December “National Day” Campaign Ideas for Local Advertisers

Just Desserts: National Pie Day (December 1), National Fritters Day (December 2), National Cookie Day (December 4), National Brownie Day (December 8), National Pastry Day (December 9) and National Cupcake Day (December 15)

December is a month to celebrate dessert! With six days dedicated to pies, fritters, cookies, brownies, pastries and cupcakes, there’s an opportunity to develop a delicious campaign. Restaurants and bakeries should take advantage of these hashtags and trending days to reward their customers’ sweet tooth.

These ads will work well on social media (with the hashtag), digital video and OTT, which are all visual in nature. Videos don’t need to be elaborate; these days are about the simple joy of delectable treats. Additionally, advertisers can leverage email marketing and mobile messaging to send offers to existing customers.

Campaigns could include discounts, special holiday promotions, or buy one, get one deals.

Gingerbread House Day (December 12)

While somewhat sweet, gingerbread houses are more about the design than the taste. It’s a holiday ritual many celebrators adore. Advertisers could use this family-friendly activity to engage audiences on social media with a #ShowUsYourGingerbreadHouse hashtag. They could promote this before December 12 and set it up as something fans can vote on, with the winner named and awarded.

This type of campaign isn’t about sales or driving revenue. Rather, it’s a branded campaign that can improve engagement and the company’s reputation. Your advertisers don’t have to be in a specific category for this to work since it’s about having fun and creating excitement.

National Guard Birthday (December 13)

National Guard members play essential roles in the country and deserve recognition. This is a great day for any military-friendly advertisers to show support. If they consistently offer service-related promotions, an ad can center on this and recognize the day.

For others, it can be a designated day of special discounts or donating a portion of revenue to military nonprofits. Consider social media, radio and digital display ads targeting military households to deploy these ad units.

National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day (December 15)

For this national day, advertisers can have some fun. Here are some ideas:

• Create a social media campaign asking followers to show off their ugliest sweater, with the brand rewarding the winner.
• Prompt ugly sweater wearers to visit a store and receive a discount or gift, driving more foot traffic.
• Show off the ugly sweaters of the advertiser’s staff as a light-hearted brand awareness ad.

Along with social media, you may consider radio and TV to cover a large audience. You can also be more targeted with video ads.

First Day of Winter (December 21)

Celebrating the winter solstice is a way for advertisers to promote what makes their customers think of winter. That could be anything from hot chocolate to snow gear, depending on the region. While winter means colder temperatures, many people love this time of year.

It can be an excellent day to drive attention to your advertisers and their winter wonders. Some promotional ideas include:

• Discounts for winter gear (skis, snowmobiles, skates, etc.)
• “Book now” ads for winter activities (skiing, ice skating, etc.)
• Bundles of merchandise that’s all about keeping warm (gift baskets, warm clothes, etc.)

Visual impact matters again here, so consider social media, TV, video ads and email marketing.