How These 13 Brands Nailed Black Friday Campaigns (They Didn’t Just Slash Prices)

What makes a Black Friday campaign truly unforgettable, grabbing attention and leaving a lasting impression on shoppers?

Here’s a hint: It’s not just about slashing prices. 

The best campaigns create excitement, connect with customers, and make them feel part of something special. Whether through humor, emotion, or a clever twist, these campaigns go beyond the typical sales pitch and create memorable experiences.

If you’re looking for ideas to inspire your Black Friday strategy, we have you covered. Here are 13 creative campaigns that nailed it, showing how a brilliant idea and smart execution can make all the difference during the year’s biggest shopping event.

Table of contents 

Apple’s “One-Day Shopping Event”

In 2016, Apple held a “one-day shopping event” on Black Friday, offering gift cards instead of price cuts or conventional discounts. This approach allowed Apple to maintain its premium image while giving shoppers value. 

Approaching Black Friday with a mix of online sales and extending store hours helped Apple cater to customer convenience without slashing prices, highlighting its commitment to quality and customer experience.

📦Takeaway: Value doesn’t always have to come from discounts. Exclusive perks can be just as effective in driving engagement. 

💡Pro tip: Create excitement amongst customers with exclusive deals or perks

Use QR Codes to unlock special offers for specific customer segments to give your Black Friday campaign a unique touch. You can include Smart QR Codes in your marketing collaterals, leading early shoppers or loyal customers to time-sensitive deals or exclusive perks on your website

Create QR Code

Cards Against Humanity’s “99% Off Sale”

This campaign by Cards Against Humanity turned Black Friday into a hilarious spectacle with its absurd 99% off sale. 

Items like a life-size Orlando Bloom cutout, a Picasso lithograph (and even a 1.5-carat diamond for $32 😱) were sold for almost nothing. People scrambled to grab the deals, sharing their successes and misses on X (formerly Twitter). It was chaotic, unpredictable, and precisely what you’d expect from the brand.

📦Takeaway: Humor and unpredictability can drive massive engagement and brand loyalty, turning a typical sale into a viral spectacle.

IKEA’s “Buy Back Friday”

IKEA’s “Buy Back Friday” campaign turned Black Friday upside down by focusing on sustainability—a core element of the Swedish furniture giant’s philosophy. Rather than pushing new products, IKEA offered to buy back customers’ old furniture, giving it a second life. 

Consumers could register online to sell their used IKEA items and receive vouchers whose value was based on the condition of the furniture. The campaign—running in 27 countries—aimed to reduce waste and promote recycling while encouraging customers to think twice before making impulse purchases.

📦Takeaway: Highlighting your brand’s core values during a campaign can turn a sales event into a statement that resonates with customers and builds long-term loyalty.

Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket”

In 2011, Patagonia took a bold stand against consumerism with its “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign. Instead of pushing more sales, the company encouraged customers to think twice before making purchases, highlighting the environmental impact of overconsumption. 

Patagonia placed the ad on Black Friday to spark a conversation about buying less, reusing, and repairing items. The campaign was part of its larger initiative to promote sustainability and reduce waste.

📦Takeaway: Sometimes, a bold stance on values can resonate more deeply than any sale, especially in today’s conscious consumer culture.

22 Days Nutrition’s Random Discounts

22 Days Nutrition made its Black Friday campaign fun with its unique discount campaign. Each subscriber received a special code that unlocked a random deal, ranging from 20% to 50% off. 

This gamified approach sparked curiosity and brought a lot of traffic to the website, as people were eager to discover what discount they’d get. It was a creative way to engage customers and make the shopping experience more exciting.

📦Takeaway: Adding an element of surprise and chance can make a campaign more exciting and keep customers engaged longer.

🧠 Did you know?

You can use dynamic QR Codes to create a similar gamified experience.
Start by generating unique QR Codes that reveal a random discount or surprise offer for each customer. You can tailor discounts to individual users using Smart Rules to set user scan limits, unique user scans, etc. making the campaign more interactive and fun.

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Lush’s Orangutan Soap

For Black Friday 2017, Lush launched a limited edition Orangutan Soap to support the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS). The brand produced 14,600 soaps, each representing one of the remaining wild Sumatran orangutans.

All proceeds went to SOS to help restore forests in Sumatra, providing a vital habitat for these endangered primates. The collaboration aimed to raise awareness of the orangutans’ plight and the urgent need for conservation. After all, it is gone for good once this rare species is gone.

📦Takeaway: Tying products to a meaningful cause can drive sales and brand loyalty, especially when the cause is urgent and relevant.

Polysleep’s Leaked Email

Polysleep got creative with their Black Friday marketing by sending subscribers a mock “leaked” email, revealing secret sale details. The playful tactic worked—many recipients shared the email with friends and family, sparking a personal connection with the brand. 

The intended action created a domino effect, drawing more people into the sale. This fun approach sets the tone for future campaigns, including a scratch-off postcard for hidden discounts, keeping Polysleep at the forefront of their customers’ minds.

📦Takeaway: Creating a sense of exclusivity or insider knowledge can make a campaign feel more personal and engaging for your target audience.

Glossier’s Only Sale of the Year

Glossier’s “Only Sale of the Year” campaign made Black Friday special for its customers by offering its beauty products the only discounts of the year. This sense of scarcity created excitement and urgency, encouraging shoppers to grab their favorite items before the sale ended. 

It was a clever way to boost demand and drive sales, making Glossier fans wait even more eagerly for Black Friday.

📦Takeaway: Scarcity creates urgency, making it a powerful tool for driving sales during Black Friday.

Reverse Auction by Samsung

Samsung’s “Reverse Auction” campaign during Black Friday took a unique approach by letting customers set the prices for their favorite products. Instead of starting at a low price, the auction began at full price and decreased until someone placed a bid or the price dropped to $1. 

Over 80,000 people participated, generating excitement and driving huge sales. The campaign boosted Samsung’s Black Friday revenue by 270%, making it their most successful yet.

📦Takeaway: Interactive campaigns that require customers to act quickly can keep them engaged and grab their attention for longer.

#BlackOwnedFriday by Google

Google’s #BlackOwnedFriday campaign, launched during the pandemic, spotlighted Black-owned businesses with music videos and jingles by famous artists. 

Instead of the typical Black Friday sale, Google’s campaign featured an interactive shopping experience, leading to half a billion media impressions and promoting Black-owned businesses through Google’s Black-owned badge.

📦Takeaway: Purpose-driven campaigns can connect with consumers on a deeper level, especially when supporting underrepresented groups.

Mystery Bag by The Verge

Who said your Black Friday sale only has to be a sale, not a giveaway? The Verge proved the latter right! The tech publication’s  Black Friday campaign offered a fun twist to the regular discount season by giving away mystery bags filled with tech gadgets. One had to subscribe to their newsletter or follow them on X (formerly Twitter) to enter the giveaway. 

The campaign created excitement and increased engagement, as people were eager to win the free gear. It also helped grow The Verge’s audience by encouraging new sign-ups.

📦Takeaway: Mystery or surprise elements can increase excitement and engagement while helping to grow your customer base.

#BNSignedEditions by Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble’s Black Friday campaign focused on offering signed editions of books by over 100 famous authors. Understandably, the signed books were a success, making great holiday gifts for book lovers. 

In addition, they offered special discounts, like 50% off bestsellers and buy one, get one half off on collectible editions. Members got early access to these deals, making it a fun and exclusive shopping experience.

📦Takeaway: Offering exclusivity can turn a product into a must-have, especially when tied to a sense of rarity.

Black Friday Deals for Days and #UnwrapTheDeals by Walmart

Walmart’s #UnwrapTheDeals campaign brought Black Friday to TikTok with a fun, interactive twist. They created a shoppable AR filter where users could “unwrap” surprise deals by swiping their hands across the screen. 

With the help of popular TikTok creators, the campaign gained over 5.5 billion views, and more than 1 million videos were created using the hashtag. It was a huge success, driving traffic to Walmart’s website and making the most of digital shopping.

📦Takeaway:  Incorporating innovative technology (like AR) into your campaign can create a unique and engaging shopping experience.

Use QR Codes to supercharge your Black Friday campaigns

These campaigns remind that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are about more than discounts—they’re about crafting memorable experiences that resonate. 

Each brand found unique ways to spark excitement and build connections, whether by infusing humor, championing a cause, or adding an element of surprise. 

One way for your brand to stand out this Black Friday is to use tools that make engagement seamless, such as Smart Rules in QR Codes.

With Uniqode, you can turn every offline touchpoint into a dynamic, interactive experience beyond a simple scan. Whether through real-time updates on promotions with dynamic QR Codes, custom-branded URLs, or personalized journeys using smart rules, you’re equipped to connect with customers in a way that keeps them engaged and coming back.

Ready to create meaningful engagement this season? Create your QR Codes with Uniqode!

Frequently asked questions

1. How can I make my Black Friday campaign stand out from the competition?

To make your campaign memorable, try going beyond discounts. Use tactics that create a strong brand experience, like interactive QR Codes, limited-time surprises, and personalized offers that make customers feel valued. Engaging experiences drive sales and help your brand stay top-of-mind long after the holiday.

2. What creative ways to use QR Codes in a Black Friday campaign?

QR Codes can be used to boost engagement in unique ways. Consider using them to reveal mystery discounts, guide customers to exclusive online events, or provide real-time inventory updates on popular items. For more ideas, check out these creative QR Code examples that can add a fresh twist to your campaign.

3. How do I measure the success of my Black Friday campaign QR Codes?

Uniqode’s QR Code platform lets you track each scan, providing insights such as location, time, device type, etc. This data can inform real-time adjustments to your campaign, such as updating offers or refining your messaging based on customer preferences, ensuring maximum impact.

4. When should I start promoting my Black Friday campaign to get the best results?

It’s best to build excitement weeks before Black Friday. Early teasers, VIP previews, and countdowns can help create anticipation, while pre-campaign engagement—like sneak peeks or early access discounts for loyal customers—can drive interest ahead of time. Starting early lets your brand capture attention before the holiday shopping rush fully kicks in.