content to feature items based on past purchase behavior.
About the company: Buy Me Once researches and sells long-lasting products.
The 2021 campaign: The brand encourages consumers to choose longer-lasting products instead of throwaway ones while offering good deals on these items. Before launching the campaign, Buy Me Once sent the customers a survey to figure out what products they actually want but were struggling to afford.
After analyzing the results, they chose the ten most requested items and discounted them for Black Friday –– you can find them in the picture above.
“Break tradition, not the planet” by Allbirds
Key takeaway
Limiting access can make your campaign feel special and community-first.
How to adapt this for your brand
- Make your best Black Friday offer “email-only” or “list-only” and keep your homepage neutral.
- Email your list ahead of time with a password or private link to access the sale.
Use Selzy to:
- Tag everyone who clicks the “secret access” link as VIP or insiders.
- Send tailored follow-up campaigns to that group.
About the company: Pantee is a British sustainable underwear brand.
The 2021 campaign: The company is against mindless consumption. That’s why on Black Friday they made online shopping on their website available only for those on the mailing list. The members of the existing community received the password and got access to new and best products that appeared on the website on Black Friday.
“ReVivo” promotion by VivoBarefoot
Key takeaway
A small and symbolic twist can drive attention and underline your mission.
How to adapt this for your brand
- Instead of deeper discounts, create a micro-price increase or optional add-on that funds a cause.
- Explain this clearly in your campaigns and show exactly where the money goes.
- Use Selzy to send recap emails post-campaign.
About the company: Allbirds is a New Zealand and American sustainable accessory and footwear brand.
The 2020 campaign: Instead of lowering the prices for Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, as do many other retailers, the company decided to increase all prices across their entire collection by £1.
Such a move serves two purposes: to show their commitment to sustainability best practices and to donate extra money to Fridays For Future, the youth-led international climate movement founded by climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Key takeaway
Black Friday can also be a spotlight for repaired/second-life products, not just new inventory.
How to adapt this for your brand
If you have returns or refurbished stock, make Black Friday the “second life sale” instead of just selling new products. Create an email segment of eco-conscious subscribers and highlight this range to them.
Use Selzy to:
- Run education-focused emails on why recommerce matters.
- Send browse or cart abandonment flows specifically for your “pre-loved” category.
About the company: VivoBarefoot is making barefoot shoes with minimalistic design.
The 2021 campaign: On Black Friday, the brand promoted their ReVivo platform. This platform is used for purchasing repaired shoes that have either been returned by other customers or that are surplus or ex-display stock.
This thoughtful approach to Black Friday aligns well with the company’s values.
Summing it up
It doesn’t really matter whether you choose a traditional or alternative strategy for your Black Friday marketing campaigns — what matters is that it aligns with your brand values and audience. The most important is that this strategy aligns with the values of your brand and meets the needs of your target audience.
We’ll be updating this article every year with fresh examples of Black Friday campaigns. Stay tuned for more!
For additional seasonal inspiration, especially in email marketing, explore the best examples of Black Friday emails and choose your favorite subject lines.
We’ll be updating this article every year with fresh examples of Black Friday campaigns. Stay tuned for more!
For additional seasonal inspiration, especially in email marketing, explore the best examples of Black Friday emails and choose your favorite subject lines from our top picks.
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