Top 5 Best Black Friday Campaigns to Inspire Your Own

Planning a creative Black Friday campaign but not sure where to start? One of the best places to get inspiration from is those who’ve done it before you, and got it right! 

As one of the biggest sales weekends, it’s easy to blend in to the Black Friday marketing noise. Whether you’re looking for the best way to blast your competitors or want to create something more than just a basic discount-led campaign, we’ve listed our favourite examples from some of the businesses that smashed their Black Friday sales out of the park.

Our Top 5 Black Friday Campaign Ideas

1. Pieminster, Black Pie Day

   In 2018, British pie making and retail business Pieminster partnered with homeless charity Shelter for a charitable twist on standard Black Friday proceedings. Dubbed Black Pie Day (we love a good pun!), Pieminster created black pies, made from a special charcoal pastry. At £5 each, every penny was given directly to Shelter to help those struggling with bad housing and homelessness.
   
   The clever bit about this campaign is that by partnering with a well-known charity, Pieminster had access to a huge brand’s social audience, and they raised money for a great cause. All in all, we loved this delicious Black Friday campaign!
    
   

   (Pieminster)

   
   
    

2. ASOS, #GoGoGo

   Playing on the frantic reputation Black Friday sales, ASOS announced their promo code ‘GoGoGo’ – and then chilled it right down by saying the code was for 20% off everything, no strings attached. They even ended their banner copy by saying ‘Let the most chill ever version of Black Friday commence’!
   
   When we think of Black Friday, we can’t help but picture chaotic scenes, panic buying and even the occasional violent encounter. We love how ASOS used their campaign to turn Black Friday completely on its head and created a calm oasis for bargain seekers.
    
   

   (ASOS)

   
   
    

3. Very.co.uk, A Very Black Friday

   In 2017, online retailer Very smashed their objectives with a special data-driven Black Friday campaign. Using digital outdoor ads and real-time data on audience, sales, search and location, they updated their Black Friday deals throughout the day based on competitor pricing, stock levels and trading deals.
   
   This campaign meant that Very saw a revenue rise of 16.8% year on year, starting on the Black Friday weekend and leading all the way up to Christmas! It also meant they won in the Data-Driven Marketing category at the 2018 Marketing Week’s Masters Awards.
    
   

   (Marketing Week)

   
   
    

4. Cards Against Humanity, 99% Off Sale

   Every year, the team at Cards Against Humanity, the party game for horrible people, is known for its wacky Black Friday stunts. In 2013, it raised the price of its game by $5 (and actually sold more!), in 2016 it raised money to dig a hole and in 2018 it took it to the next extreme and hosted a 99% off sale on a series of expensive (and pretty much weird!) items. 
   
   They kicked it off with a $20 bill available for only 20 cents! Other honourable mentions include a 2015 Ford Fiesta and the flight suit worn by actor Bill Pullman in the film Independence Day.
    
   

   (Cards Against Humanity)

   
   
   CAH Co-Creator Max Temkin said, “The setup of the joke is for Black Friday, the most commercial and business-y day of the year, we make the worst possible business decisions.” If that doesn’t make you stand out on Black Friday, we’re not sure what will!
   
    

5. Gymshark, Blackout

   Fitness brand Gymshark rarely holds sales, making its annual Blackout Black Friday sale big news for its many fans – often leading to a crash on the website. Known for their drastically bright photography on Instagram, they shocked fans with dark aggressive imagery, dubbing their campaign ‘Blackout’. 
    
   

   (Marketing Week)

   
   
   The results of this simple yet stunning social media campaign? Gymshark reached 16.4 million people and achieved a 6.6:1 return on ad spend! 
   
    

So, what’s so good about these five Black Friday campaign examples? For the large part, they play on what we already know about the BFCM sales weekend – it’s commercial, stressful and easy to bombard customers with endless deals. Although sales can work well, like the Very, Gymshark and ASOS examples show, you need to do something more than just offer X% off. Or, go for a PR stunt-style campaign and win the love of your customers that way!

Ready to start prepping your business for Black Friday? Check out our full range of Black Friday print marketing materials for a full list of everything you need for a successful sales weekend.