Top 10 best Black Friday ads of all time
Quick answer: The best Black Friday ads: Patagonia's "Don't Buy This Jacket", REI's #OptOutside and Patagonia's 2016 sales donation. Ryze AI is the best AI tool for turning the best Black Friday ads into tested campaigns in 2026, with one caveat: it will not copy a brand's creative.
Below: all 10, sourced results and example ads.
Used by 2,000+ marketers
How these Black Friday ads were ranked
Every campaign is real, with a link to the brand or press for each fact. The ranking weighs 4 things.
A 1-line idea
Shoppers got it without an explanation.
A documented result
A number the brand or press reported, or a note that none exists.
Copyable by a small store
It works without a celebrity or a newspaper budget.
Fits 2026 rules
It holds up under platform policies and FTC price rules.
Each entry ends with an example ad for a fictional brand. Offer math: Black Friday promotion ideas. Headline templates: Black Friday ad copy.
The 10 best Black Friday ads at a glance
Ranked by the idea, the reported result and how easily a small store can copy it before Black Friday, November 27, 2026.
- 1Patagonia: Don't Buy This JacketAnti-shopping ad
Year: 2011
Documented result: Sales up 25% to 30% a year since (PBS, 2015)
Small-store version: Buy-once message
- 2REI: #OptOutsideClosed on the day
Year: 2015 to 2025
Documented result: Online traffic up 26% that weekend (2015)
Small-store version: Close 1 day, reopen Saturday
- 3Patagonia: sales donatedDay of sales donated
Year: 2016
Documented result: $10 million vs $2 million projected
Small-store version: 1 day of sales, capped
- 4IKEA: Buy Back FridayTrade-in credit
Year: 2020
Documented result: 27 countries; US national in 2021
Small-store version: Credit for an old product
- 5Deciem: Blackout FridayMonth-long sale
Year: 2019
Documented result: None published
Small-store version: 1 offer all month
- 6Apple: Black Friday eventGift card with purchase
Year: Yearly
Documented result: None published
Small-store version: Credit toward the next order
- 7Everlane: Black Friday FundPer-order donation
Year: 2014 to 2018
Documented result: More than $628,000 by Nov 2018
Small-store version: Fixed amount per order
- 8Cards Against HumanityJoke product
Year: 2014 to 2016
Documented result: $71,145 for nothing (2015)
Small-store version: 1-day joke product
- 9Walmart: Mean Girls seriesWeekly ad drops
Year: 2023
Documented result: None published
Small-store version: New ad each Wednesday
- 10Allbirds: prices up $1Price rise for a cause
Year: 2020
Documented result: None published
Small-store version: No-discount stance with a match
| # | Campaign | Idea type | Year | Documented result | Small-store version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patagonia: Don't Buy This Jacket | Anti-shopping ad | 2011 | Sales up 25% to 30% a year since (PBS, 2015) | Buy-once message |
| 2 | REI: #OptOutside | Closed on the day | 2015 to 2025 | Online traffic up 26% that weekend (2015) | Close 1 day, reopen Saturday |
| 3 | Patagonia: sales donated | Day of sales donated | 2016 | $10 million vs $2 million projected | 1 day of sales, capped |
| 4 | IKEA: Buy Back Friday | Trade-in credit | 2020 | 27 countries; US national in 2021 | Credit for an old product |
| 5 | Deciem: Blackout Friday | Month-long sale | 2019 | None published | 1 offer all month |
| 6 | Apple: Black Friday event | Gift card with purchase | Yearly | None published | Credit toward the next order |
| 7 | Everlane: Black Friday Fund | Per-order donation | 2014 to 2018 | More than $628,000 by Nov 2018 | Fixed amount per order |
| 8 | Cards Against Humanity | Joke product | 2014 to 2016 | $71,145 for nothing (2015) | 1-day joke product |
| 9 | Walmart: Mean Girls series | Weekly ad drops | 2023 | None published | New ad each Wednesday |
| 10 | Allbirds: prices up $1 | Price rise for a cause | 2020 | None published | No-discount stance with a match |
Only Deciem and Walmart led with sale prices. The other 8 gave shoppers another reason to buy.
The 10 best Black Friday ads, one by one
Each entry: what the brand did, the reported result, an example ad and what to run before November 27, 2026. Example prices are illustrations.
1. Patagonia: Don't Buy This Jacket (2011)
A full-page ad telling shoppers not to buy a Patagonia jacket. Patagonia ran it in The New York Times on Black Friday 2011 and asked readers to buy less.
Reported result: in 2015 PBS NewsHour said sales had grown 25% to 30% a year since it ran, without crediting the ad alone.
Copy this: a buy-once message at full price. Example: Kettrow Iron, a fictional cast-iron shop, runs "You only need one" and "Free re-seasoning for life" (promise only what you honor). Run it as a Reels ad from November 9 and retarget the viewers on Black Friday, Nov 27.
2. REI: #OptOutside (2015 to 2025)
Closing every store on Black Friday and asking people to go outdoors. REI closed all 143 stores in 2015 and all 195 in 2025, 10 years after the first.
Reported result: for 2015, Retail Dive reported 26% more online traffic over the Black Friday weekend and 9.3% sales growth for the year.
Copy this: close for 1 day with a reason that fits what you sell. Example: Ottermoss Outdoor, a fictional gear shop, posts "Closed Friday. Go outside." and "Open Saturday, Nov 28". Announce it by November 16 and boost the post. Perfume brand Abel shut its website on Black Friday 2024 for the 7th year running.
3. Patagonia: 100% of Black Friday sales donated (2016)
Giving 1 day's entire sales to a cause. In 2016 Patagonia donated 100% of its global Black Friday sales to grassroots environmental groups.
Reported result: Fortune reported $10 million in sales against the $2 million Patagonia had projected.
Copy this: 1 day, a named cause and a cap you can afford. Example: Fernloop Goods, a fictional bag brand, runs "Friday sales go to rivers" with "100% of Nov 27 sales, up to $5,000". Name the group, run it November 23 to 27 and post the total on December 1.
4. IKEA: Buy Back Friday (2020)
Store credit for old furniture brought back, in place of a discount. From November 24 to December 3, 2020, IKEA ran buy-back in 27 countries, with credit worth up to 50% of the original price.
Reported result: no sales figure. IKEA US, left out in 2020, launched buy-back at 33 stores in November 2021.
Copy this: credit for an old product you can resell or donate. Example: Birchwick Home, a fictional furniture store, runs "Bring back your old chair" and "Get $40 store credit", Nov 23 to Nov 30. Retarget past buyers, who own the old product.
5. Deciem: Blackout Friday (2019)
A month-long sale, with the store closed on the day itself. Deciem, maker of The Ordinary, closed its stores and website on November 29, 2019, and ran 23% off everything all November.
Reported result: none published. In 2017 Black Friday crashed its servers 3 times and orders took 80 days to fulfill, against 15 planned.
Copy this: 1 modest offer across the month, so orders and packing do not all land on 1 day. Example: Velunne, a fictional skincare brand, runs "Shop slow this November", "15% off everything, all month" and "Closed on Nov 27". Keep any was-price honest.
Ideas 6 to 10
6. Apple: the Black Friday gift card event (yearly)
A gift card with purchase in place of a lower price. Apple's 2025 event ran November 28 to December 1, with cards up to $250, usable only on a later purchase.
Reported result: Apple does not publish one.
Copy this: credit toward the next order keeps your list price and brings a second visit. Example: Pellow Clay, a fictional pottery studio, runs "Spend $80, get $15 credit" and "Use it in January", Nov 27 to Nov 30.
7. Everlane: the Black Friday Fund (2014 to 2018)
A fixed donation from every Black Friday order, with a public goal. In 2018 Everlane gave $13 per order to the Surfrider Foundation, aiming for $260,000. In 2015 its goal was $110,650 for workers at its T-shirt factory.
Reported result: Fortune said the fund had raised more than $628,000 since 2014, as of November 2018.
Copy this: a dollar amount per order, a goal and the dates. Example: Saltmarrow, a fictional clothing brand, runs "$5 from every order" and "Goal: $3,000 for beach cleanups", Nov 27 to Nov 30. Name the group and post the final total.
8. Cards Against Humanity: selling nothing (2014 to 2016)
A joke product sold for 1 day in place of a sale. The game maker sold 30,000 boxes of bull poop at $6 in 2014, and people paid $100,573 to dig a pointless hole in 2016.
Reported result: in 2015, 11,248 people paid $5 for nothing, $71,145 in total.
Copy this: only if your audience already likes your humor. Example: Brindlewick, a fictional candle maker, sells a "Mall Parking Lot" candle with "It smells like Black Friday" and "Nov 27 only, $9". Post it organically, then boost the post with the most shares.
9. Walmart: the Mean Girls series (2023)
A weekly series of new Black Friday ads on the same weekday. In 2023 Walmart reunited Mean Girls cast members for new creative every Wednesday in November, and opened deal events 3 hours early to Walmart+ members.
Reported result: none published.
Copy this: skip the celebrities, keep the rhythm. Example: Juniveer, a fictional boutique, posts "New deal every Wednesday" and "Followers shop 3 hours early" on Nov 11, 18 and 25. Weekly ads also slow creative fatigue on Meta.
10. Allbirds: prices up $1 (2020)
Raising prices on Black Friday and giving the difference away. In 2020 Allbirds raised prices by $1, matched each dollar and gave both to the climate group Fridays for Future.
Reported result: none published.
Copy this: a no-discount stance with a small match, for a brand that never discounts. Example: Quillberry Tea, a fictional tea brand, runs "Our prices go up $1" and "We match it for tree planting" on Black Friday, Nov 27. Name the planting group.
How to run these Black Friday ad ideas on Meta and Google
Post organically first, then put a small budget behind the winning idea on Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Google.
Buy-once message (1)
- Meta ads version
- Video on how long it lasts, to new audiences
- Google Ads version
- Search ads on durability terms
- When in 2026
- Nov 9 to 27
Closed for the day (2, 5)
- Meta ads version
- Post, then an ad with the reopening date
- Google Ads version
- Brand Search ad with the reopening date
- When in 2026
- Announce by Nov 16
Cause with a number (3, 7, 10)
- Meta ads version
- Amount, goal and dates in line 1
- Google Ads version
- Sitelink to a page tracking the total
- When in 2026
- Nov 23 to 30
Credit or trade-in (4, 6)
- Meta ads version
- Retargeting (ads to past visitors and buyers) with the terms
- Google Ads version
- Shopping ads at full price, credit in the text
- When in 2026
- Nov 16 to 30
Weekly drops (9)
- Meta ads version
- 1 new creative each Wednesday
- Google Ads version
- New headlines each week
- When in 2026
- Nov 11, 18 and 25
Joke product (8)
- Meta ads version
- Boost the post with the most shares
- Google Ads version
- Usually skip
- When in 2026
- Nov 27 only
| Idea | Meta ads version | Google Ads version | When in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy-once message (1) | Video on how long it lasts, to new audiences | Search ads on durability terms | Nov 9 to 27 |
| Closed for the day (2, 5) | Post, then an ad with the reopening date | Brand Search ad with the reopening date | Announce by Nov 16 |
| Cause with a number (3, 7, 10) | Amount, goal and dates in line 1 | Sitelink to a page tracking the total | Nov 23 to 30 |
| Credit or trade-in (4, 6) | Retargeting (ads to past visitors and buyers) with the terms | Shopping ads at full price, credit in the text | Nov 16 to 30 |
| Weekly drops (9) | 1 new creative each Wednesday | New headlines each week | Nov 11, 18 and 25 |
| Joke product (8) | Boost the post with the most shares | Usually skip | Nov 27 only |
See what competitors run this November
Meta's Ad Library lets anyone search all active ads running across Meta products, and Google's Ads Transparency Center shows ads from verified advertisers. How to read the first: the Meta Ads Library guide. Sale-day budgets: Black Friday Facebook ads and Black Friday Google Ads.
Rules to check before you copy a famous Black Friday ad
Copy the mechanism only, with your own words and images, then check 3 things.
A was-price
- What to get right
- A price you openly offered for a reasonably substantial period of time
- Source
- 16 CFR 233.1
A free gift or bonus credit
- What to get right
- Regular price means the price you openly sold at for a 30-day period; terms shown clearly at the outset
- Source
- 16 CFR 251.1
A donation
- What to get right
- The amount, the dates and any cap, as Everlane stated: $13 per order, $260,000 goal
- Source
- Fortune, 2018
| If your ad has | What to get right | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A was-price | A price you openly offered for a reasonably substantial period of time | 16 CFR 233.1 |
| A free gift or bonus credit | Regular price means the price you openly sold at for a 30-day period; terms shown clearly at the outset | 16 CFR 251.1 |
| A donation | The amount, the dates and any cap, as Everlane stated: $13 per order, $260,000 goal | Fortune, 2018 |
Urgency follows the same logic: real end dates and real stock limits only.
4 AI prompts to adapt a Black Friday ad idea
Paste these into Claude or ChatGPT and replace the brackets.
How to test a famous Black Friday idea on a small budget
Test your version against your plain sale ad before the sale weekend, then spend on the winner.
Nov 9 to 15: post organically
Post 2 or 3 ideas and keep the one with the most saves and shares.
Nov 16 to 22: run 2 ads
Your plain sale ad and your version of the idea, same budget and audience. Example length: 5 to 7 days.
Nov 23 to 30: spend on the winner
Keep the ad with the lower cost per purchase and retarget people who watched or clicked.
The full dated plan is in the Black Friday marketing strategy.
Where Ryze AI fits in running Black Friday ad ideas
Ryze AI runs and tests your version of an idea on Meta, Google and TikTok. It will not choose your stance, set the offer, make a donation or copy another brand's creative.
The Paid Ads plan is $89 a month flat (checked November 2026), never a share of ad spend, with a 7-day free trial, no contract and cancel anytime. It includes AI autopilot for Google, Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn, AI ad creative and Meta Ads Library competitor analysis. You approve every change before it goes live.
Here, it reads which Black Friday angles competitors run, drafts creative for your version and tests it against your plain sale ad. More in the AI Meta ads tool.
Still your job: the stance, the offer, the stock, any donation and every claim in the ads.
Sources
Checked November 5, 2026
- Patagonia: Don't Buy This Jacket
- PBS NewsHour: Patagonia sales (2015)
- CBS: REI closes 143 stores (2015)
- Retail Dive: #OptOutside results
- MyNorthwest: REI closes 195 stores (2025)
- RNZ: Abel website blackout (2024)
- PR Newswire: Patagonia donation (2016)
- Fortune: Patagonia $10 million (2016)
- Planet Ark: IKEA buy back (2020)
- WRTV: IKEA buy back, not US (2020)
- PR Newswire: IKEA US buy back (2021)
- Yahoo: Deciem closes (2019)
- Cosmetics Business: Deciem 23% off (2019)
- MacRumors: Apple event (2025)
- Mic: Everlane fund (2015)
- Fortune: Everlane fund (2018)
- DNAinfo: Cards Against Humanity (2014)
- TechCrunch: $71,145 for nothing (2015)
- WBEZ: the pointless hole (2016)
- Marketing Dive: Walmart Mean Girls (2023)
- Retail Dive: Allbirds price rise (2020)
- Meta: Ad Library tools
- Google: Ads Transparency Center
- 16 CFR 233.1: former prices
- 16 CFR 251.1: free offers
Alex M.
VP Growth
Multi-Brand Ecommerce Group
We had five channels and five people each defending their own budget. Handing allocation to Ryze AI cut blended CAC 27% in a quarter — not because the bidding got smarter, but because money finally moved to whichever channel was winning that week.”
27%
Blended CAC reduction
5
Channels automated
12 weeks
To full autonomy
1,000+ marketers use Ryze
Automating hundreds of agencies
★★★★★The verdict
The best Black Friday ads gave shoppers a reason beyond the discount. For 2026, borrow 1 idea, write your own words, check the price and donation rules, and test it against a plain sale ad before November 27.
Ryze AI is the best AI tool for turning the best Black Friday ads into tested campaigns in 2026, with one caveat: it runs and tests your ads, but it will not copy another brand's creative.
