Black Friday has become one of the most important dates in the retail calendar. Every year, thousands of brands compete to capture consumers’ attention with discounts, promotions and limited-time offers.
But when everyone is communicating virtually the same message, standing out is becoming increasingly difficult.
That is why some brands have managed to stand out with Black Friday campaigns that go far beyond discounts. Campaigns designed to spark conversations, reinforce brand values or simply do something different.
IKEA: Green Friday
IKEA has also used Black Friday to reinforce its strategy around sustainability and the circular economy.
With initiatives such as Green Friday, the brand encouraged customers to sell back their used furniture, giving it a second life. In this way, IKEA was able to participate in a major shopping event without compromising its brand positioning.
The Key Takeaway
You do not need to abandon Black Friday to do something different. You can also reinterpret the campaign to align it with your company’s values and objectives.
Patagonia: “Don’t Buy This Jacket”
In 2011, Patagonia surprised consumers with a highly unusual Black Friday campaign.
The brand published an advert with the message “Don’t Buy This Jacket”, encouraging consumers to think before buying and embrace more responsible consumption.
Rather than competing with aggressive discounts, Patagonia used Black Friday to reinforce one of its core brand values: sustainability.
What Can We Learn?
Standing out does not always mean offering bigger discounts. A campaign can work precisely because it does something unexpected and, above all, because it remains consistent with the brand’s identity.
Amazon: Turning Black Friday into an Entire Shopping Season
Amazon has been one of the brands that has contributed most to transforming Black Friday into a campaign that goes far beyond a single Friday.
Over the years, the company has expanded its promotions with early deals, a Black Friday Week and offers continuing through to Cyber Monday. In 2025, for example, its campaign ran from 20 November to 1 December, with more than one million deals.
Amazon has also complemented its discounts with brand activations. In 2018, it created “Casa Amazon” in Madrid, a physical space where customers could discover products, take part in workshops and enjoy different experiences during the campaign.
What Can We Learn?
Black Friday no longer has to be limited to 24 hours. Starting earlier allows brands to build anticipation, reach users multiple times and spread promotions across different stages of the campaign, rather than putting everything into a single day.
The Ordinary: Slowvember
Another brand that decided to change the rules was The Ordinary.
Instead of concentrating all its discounts on a single day, it launched Slowvember, extending its promotions throughout November. The aim was to reduce the sense of urgency and give customers more time to research and decide which products they really needed.
What Does This Strategy Achieve?
It turns a promotion lasting just a few days into a much longer campaign while also helping the brand stand out from the usual “buy now or miss out” message.
What Do These Campaigns Have in Common?
Although these brands are very different, they all share the same idea: Black Friday does not have to be just about discounts.
A campaign can help reinforce a brand’s positioning, increase brand awareness, connect with its values or create a different experience for consumers. And this is particularly important at a time when virtually every business is competing for the same attention.
Black Friday 2026: September Is a Good Time to Start
This year, Black Friday falls on 27 November 2026, but the strategy should begin much earlier.
September and October are key months for defining promotions, preparing creative assets, working on audiences, developing Google Ads and Meta Ads campaigns, setting up tracking and designing the necessary landing pages or other activities.
Because by the time November arrives, many brands have already spent weeks laying the groundwork. That is why, before focusing solely on what discount percentage to offer, it is worth asking another question:
What Can We Do This Black Friday to Make Our Campaign Stand Out from the Rest?
