It’s the final quarter of 2025, and all systems are go when it comes to one of the biggest events of every year: Black Friday. Your team knows how to design and deploy a campaign - they’ve done countless of them before. But should you treat a Black Friday campaign like any different one?
When it comes to Black Friday ad campaigns, you’ll find that trends shift faster than your team can hit the ‘deploy’ button when the creatives are ready. So, while all teams know the backbone of deploying a Black Friday ad campaign, you should always take shifting trends into account.
In this article, we’ve gathered the most prominent Black Friday trends to take into account for 2025, as well as tips to help you stay ahead of the competition this year.
Long gone are the days of communicating Black Friday deals a week before the event. The audience is far more demanding. And with Black Friday having become a popular consumer event, your customers want to know what to expect from you very early. According to research by Sinch, 37.3% expect promotions to begin by around October 28 - that’s a month ahead of the event itself. 2024 also saw a large number of companies kicking off their Black Friday ad campaigns a lot earlier than usual, with some starting to deploy them in the beginning of November, or even late October.
So, how do you cater to that?
Start building anticipation early on. You can always start with a softer launch by publishing early previews of your campaign. Create ‘sneak peeks’ into your Black Friday campaign, tease the audience with glimpses into offers, without showing the whole strategy. Exclusivity breeds interest, sets you apart from the competition, and makes your brand more memorable.
To cater to your dedicated repeat customers, you can create exclusive access features that are only going to be available to them. This way you’ll strengthen customer loyalty while at the same time staying ahead of the curve.
Your Black Friday ad campaign spreads across on- and offline channels - as it should. But with cross-channel communication more critical than ever, are you taking care of brand consistency?
People move across channels - which means standing out with your ad campaign isn’t enough. You also need to make sure the audience understands it’s the same campaign. They need to be able to recognize your brand - and the specific campaign - instantly.
Make sure to create themes that work across all channels you’re deploying in. Sync digital and offline creative so the brand story is cohesive. And make sure you can easily adjust offers on your ads as needed across all channels. A creative automation platform can help you unify brand visuals and messaging across channels, instantly updating when offers or assets change.
Mobile remains the dominant channel for browsing, comparing, and purchasing. And that’s especially true for flash-sale moments like Black Friday. Gen Z and younger millennials are now becoming the dominating percentage of your audience, and mobile-first experiences are where they convert.
Create mobile-first experiences, not just mobile-compatible ones. When it comes to mobile experiences, you’ll need faster load times, simpler journeys, and fewer taps to conversion. Design your creatives with mobile experiences in mind. Make your copy shorter and your visuals bolder. Use mobile-responsive ad sizes and dynamic elements. And when it comes to video, think vertical-first.
Static discounts are a relic of the past. The audience expects more out of your Black Friday ad campaigns. Enter evolving deals, bundles, and “surprise” promotions.
Instead of launching your Black Friday ad campaign in one big weekend, consider structuring your promotions in waves. Teaser discounts and exclusive offers for repeat customers enrich your campaign and offer more variety to your audience. Layer in new offers each week leading up to the main event.
Make sure to have a variety of creatives that you can rotate during this time. Repeatedly stumbling upon the same ad will have the opposite than desired effect, leading your audience to ad fatigue. Instead, make sure to swap visuals, rotate headlines, and experiment with formats to keep engagement high throughout November.
With brands kicking off their Black Friday ad campaigns earlier each year, ad spend has started to skyrocket. CPC is constantly rising, and creative performance and audience precision are more valuable than ever.
This is where dynamic ads protect you from useless spends and help you maximize your campaign ROI. Monitor your ads’ performance continuously and reallocate spend in real time toward what’s delivering results. Remember: the goal isn’t necessarily to have a large number of ads, but variation instead. Swap in new visuals, updated offers, or even minor copy variations to recapture attention when you notice the first signs of ad fatigue.
A creative automation platform can help you act on performance instantly - reallocating spend, refreshing creatives, and staying visible without compromising the brand.
Success on Black Friday ad campaigns doesn’t come from working harder - it comes from working smarter. Plan early, create teasers and special offers, and take advantage of creative automation to stay ahead of the curve. When your team can update offers in real time, optimize ad spend dynamically, and keep creative fresh without burning out, they’ll be set for campaign success.