Black Friday has long been a global shopping phenomenon, but its landscape keeps evolving year after year, for both brands and consumers.

From rising ad costs to smarter targeting and longer sale windows, the data points to one clear trend: Black Friday is no longer just a day, it’s a strategy.

If you’re ready to join in on the Black Friday frenzy, stay close as we’re diving into the trends, the takeaways, and the tactics that’ll keep your ad campaigns converting long after the sale ends.

Black Friday Advertising:
What We Learned and What’s To Do Next

Record Spending and Smarter Advertising

In the U.S. alone, Black Friday spending topped $36 billion across all channels [source]. The average shopper dropped around $325 during Black Friday and Cyber Monday [source]. Not bad for a long weekend!

For advertisers, it wasn’t just about pushing discounts, it was about growth. Around 43% of brands ran Black Friday-specific deals or messaging [source], and a big chunk of sales came from first-time buyers.

Rising Costs, Tighter Margins

If you felt like ad space was more expensive this year… you’re not imagining it. As always, opportunity came with a price. Higher CPCs and CPMs, combined with aggressive bidding and more crowded marketplaces, made efficiency more critical than ever. Advertisers needed sharper targeting, optimized creatives, and flexible budgets to protect margins while maintaining visibility.

The New Black Friday: Longer, Not Louder

One of the biggest shifts? The Black Friday weekend isn’t just a weekend anymore. Brands are stretching out their offers over multiple weeks,  some even the whole month of November. Instead of putting all their budget into one big day, advertisers are spreading spend across Q4 to keep visibility going. That “deal season” mindset is here to stay.

This approach helped sustain engagement throughout the holiday period, but it also meant more competition for consumer attention across a longer timeframe.

Shifting Channels and Attribution Challenges

Retail media networks and platform-driven ads continued to dominate. Brands that weren’t active in these environments often found themselves at a disadvantage.

Meanwhile, visibility into pure affiliate performance remained limited. As paid placements and hybrid attribution models expand, affiliate-driven revenue is becoming harder to isolate, though its role in upper- and mid-funnel activity remains critical.

So, what’s next?

Expect modest growth, probably around 2-4% year-over-year. But the action will be online: digital, mobile, and social commerce will keep taking bigger bites of the pie, while in-store traffic might stay flat.

Deals will start earlier, run longer, and get more competitive. Consumers are feeling inflation pressure, so they’re shopping smarter, looking for value, usefulness, and practicality over impulse splurges. That means bundles, discounts, and limited-time offers will stay front and center.

The Next Era: AI, Personalization, and Value

AI tools will be the secret weapon for many advertisers. From smart bidding to personalized offers and dynamic pricing, automation will help campaigns react faster and perform better.

The key? Combining data-driven decisions with a human touch, knowing what your audience values and speaking directly to that.

Black Friday 2025 Ad Game Plan

If last year taught us anything, it’s that winning this season takes more than just flashy discounts. With rising ad costs, longer sale windows, and smarter shoppers, advertisers need a game plan that balances data, creativity, and timing.

The good news? Success comes down to planning, testing, and timing. Here’s how advertisers can build a smarter Black Friday 2025 game plan that cuts through the noise, attracts high-intent buyers, and drives real ROI.

Start Early, End Late

Black Friday is no longer one day. In 2024, most major advertisers started their Black Friday campaigns 2-3 weeks early and extended promotions through Cyber Monday or even early December.

• Launch teaser campaigns early in November to capture intent data and build retargeting audiences.
• Gradually increase your bids or budget pacing from the week before Black Friday (“Cyber Week” is the real goldmine).
• Keep ads live through Cyber Monday and even the week after, targeting late buyers who waited for deeper discounts.

Budget Smartly Around Peak Hours

To stay profitable, pacing and scheduling are critical.
– Use automated rules or bid caps to prevent runaway CPCs.
– Increase budgets 48 hours before Black Friday to win early traffic before auction competition peaks.
– Allocate 25-30% of total spend for post-Black Friday remarketing; these users convert at lower costs.
– Run TargetCPA campaigns as they perform better when trained with event data ahead of time.

Segment Audiences Wisely

2024 data showed that 64% of Black Friday buyers were new customers, meaning acquisition was the biggest driver, but retention shouldn’t be ignored.

– For returning customers, use loyalty incentives or early access.
– For new users, emphasize “first purchase” bonuses, free shipping, or bundles.

Creative That Converts

Ad clutter is massive during Black Friday. What stands out are clear, urgency-driven creatives and value-first messaging.

– Use power words: “Ends tonight,” “Only 24 hours,” “Biggest deal of the year.”
– Show real numbers (“Save up to 45%” instead of “Huge discount”).
– Test multiple CTAs, even subtle word changes can swing CTR during high competition.

Recycle Winners

The week after Black Friday is gold for data insights.

– Identify top creatives and placements, and reuse them for Christmas and New Year campaigns.
– Tag your audiences (buyers, abandoners, clickers) for post-season remarketing.
– Evaluate ROAS by source and push budget toward high-performing traffic types (e.g., native, pop, in-app).

For a more complex Black Friday advertising playbook, check this out.

Bottom line

Black Friday isn’t just a retail event anymore, it’s a multi-layered marketing opportunity. The winners in 2025 will be the advertisers who combine smart targeting, compelling offers, and long-term customer strategy to turn seasonal shoppers into loyal customers.

If you’re one of them, stay close for something you won’t want to miss.
TO BE CONTINUED…