6 Memorial Day Marketing Ideas You Need to Try This Year (Examples & Templates)

In 2021, Memorial Day ranked the third most popular event in the US after Christmas and Thanksgiving. And in 2022, shoppers are forecasted to spend $50 to $100 each on celebration purchases.

Meaning: if you already haven’t thought of your Memorial Day marketing plan, it’s time you start without further delay.

Wondering what campaign to run and how to market while respecting the holiday?

We’ve got the answer for you as we dive into Memorial Day weekend marketing ideas backed by real-life examples. We’ve also got marketing templates to help you hit the ground running.

SEE MORE: Retail Marketing Calendar 2023: Key Dates, Campaign Ideas & Ready-to-Use Templates

Memorial Day marketing best practices 

Before we dive into Memorial Day marketing ideas, make a note of these best practices to stick with them for a successful campaign:

• Know your audience. Host surveys on your site and polls on social media to understand your target audience and what they’re looking for on Memorial Day. This will help you refine your marketing copy and create an offer relevant to them.
• Keep self-promotion at the minimum. Since Memorial Day is a somber holiday, it’s best to acknowledge the sacrifices of the fallen soldiers instead of taking it as an opportunity to talk about your brand. 
• Pay attention to your copy. Unless you’re targeting the beginning of summer around this time, it’s best to write a respectful copy instead of one that takes an upbeat, celebratory tone. 
• Get creative with your design. Be mindful of the Memorial Day colors—red, white, and blue. Use them in all your packaging design and marketing materials, including shading your logo in honor of the day.

When is the best time to start Memorial Day marketing?

According to Google Trends, searches for “Memorial Day” and “Memorial Day sale” start picking up from early to mid-May. They peak on the Memorial Day weekend:

This clarifies that once you’ve planned your Memorial Day campaign, start promoting it from mid-May. Speed up your marketing efforts as you come close to the last weekend of the month.

Now for the Memorial Day marketing examples that show all that we’ve discussed so far in action:

1. KIKO Milano’s Memorial Day-themed collection

KIKO Milano Cosmetics promoted a Wonder Woman collection as part of its Memorial Day campaign:

But that’s not even the best part.

The Milan-born makeup and skincare brand offered the collection at sale prices and then paired with influencers to spread the word:

Take this Memorial Day marketing idea a step further by adding a countdown timer to your site. This way, you can instill FOMO around the themed collection’s launch. 

2. Chobani’s limited-edition product 

You don't have to go all in to create a new collection. Instead, offer a limited-edition product as Chobani did by launching its Hero Batch:

The interesting bit? It was created by veterans working at Chobani.

The aim wasn’t direct sales here, though.

Chobani created Hero Batch to raise donations for Operation Homefront, which supports America’s military families. They also invited their audience to donate. 

Like Chobani, you can launch a limited-edition product and donate from its sales or create Memorial Day-specific packaging. The latter helps spread awareness of the day. 

Don’t forget, if you’re raising donations, create a specific landing page asking for them. And once done, be sure to record and share your experiences on the same or another landing page as Chobani did.

3. Forever21’s Memorial Day special discount 

Another idea is to offer discounted prices on all your products like Forever21 did:

But make sure you announce the discount using a sticky bar that stays on your site’s header. Here, the idea is to make sure your site visitors don’t miss the discount you’re offering.

Note that Forever21 also added reminders like “Only a Few Left” on specific products. This is another way to instill FOMO, encouraging interested buyers to shop immediately. Try it for yourself to see an uptick in sales. 

4. Avocado Green’s Memorial Day promo code 

You can also launch a Memorial Day savings campaign as Avocado Green did. They offered a series of promo codes, and put them together on a dedicated landing page:

The codes: 

• $100 off using code HONOR 
• $250 off using code MEMORIALDAY

Plus, Avocado Green gave a 5% discount to verified service members—including nurses, doctors, military personnel, educators, and firefighters. 

When prepping for such a promo code-based discount, make sure you add a popup alerting visitors of the promo codes you’re offering. 

Nectar Sleep, for instance, created this Memorial Day-themed exit-intent popup to get the attention of visitors who missed their special offer:

5. Pipette Baby’s Memorial Day tiered discount sale 

Another example of a Memorial Day marketing campaign is a “spend X amount to get Y% free” discount. 

For its Memorial Day campaign, Pipette Baby offered the following tired discount deal:

• 15% off on spending $30
• 20% off on spending $45 
• 30% off on spending $60

The company did a simple yet eye-catching and effective promo video to share across social:

Pipette Baby then directed traffic to the home page, which was pushing the tiered discounts front and center:

You can also easily create such a campaign. But be sure to market it well across your site—like using site messages that slide in within a few seconds of a visitor landing on a page. 

6. Pepsi’s Memorial Day remembrance campaign 

Want to go big—beyond a discount campaign? Take a page from Pepsi’s Rolling Remembrance relay, which is currently in its seventh year:

This campaign aims to raise awareness and funds for the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation. Each year, 36 PepsiCo drivers who are military veterans transport the American flag across the country—passing it to each other at various relay points. 

What’s noteworthy here is that Pepsi doesn’t market specific products anywhere in this campaign. It’s a pure branding play:

While you don’t have to go this big, you can do something similar on a more economical budget. You could, for example, simply pair with an NGO or charity that supports military veterans.

And don't forget to maximize donations on your site by creating a landing page and sharing it widely in your emails and on social media.

Ready to try out these Memorial Day weekend marketing ideas? Start with creating on-point marketing material such as popups, sticky bars, and more.

With ConvertFlow, all you have to do is to customize the templates we share below, and you’re done—no external help needed. Just edit the text and coloring to give a Memorial Day theme and you're ready to go!