9 Black Friday campaigns that blew our collective minds

1. On Black Friday 2013, Cards Against Humanity did the unthinkable. 🤡

They raised prices!

Counter intuitive & consumerist — it broke the discount pattern people are desensitized to.

"BLACK FRIDAY BLOWOUT SALE! Today only, all Cards Against Humanity products are $5 more! Drop the turkey leg, get out your wallet, and get in on this once-in-a-lifetime deal!"

It generated crazy media attention while reinforcing their brand identity.

Lesson: Lean hard into it your distinct brand personality. How can you use it to create a pattern breaking campaign?

2. In 2015 REI took on a bold stance. 🌲

They decided to be the dam against the relentless tide of consumerism.

On Black Friday, all its store were closed. Instead, they encouraged employees and customers to enjoy the outdoors instead.

It received fawning coverage, and intensified their image as a outdoors mission driven brand.

Lesson: Yes, forfeiting BFCM revenue is a huge hit. But if you’re playing a long game, it might just be worth the brand equity. What bold stance can your brand take on BFCM?

3. Black Friday is approaching, but Tesla’s cyber truck is years away from the road 🛻

So what does Elon Musk do? Sell a cyber truck whistle for BFCM of course!

He followed up with “Don’t waste your money on that silly Apple Cloth, buy our whistle instead!”

Lesson: Drop products instead of discount. What crazy/unconventional can you introduce introduce to create buzz?

4. On Black Friday, Patagonia took out a full page NYT add. 🧥

What did it advertise?

True to their sustainability mission, they wanted customers to consider if they really needed the item.

I don’t know the numbers, but I bet that this actually made their fans buy more Patagonia, while enhancing their brand equity.

5. Barnes & Noble was sick of discounting for Black Friday.

The alternative? Releasing over half a million autographed books from its bestselling authors.

It lead to one of their most successful holiday seasons, and is a campaign that continues till this year.

Lesson: again, the power of product launches over discount. What collectibles can you introduce for BFCM?

6. IKEA wanted to do Black Friday on their own terms. ♻️

How? Rebrand it as #BuybackFriday.

Instead of discounts, they offered to buy back used furniture, offering store vouchers in return.

Win win win — Ikea drove store traffic and burnished their sustainability credentials. Customers got a good deal they had to work for.

Lesson: Consumers psychology is weird.

The Ikea effect (where people feel more attached to furniture built) is amplified here. A discount that you worked for MUST feel like a better deal.

7. You’re Cards Against Humanity. How do you top selling raising prices for Black Friday?

Sell absolutely nothing for $5.

The result? $70,000 in sales and god knows how many PR mention

And how did they spend the money? A custom suit of men’s armor ($1.5k) and a 24-karat-gold vibrating massager ($3.2k). Very whimsical, very on brand

8. How can you merge the iconic Whopper burger with Black Friday? 🍔

Burger King made a website called 'Whopper Shopper that redirected customers to other online retailers

Every purchase made though that link would earn the customer credits to get free Whoppers!

Lesson: Think partnerships and cross-promotions. Who’s buzz can you tap on?

9. 2021 was the 50th anniversary of "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory". 🎥

If you’re a Dude Dad (a popular YouTuber and brand) what do you do? Have a Golden Tickets promotion of course!

They produced a Wonka-themed Black Friday video, complete with a real-life Golden Ticket Giveaway competition. Orders >$50 might just have a golden Golden Tickets inside!

Duuuude-like prizes includes a snow blower, leaf blower & grill set.

Lesson: A perfect combination of cultural/nostalgia with consumers’ bias for randomised huge prizes. Can you do a lucky draw instead? What prizes has huge cultural significance?

Which campaign struck a chord with you ? If you could wave a magic wand, what do you want to do differently next year? Let me know in the comments!