10 Holiday Facebook Ads Examples (And What We Can Learn from Them)

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Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time for some holiday shopping. ?

Whether people are finding gifts for their loved ones or themselves, one thing is for sure…

The holidays spell a great opportunity for businesses to increase sales. And one of the best ways to boost your ROI this season is to run Facebook ads.

Facebook’s 2019 Holiday Marketing Guide reveals these insights that benefit your campaigns:

  • 43% of shoppers started shopping in November or earlier.
  • Convenience gave mobile shopping an edge in 2018.
  • 62% of people became more interested in a product after seeing it in Stories.

These stats show how crucial it is to start your Facebook ad campaign early and optimize your ads to satisfy shoppers.

Do you need tips for creating successful holiday Facebook ads?

I’ve compiled ten examples below with specific reasons why they succeeded. It’s important to know what works, especially with increased competition during the holidays!

Let this guide inspire your campaign this year. ??

10 Examples of Holiday Facebook Ads (+ Key Lessons)

1. Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton’s goal for running FB ads was to attract customers to one of their boutiques. Using Facebook’s store traffic advertising objective, they drove 13,000 store visits and reached 742,000 people.

Why it worked:

  • They used the right ad objective for their goal. (See the complete list of ad objectives)
  • With their carousel ads format, they were able to feature multiple products and a map that shows the nearest LV store.
  • Their targeting included people who were likely to make a purchase – shoppers ages 18 and above.
2. Boden

British Fashion retailer Boden has been running Facebook ads that only used images. They decided to take it to the next level by using video ads to win over new customers. In 25 days, they got 3,671 purchases and spent only £0.95 cost per click.

Why it worked:

  • Boden used the 10 best-performing images for their ads.
  • Testing 12 video ads on Facebook and Instagram audience enabled them to determine the most engaging ones.
  • Notice that their copy showed an enticing offer, which was a 50% discount plus free shipping.
  • To get new customers, Boden created lookalike audiences that were similar to their current customers.
3. Sally Hansen

Can you imagine running an ad 5 days before Christmas and capturing 11,000 emails? This was what nail care brand Sally Hansen achieved. They wanted to help find people’s best shade of red for the holidays. Their ads that ran in News Feed led people to Messenger.

Why it worked:

  • First of all, Sally Hansen used the right offer which was their red nail color. (As everyone knows, red is a popular color for Christmas!)
  • A lookalike audience was created that targeted people who were similar to those who liked their Facebook page.
  • Providing personalization, Sally Hansen asked people specific questions in messenger that would eventually show them their perfect shade.
  • They entered prospects who shared their email addresses into a contest. People had the chance to win limited-edition nail polishes!
4. Intu

Intu started by using their existing Christmas TV advert. Those who watched the video were shown more ads that featured specific content about their local intu destination. Intu was able to reach their goal which was increasing awareness and encouraging visits to their centres.

Why it worked:

  • They showed ads to people within a 10-mile radius of their shopping centre. This encouraged actual visits since it drove local awareness.
  • The videos highlighted actual food from restaurants in the area. Not just that, the videos were holiday-themed which made them look enticing.
5. Lifestyle

A “full-funnel” approach using Facebook ads is a brilliant means of driving in-store purchases. Lifestyle, a retail brand, ran two campaigns. Their first campaign focused on awareness and consideration. Meanwhile, the second campaign drove conversions – encouraging customers to visit their stores.

Why it worked:

  • Prospects were likely to be enticed by their variety of products – featured in a carousel format.
  • Lifestyle made sure that their video and photo ads were eye-catching. (Check it out: 10 Ways to Make Sure Your Facebook Ads Stand Out)
  • Leading people to their nearest store, they used the call-to-action “Get Directions.”
6. LeoVegas

Which is more efficient for your business – traditional TV ads or Facebook ads? Swedish company LeoVegas experienced 4x higher cost-efficiency with Facebook ads.

Why it worked:

  • LeoVegas ran their campaign during the New Year period (from December 26 – January 12). This was a time when most of their competitors were quiet. Thus, LeoVegas got more exposure.
  • People who saw the ad had the opportunity to win cash prizes and free spins.
  • For the ad placement, LeoVegas chose automatic placements. This allowed them to maximize their budget while getting the best possible results.
7. Avon Brasil

Gift-giving is a common practice during Christmas. Avon Brasil used this popular scenario in their video ad campaign. But to make it unique, they featured Mrs. Claus as an Avon representative. The campaign ran from November to December 2017. It boosted people’s purchase intent.

Why it worked:  

  • While Avon Brasil used video format, they made sure that it worked perfectly without sound.
  • In their video, Mrs. Claus gave away Avon products as gifts. This gave people the idea that their products could be given as presents to their loved ones.
8. Beachbody

Each New Year, most people commit to get fitter and healthier. Fitness brand Beachbody used this desire to their advantage. They ran their campaign from December 26 to January 1. The result? A 72% increase in subscriptions.

Why it worked:

  • To entice people with fitness goals, they wrote great copy. They stated the benefits of getting BeachBody and included discounts and other features of their program.
  • Beachbody created and targeted lookalike audiences based on their CRM system.
9. J2O

Got a limited edition product to promote this holiday season? Spice up your Facebook ad by making it fun – like J2O’s. They created several mobile-optimized video ads that resulted in a higher ad recall and lower cost per 10-second view.

Why it worked:

  • To make their campaign memorable and fun, J20 featured their brand character – an alpaca named Mojo. In their video, Mojo showcased their limited edition Glitterberry drink.
  • They chose a color that represented their product and the Christmas season.
  • Since J2O’s goal was to increase brand awareness, targeting a broad audience was a smart move.
10. Happy Socks

To promote their socks and underwear, Happy Socks launched a 10-day ad campaign. It featured a short retro dance film where popular Game of Thrones actor Pedro Pascal was the main star.

Why it worked:

  • Happy Socks used a famous actor. This was an effective strategy in capturing people’s attention and influencing their buying decision.
  • Pascal and the backup dancers in the ad danced while wearing Happy Socks colorful products. Not just that, the products featured the colors of Christmas.

Key Takeaways

There are plenty of ways to make your holiday Facebook ads stand out. To sum it all up, here’s what we can learn from the successful examples we just showed you:

  • Target your ads to the right demographics based on your goals.
  • Create a Lookalike Audience from your existing customers to help increase your holiday sales.
  • By using a carousel ad format, you can show off multiple products to entice customers even more.
  • If you have multiple retail stores, use location targeting to attract customers who are nearby.
  • When using video format, be sure to optimize it to play without sound. This allows people to enjoy your video ad anytime and anywhere!
  • Make your ads memorable and engaging by choosing the right colors, writing better copy, and using a festive holiday theme.
  • No matter what you’re promoting with your holiday ads, provide real value!

Get Your Holiday Facebook Ads Right

Time to grow your sales this holiday season. ⏰ Are you ready?!

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