Black Friday Campaign Ideas You Regret Missing In 2025

The most effective Black Friday campaigns today combine creativity, timing, and personalization. Looking at trends this year, these three approaches stand out:

• Early-access programs: Drive urgency and reward loyalty
  
• Community-driven influencer campaigns: Spark buzz and social sharing
  
• Sustainability-led concepts: Motivate conscious purchases
  

These strategies transform Black Friday into a personalized, relationship-driven experience. Merchants can now turn browsers into buyers and foster loyalty all year round.

In this article, we’ll explore high-performing Black Friday campaigns and practical tips to build successful BFCM strategies in 2025.

Let’s dive in!

Inspiring Black Friday Campaign Ideas for 2025 Success

The best Black Friday campaigns typically begin 8 – 10 weeks in advance, and mobile is where most sales now happen. 

According to Statista, smartphones drove nearly 80% of retail website visits worldwide in 2025. With careful planning and mobile-first strategies, let’s look at the 11 creative campaigns that any seller — B2C or B2B — can use to deliver the best performances this Black Friday.

1. Glossier’s “Friends of Glossier”

Pre-sales for loyal subscribers or repeat customers give them access to deals before the general public. Why does this segment get such a privilege?

VIP tier customers have a 3.6x higher purchase frequency than non-tier customers and spend 73% more on average per order. This insight inspired Glossier to run an exclusive pre-launch Black Friday for their VIP members in the UK:

• Exclusive access for “Friends”: Glossier’s UK program, “Friends of Glossier,” offers an early-access window for subscribers before the main Black Friday sale.
  
• Promo code mechanics: Eligible participants can use a special code FRIENDSONLY to unlock 20% off select products.
  
• Limited-time offer: The early-access period lasted for 5 days, driving urgency and purchase decisions.
  
• Product focus: Makeup staples, skincare items, and fragrances like the popular Glossier You perfume.
  
• Multi-channel notification: Glossier informs participants through email campaigns, website banners, and push notifications.
  

Their goal is to make the potential audience want to join the VIP list next time. You now learn how to reward loyalty and forecast demand before the sale goes live at the same time.

Following its 2024 success, Glossier’s “You Look Good” campaign returns in 2025 with the same ethos: Authenticity and self-acceptance. 

Featuring Olivia Rodrigo and core products like Boy Brow, Ultralip, and Pro Tip eyeliner, the campaign inspires shoppers to embrace their natural beauty while engaging with Glossier’s lineup.

Image source: Friends of Glossier 2025

2. IKEA “Buy‑Back Friday”

Sustainability is now a defining feature of modern Black Friday marketing campaigns.

Think of it as a “buy with purpose” experience. Instead of the usual “buy more, save more,” these creative campaigns promote conscious shopping during this big sales event.

So, who actually dives into sustainability?

IKEA launched its "Buy-Back Friday" Black Friday campaign. This initiative invited customers to return their used IKEA furniture in exchange for store credit. This brand then resold through its secondhand “As‑Is” sections. The results were mind-blowing:

• According to IKEA’s FY24 report, ~55,000 products were returned for resale through the Buyback Friday campaign.
  
• In FY24, IKEA repurchased 495,000 used IKEA items across 28 markets, as per IKEA’s sustainability report.
  
• The campaign helps raise awareness of IKEA’s broader circular services (repair, maintenance, buy-back).
  

IKEA’s alternative Black Friday campaign encourages long-term sustainable consumption. You can use the campaign to inform customers about how to repair, maintain, and reuse. 

Our advice? Educate while you promote, and turn sales into lasting loyalty.

3. Sugarbones’ Pink Friday

Short-run products or exclusive bundles are available only during Black Friday weekend. Sounds tempting, right?

Sugarbones released the Pink Friday campaign, featuring items such as pins, patches, art prints, and accessories. Through the viral unboxing trend and physical store live events, inventory clearance has become an exciting moment.

Image source: Sugarbones Instagram

Mystery packs (or surprise boxes) are a clever Black Friday tactic. Many eCommerce brands release limited editions or special bundles tagged as Black Friday exclusives. Pairing these offers with countdown timers or early-access notifications not only highlights scarcity but also drives conversions. 

For example, Foxify Page Builder lets merchants add customized countdown timers to surprise boxes or exclusive bundles to create a real-time sense of urgency. In fact, countdown timers in limited-time offers can boost cart conversion rates by up to 8.6%. 

Therefore, they are a simple yet effective tool to maximize Black Friday sales.

Image source: Foxify Smart Page Builder

If you get inspired by Sugarbones’ Black Friday idea, here’s our tip for you to start building yours:

Segment your bundles. It means that your brand should offer different tiers (premium vs standard) of these mystery packs. Customers can choose how much “risk” they want to take vs how much value they’re chasing.

4. Gymshark’s “Big Deal Energy”

Gymshark approached Black Friday as a brand moment aimed at reinforcing its community-driven image.

The #BigDealEnergy campaign was built on multi-platform storytelling and influencer amplification, and here are the details:

• Influencer-led content: Gymshark partnered with Zac Perna to create dynamic workout video content, highlighting Black Friday deals.
  
• User-generated content (UGC): Fans share their own #BigDealEnergy moments to create authentic UGC and achieve organic reach.
  
• Scarcity & exclusivity: Gymshark runs big sales only twice a year, which motivates immediate action.
  
• Multi-channel execution: Content was adapted for distribution across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and email to reach a broader audience.
  

The results? Gymshark’s influencer collaborations led to over 250,000 app downloads and a 32% spike in sales from influencer-driven campaigns.

Why did Gymshark get this move?

This brand tapped into community factors and social proof. While influencers impact community-driven elements, UGC is a root of social trust signals. It also serves as a credibility engine for modern eCommerce.

However, credible UGC doesn’t just happen when you ask for it. It needs tactics. Brands need to show real people, real results, and real context. That means:

• Use unfiltered visuals: Avoid over-editing and opt instead for natural lighting and genuine, spontaneous reactions.
  
• Feature micro-influencers or actual customers: Their relatability boosts trust and click-through rates.
  
• Highlight diversity: Showcase how products cater to various lifestyles, body types, or work environments.
  
• Encourage honest storytelling: Let customers talk about what surprised or impressed them about your products.
  
• Verify submissions: Use order IDs or tagged purchases to ensure that content comes from real buyers.
  

In essence, Gymshark combined influencer authority, community participation, and high-energy branding for an aspirational and actionable Black Friday.

5. Cards Against Humanity’s “99% Off Sale”

Cards Against Humanity is known for turning Black Friday into a stage for absurd, attention-grabbing stunts. The brand’s “99% Off Sale” is one of their most unforgettable. 

Image source: Card Against Humanity’s 99% Off Sale

So here’s how it works: Cards Against Humanity offered random real products for literally 99% off — but the items were deliberately absurd. For example:

• A $20 bill for $0.20
  
• A 2015 Ford Fiesta (used) for $97.50 
  
• A five-day trip to Fiji for two people, for $71.60
  

Items only appeared one at a time, and each drop sold out almost instantly. The randomness created extreme FOMO, driving expectations of what would drop next. Then, users shared screenshots on social media (e.g., “I just bought a $20 bill for 20 cents??”) or what we call “viral UGC.”

This campaign serves one clear goal: To generate viral attention and explosive traffic. They turned Black Friday into a brand-building moment, not just a discount event. This strategy proves that entertainment can outperform traditional promotional tactics.

Key takeaway: Use creativity, humor, or shock value to make your Black Friday campaign impossible to ignore.

6. Google’s “Black-Owned Friday”

Customers love convenience, and the best Black Friday campaigns meet them wherever they shop — online, mobile, or in-store.

Google’s “Black-Owned Friday” campaign created an integrated, omnichannel experience with a standout USP: Music-driven shoppable content. Here’s how it works: 

• Google partnered with the U.S. Black Chambers Inc. and produced branded music videos featuring celebrities like T-Pain and Keke Palmer.
  
• Viewers stayed engaged and bought products from over 55 Black-owned businesses in the embedded shoppable links.
  
• The campaign spanned website, social media, and mobile, ensuring a seamless experience.
  
• Consistent messaging and promotions across channels reinforced trust and encouraged repeat engagement.
  

And the impact was huge. Google reported that 1 million+ visitors came to the Black‑Owned Friday microsite to browse and shop the featured products. 

In short, this BFCM sales strategy delivers substantial visibility and commercial impact for featured brands. 

Image source: Google’s “Black-Owned Friday” Campaign

✅ Pro tip: Music is a tool to create excitement, mood, and engagement. If you’re just starting out, a curated playlist, UGC content, or a thematic audio/video experience can evoke similar emotions.

7. BabySam’s Black Week livestream events

BabySam transformed Black Friday from a simple discount event into a fully interactive, livestream-first experience. Let’s look at how they execute this campaign as an interactive, educational, and entertaining Black Friday experience:

• Warm-up livestream event
  
  • A four-hour “Warming Up for Black Friday” livestream served as the kickoff.
    
  • Exclusive deals and live Q&A sessions created a sense of insider access.
    
• Gamification & VIP engagement
  
  • BabySam integrated Bingo-style games and riddles during the warm-up and teaser events, encouraging viewers to sign up for VIP lists.
    
  • VIPs received early access, special prizes, and notifications for the main Black Friday livestream.
    
• Main Black Friday livestream event
  
  • On Black Friday, BabySam hosted a high-energy live show from one of their stores.
    
  • Interactive mechanics included scratch card contests, “store-clearout” challenges, and real-time Q&A.
    

The campaign drove nearly $600,000 in sales, with over 40,000 views and more than 25,000 live interactions. This result indicates that livestream shopping and interactive social events are among the most effective holiday marketing strategies.

This year, BabySam is focusing on exclusive offers for its VIP audience. The goal is specific: Increase customer lifetime value. 

Image source: BabySam’s Black Friday VIP Campaign 2025

8. Deciem’s “Slowvember”

Deciem (parent company of The Ordinary) launched “Slowvember” to reinforce brand integrity and prestige. We call it an “unusual Black Friday frenzy” because it closed sales on Black Friday itself.

Image source: Deciem’s Slovember Campaign

Deciem offered 23% off across all products (max 5 units per product per customer) for the entire month of November. Then, the brand paused the discount on Black Friday, and here’s the reason why: 

Black Friday doesn’t need to trigger frantic buying.

To explain this, Deciem used website banners, FAQs, pop-ups, and social media posts. Each channel communicated its rationale clearly.

Their strategy is explicitly to push back against hyper-consumerism. It's about education, quality, and deliberation. If “Good decisions take time”,  Deciem believes your skin deserves research.

9. “Wipe & Unlock” by WHOSE (Gamification)

From gamification to personalized Black Friday advertising, these examples show how creativity meets conversion. According to Coherent Market Insights, the retail sector saw a 35.6% increase in engagement due to gamified experiences.

Let’s talk about WHOSE - a Polish accessories brand. In 2025, this brand reimagined the experience with a new interactive twist — the “Wipe & Unlock” Black Friday campaign. WHOSE aimed to turn seasonal traffic into highly engaged subscribers and buyers. The campaign focused on:

• Building the email/SMS subscriber list.
  
• Driving early conversions during BFCM week.
  
• Increasing engagement through interactive experiences.
  

Last year’s Spin-to-Win campaign delivered a 50% opt-in rate and 30% promo-code redemption. This year, WHOSE expects the ‘Wipe & Unlock’ will be the central driver of WHOSE’s Black Friday success in 2025:

• A pop-up invites users to “Wipe to reveal your BFCM deal” in the pre-launch event.
  
• Shoppers interact (wiping over a logo-embedded sand graphic) to unlock a personalized discount and secret reward.
  
• Entering an email is required to reveal the offer, letting WHOSE capture first-party data.
  
• Collected emails feed into a multi-stage funnel: Follow-up emails provide exclusive deals, reminders, and early-access links.
  
• Then, buyers receive 20% off everything during the main event of Black Friday.
  

In short, a well-designed interactive touchpoint can serve as the backbone of a full BFCM campaign.

Image source: WHOSE

10. Klarna’s AI-powered Black Friday

Predicted to lead 2024 BFCM, AI-powered shopping comes to life in Klarna’s campaigns. They aim to reach global shoppers with dozens of localized marketing efforts. This idea is extremely difficult with traditional marketing teams and agencies.

Image source: Klarna

Then, to achieve this at scale, Klarna turned to AI-driven campaign production, or what they call a “marketing AI factory.” The results? They saved $10M annually with AI-led campaigns. Here’s what they actually executed the whole plan:

AI is involved in every step of campaign execution — from generating visuals and copy to localizing content across markets.

This shift has redefined how brands engage shoppers during Black Friday.

Shopify data shows stores using AI-driven personalization achieve 15–20% higher conversion rates. So, contextual relevance matters more than aggressive discounts.

Now, conversational AI brings personalization into dialogue. Shopify ChatGPT integration, for example, detects intent while chatting and instantly adapts the offer in a single window.

Image: Shopify 

11. Amazon’s Cyber Week

Around 70% of online shoppers research on Friday and buy later online. This shift combines elements of Black Friday and Cyber Monday marketing strategies. Today we call it “Cyber Week.”

Amazon’s goal with its Cyber Week push is to support both first-party and third-party sellers. Over 60% of sales reportedly came from small- and medium-sized businesses. This tactic drove billions of dollars in additional sales.

And here are tactical practices from Amazon’s campaign that inspire yours:

• Extended deal period: Run deals over 12+ days.
  
• Deep category promotions: Offer deals across multiple relevant categories (electronics, toys, apparel, beauty, home goods).
  
• Ad & bidding strategy: Boost ad spend early and use “dayparting” to maximize visibility during peak hours.
  
• Post‑sale momentum & retargeting: Provide fast shipping and fulfillment support to convert interest into purchases.
  

With this strategy, B2C merchants expand their reach, and B2B sellers enhance customer engagement.

However, where do Black Friday campaigns perform best? Is it on social media, email marketing, or paid ads?

Let’s find out!

What Are The Best Channels To Promote Black Friday Deals?

According to a 2025 holiday shopping report by Drive Research, 71% of people plan to shop online this Black Friday.

Nowadays, it’s not about being everywhere. It’s about optimizing the right platforms that convert best for your audience.

B2C brands rely on emotional triggers and urgency because their shoppers decide fast. B2B sellers, on the other hand, need to justify the budgets and nurture trust.

Therefore, brands can’t rely on just one channel, and we’ll take a look at which one works best for Black Friday this year:

Email marketing

Email remains the most profitable Black Friday channel, and here’s why:

Klaviyo's 2025 Black Friday report reveals a 138% year-over-year increase in revenue from email campaigns during BFCM.

In short, email’s effectiveness comes from its ability to craft timely, high-converting content. Among all Black Friday email campaigns, early-access drops and reminder sequences perform best. 

So, when should I use email marketing during the BFCM period?

This strategy plays a crucial role in abandoned cart recovery and post-purchase retention. Therefore, timing is important in driving dynamic conversions. Here’s what we found:

• 8–10 a.m. (Teaser emails): Announce upcoming deals or early access offers to build curiosity.
  
• 12–2 p.m. (Main event): Send the hero offer or product spotlight when engagement peaks mid-day. This slot consistently sees up to 30% higher conversion rates than early morning.
  
• 2–3 hours after cart abandonment: Trigger recovery emails during the same browsing session window to recover lost conversions.
  
• 6–8 p.m. (Last-call or restock alerts): Reach evening shoppers who missed or are re-checking deals before bed.
  
• 48 hours post-purchase: Send a thank-you or cross-sell email to reinforce loyalty and drive repeat sales.

Image source: Klaviyo’s 2025 BFCM Email Timing Action Plan

Timing aligns with buyer intent. Early emails spark interest, midday sends convert, and evening reminders close the deal.

SMS or push notifications

In the early 2010s, SMS marketing was mostly one-way: Every subscriber received short discount codes or flash-sale alerts.

It worked because a few brands used it, so messages stood out. However, as more companies adopted it, overuse led to message fatigue and an increase in opt-outs.

So, is SMS marketing still worth it for marketers? Yes, it is. 

With 98% open rates and most texts read within three minutes, SMS remains the most immediate way to convert active shoppers.

Today’s SMS and push campaigns rely on behavioral automation and AI-driven timing. Insider’s case study with Slazenger highlights a 700% increase in customer acquisition with behavior-driven email journeys.

Our advice? Keep SMS messages under 160 characters, include one clear CTA. 

For example:

“Hey Sara 👋 You left your CozyFall Hoodie in the cart! Grab it before midnight for 10% off — it’s almost gone. [Shop Now]”

Wonder why this works? Here’s what’s behind this message:

• Personalization: Using the customer’s name and product builds relevance.
  
• Context: Refers to an existing cart item — not a random promotion.
  
• Urgency: “Before midnight” taps into time scarcity, prompting quick action.
  
• Value cue: The 10% incentive adds motivation.
  
• Tone: The friendly emoji softens the pitch, keeping it conversational.
  

This tone and structure outperform generic “Don’t forget your cart” reminders. The good news is that you can sync SMS and push data with email.

Paid ads 

Facebook and Google Ads deliver predictable ROAS (Return on Ad Spend). However, cost-per-click (CPC) prices surged, competition tightened, and privacy updates limited tracking.

The result? More impressions, fewer conversions.

So, what’s changing now?

Behavioral marketing is overtaking pure paid media. In modern Black Friday advertising, AI and behavioral triggers outperform traditional media buys.

Therefore, sellers use paid ads for reach and discovery. They bring new angles into the funnel:

• Google: Search intent
  
• Meta: Retargeting and lookalikes
  
• TikTok: Trend-based discovery
  

In short, paid ads build awareness, but behavioral personalization closes the sale.

Social media

Sellers promoted their products on every possible touchpoint: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Black Friday social media campaigns play a central role in driving discovery and engagement.

For the upcoming period, effective social commerce is about depth, not breadth. Each platform has a distinct strength, and your job is to tailor campaigns to those strengths: 

• TikTok thrives on discovery and virality: Ideal for new product launches or impulse deals.
  
• Instagram dominates visual storytelling and brand trust: Great for premium product drops or behind-the-scenes campaigns.
  
• Facebook converts best for retargeting and community engagement: Best for returning buyers.
  

Once your campaigns go live, the real game begins — tracking how each channel performs. 

Metrics like CVR, AOV, ROAS, CTR, and email open rate aren’t just numbers on a dashboard. They reveal how effectively your campaigns attract, engage, and convert shoppers.

For eCommerce brands, these metrics are must-haves because they help you:

• Spot high-performing channels early: Optimal budget plans.
  
• Catch drop-offs: From unopened emails to abandoned carts.
  
• Real-time optimization: Up-to-date Black Friday campaigns.
  

Each channel plays a different role in your marketing mix — but together, they share one goal: results. Here’s a quick look at the most important metrics to measure success.

But Black Friday isn’t staying the same forever. Shopper expectations are shifting fast — and AI is helping brands keep up.

Beyond 2025: How Black Friday Marketing Campaigns Are Changing

The next wave of Black Friday marketing campaigns won’t just focus on discounts. The focus now comes from short-term deals to long-term trust.

Shoppers compare across platforms and expect seamless service from browsing to checkout. Many also care about sustainability, brand purpose, and post-purchase experience. 

This shift marks the evolution of Black Friday advertising toward personalized, AI-powered storytelling.

That’s where AI is transforming Black Friday marketing campaigns. It helps brands nurture long-term loyalty by learning from every interaction. 

AI-powered segmentation ensures each customer receives deals relevant to their habits, not random markdowns. Meanwhile, conversational AI continues engagement after checkout, much like a real consultant.

On the creative side, generative AI helps teams produce social ads, email subject lines, and product visuals faster than ever. 

Things still take days to finish, but are now done in hours.

Ultimately, the best Black Friday campaigns will blend automation, purpose, and creativity. AI insights with human understanding deliver connection.

For more tactical BFCM insights and future-forward Black Friday strategies, explore the FoxEcom blog!