Every year, the noise starts earlier. Campaigns warm up before the leaves have even fallen. Inboxes fill, countdowns begin, and every feed starts to hum with the same urgency: limited time, last chance, act fast.
For a while, it works. Sales spike, dashboards flash green, and everyone feels the adrenaline of the season. But as quickly as it arrives, it fades. The noise settles. And what is left is the real question: what did the moment build?
Because if Black Friday and the festive period only leave you with short term wins, the return on effort is smaller than it looks. The real measure is what carries through January, how much brand gravity you created when everyone else was chasing clicks.
At Infinite Form, we look at this period differently. The goal is not to win the weekend. It is to set the rhythm for what comes next.
From reaction to resonance
The temptation in busy seasons is always speed: move quickly, fill the space, grab attention before someone else does. But the brands that stand out now are not the ones shouting louder. They are the ones building layers of meaning into how they show up.
That means thinking about activation less as a campaign and more as an ecosystem. Every message, design choice, and interaction should feel connected, not just to the offer, but to the story of who you are.
You can see this in brands that treat their Black Friday experience as an extension of their year round identity. A hospitality brand that turns its seasonal offer into a story about time well spent. A tech brand that does not just discount but opens access to a limited innovation demo. A retailer that uses its busiest week to highlight how it sources or designs differently.
They are all making the same strategic move, turning the transactional moment into a statement of values.
Example: Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” Campaign
In 2011, Patagonia ran a full page advert in The New York Times on Black Friday urging customers not to buy their jacket, highlighting the environmental impact of consumerism. This bold move sparked conversations about sustainability and has been a cornerstone of Patagonia’s brand ethos ever since.
The power of the build up
Too often, brands start communicating once the sale begins. By then, it is too late to build belief.
The most effective activations treat the lead up as part of the experience: content that informs, stories that spark curiosity, glimpses behind the curtain that make audiences feel part of the build.
At Infinite Form, we talk about this as the scene setting and activation phase, the weeks before the campaign, where you set the emotional tone. It is when the groundwork for trust, relevance, and excitement is laid.
That is what transforms a seasonal campaign into a brand moment.
Example: Peloton’s Early Access Black Friday Sale
In 2024, Peloton offered early access to Black Friday deals through referral codes, allowing members to access discounts on equipment and apparel before the general public. This strategy not only rewarded existing members but also built anticipation and excitement leading up to the main sales event, enhancing customer loyalty and engagement.
Two markers of success
There are countless ways to measure performance, but two tend to separate the brands that move forward from those that simply survive the season.
The first is continuity. Does what you say in November still hold in February? If your tone, design, and experience feel like they belong to a different company by the new year, the connection breaks. Consistency builds credibility.
The second is momentum. Did your activation open a door for something larger, a new product story, a community initiative, a partnership, or a piece of thought leadership? The strongest campaigns are not endpoints; they are catalysts.
When you plan that way, the impact compounds.
Example: Nike’s Member Exclusive Black Friday Offers
Nike’s Black Friday 2024 sale included early access and additional discounts for members, demonstrating a consistent brand experience that extends beyond the holiday season. By privileging members, Nike used the period to deepen loyalty and make the sale part of a broader relationship, not a one off bargain.
Building for beyond
Black Friday and the festive period will always be a commercial high point. But the brands that treat them as strategic moments, not just sales events, build a different kind of equity. They train their audiences to expect more: more coherence, more experience, more intent behind every message.
At Infinite Form, that is where the work begins, creating brand experiences that move people. Moments that connect emotion with purpose, story with substance. Because when people feel something, they do not just remember it; they return to it.
The most powerful activations are not the loudest. They are the ones that shift perception, deepen belief, and remind audiences why the brand matters at all.
Because when you approach this season as a chance to shape how people experience your story, not just how they buy from it, the growth that follows is no longer seasonal. It is structural.
The sales will come. But the real win is when your audience stays long after the countdown ends.
If you are exploring how to turn seasonal attention into lasting brand energy, we would love to help shape that story with you.
Ashley Bowdler
Chief Sales & Marketing Officer
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