May “National Day” Campaign Ideas for Local Advertisers

National Barbecue Month 

Any company in the outdoor living spaces industry should leverage this to build excitement around barbecues. Many consumers have spent the last year upgrading their exterior spaces and will now be enjoying them. Ad campaign ideas include: 

• Grill giveaways: Run promotions on linear and digital to announce the competition. You’ll want consumers to provide at least an email address when they enter the giveaway; this allows your advertiser to continue building appeal via email marketing. 
• “Show Us What You’re Grilling” contests: Prompt grillers to share their meals on social media, tagging the advertiser. These can be highly engaging and can help brands add social media followers. They can “judge” entrants and give them a virtual “Best Griller” trophy. 
• Specials on grills, furniture and more: Advertisers can also use this month to promote special deals. Consider pitching them a bundle that’s only available during National Barbecue Month. You could run this on radio, video and email. An integrated promotion like this should build excitement and drive traffic to their website and physical stores. 

National Bike Month 

The bike industry continues to be strong, with consumers purchasing traditional and electric bikes. There are more than 51 million bicycle riders in the U.S. The e-bike market has grown substantially, representing around 5% of the market as more options have become available.

For National Bike Month, you can work with bike shops, retailers and sporting goods stores to promote their latest offerings. These ads will do well with video to show the products in action. These could play on OTT/CTV, social media or display ads.

Another option is partnering with local parks and recreation departments. Video ads would also be great here to promote the best bike trails in the city or county.

You can also reach out to e-bike shared services providers. If your city has e-bikes for use, it’s a perfect time for these brands to remind people about their options and locations with targeted display ads.

May Food and Beverage Days 

• Lemonade Day (May 4): Spring’s official beverage could be a great menu item to highlight for restaurants and juice bars.
• Orange Juice Day (May 4): Fresh-squeezed OJ would make an enticing video ad. 
• Hoagie Day (May 5): Delis and restaurants can serve up deals on their most-loved sandwiches via social media and by reaching out to current customers via email or SMS.
• Shrimp Day (May 10): Get mouths watering with shrimp creations. Display ads can promote specials for the day and lead customers to reserve their space or order takeout.
• Apple Pie Day (May 13): This American favorite gets its own day. Restaurants and bakeries can promote specials for slices or whole pies.
• Chocolate Chip Day (May 15): Pitch a campaign for this day with diners receiving a free chocolate chip cookie with purchase. It can attract customers and work well on radio, OTT and social media. 
• Wine Day (May 25): Wine lovers will be toasting on this day, so give them a reason to visit your customers. Wine deals from beverage retailers and bars are a great way to celebrate. You could run these on radio and online. 
• Hamburger Day (May 28): Burgers are authentic American cuisine. You could integrate this campaign with National Barbecue Month. Additionally, any restaurant proud of its burgers can create daily specials. Showing images of real customers enjoying their burgers could get mouths watering. 

May Appreciations

National Military Appreciation (All Month)

Advertisers should consider brand awareness advertising to express their appreciation for the military. In addition to making such a statement, businesses could announce exclusive deals for active and retired military. With digital advertising, you can target personas most likely to be military families. Tactics to recommend include display ads, social media and streaming audio.

Nurses Week (May 6-12)

Nurses are the backbone of the health system. It’s a career that employs many compassionate, dedicated individuals. It’s also an industry in need of new candidates.

The registered nurse vacancy rate in the U.S. was 9.9% in 2024, which is a decrease over 2023. However, the turnover rate was still high at 20.7%, and almost half (47.8%) of hospitals still had vacancy rates at over 10%.

Nurses are the foundation of health care, and the industry needs help to fill these gaps. You can help them.

Colleges (four-year and technical) should also capitalize on this week to tell the stories of why nursing is a great career opportunity. Health care systems in need of nurses can use this time to do the same thing, featuring their benefits and wages in recruitment ads. Geofencing around schools for nurses would be an excellent option, and you don’t have to limit this to their metro area. Advise them to target other regions of the country where there may be more nurses but fewer jobs.

There are also businesses that want to give thanks to the profession. Retailers, restaurants and spas could all offer discounts to nurses for purchases or appointments during this time frame. They can communicate this in many ways, from radio to social media. Targeting these ads by interests and jobs on social media will get them in front of the right people.

Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5-9)

Teachers play a pivotal role in every community and deserve a big thank you every day. During this week in May, advertisers might want to show their appreciation in many ways. You can suggest that businesses run campaigns to reward teachers, similar to those noted for nurses.

For engagement, encourage your customers to tie in social media, where students can share stories about their favorite teachers. They could even pick a winner to receive a prize, which could lead to media exposure. 

Schools could also join in by using the week to spotlight different educators and let them tell their stories. This could stand as a way to prompt more people to get into the career, as there are at least 49,851 vacant positions in the U.S.

For colleges that can promote teaching programs (either a four-year degree or certification for those already holding bachelor’s degrees), you can recommend tactics like social media, OTT/CTV and display.

May Causes

National Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day (May 10)

An idea for any of your community-driven advertisers to observe this day could be encouraging people to donate food at their location. Advertisers could also run one-day promotions and donate a portion of proceeds to a local food bank. Start early on this promotion, offering linear and digital bundles.

Skin Cancer Awareness (All Month)

May is usually a month of sunshine, meaning people should use sunscreen more. Unfortunately, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD). One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. As a result, awareness and prevention are much-needed communications. 

May is the ideal time to collaborate with dermatologists and other skin care professionals to drive information about skin cancer, reminding people to get checked out and always wear sunscreen. These are narrative types of spots, so they’ll be most impactful through video on social media, display and OTT/CTV. They could link back to the clinician’s webpage with more information.

Other advertisers may also be interested in raising melanoma treatment and research funds. Often, those with a personal story want to get involved. If any of your customers do, talk with them about donating proceeds from the day to a nonprofit, which you could promote via social media, geofencing display ads, email and SMS.

You can kick things off on Melanoma Monday (May 5) and continue the campaign throughout the month.

National Dental Care Awareness (All Month)

Your dental advertisers will want to capitalize on National Dental Care Awareness. Dental care is health care! Unfortunately, many avoid the dentist for various reasons, such as fear or lack of dental insurance. Chat with dental practices about creating an integrated campaign that educates people on why they need to take care of their teeth, along with tips.

While these can be informational ads, they can also promote their services, from basic cleanings to cosmetic procedures to implants. To ensure reach and targeting, propose ad spots on TV or radio along with digital display and social media ads. They can also reach out to current patients through email or SMS.

National Rescue Dog Day (May 20)

People appreciate when companies have a heart, and most are animal lovers. It’s a chance for retailers to partner with nonprofits for a donation of proceeds on the day. Brands could also highlight adoptable dogs in display ads. 

Mental Health Awareness (All Month)

Creating awareness around mental health and moving it from the shadows has become a key priority for many. Health care professionals, associations, businesses and individuals are all working to remove the stigma and ensure those suffering have support and resources. 

The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that 1 in 5 Americans experience mental illness annually. Additionally, one in six youths (ages 6-17 years) deal with a mental health disorder. These numbers reflect how prevalent this is in society.

There are several ways to build an ad campaign about this topic:

• Work with associations, nonprofits and health care professionals on awareness tactics that deliver information and provide links to get help.
• Discuss the concept with local businesses, which may run a promo to donate part of profits on certain days to mental health organizations.
• Approach mental health providers, especially newer telehealth options that offer services in your region, to target residents with ads to begin their therapy journey.
• Consider other advertisers that have related services like yoga studios and wellness programs and retreats.

Depending on the audience the business would like to reach, you can recommend the best social platforms for ads. Add display and OTV/CTV for additional opportunities to reach those in need.

More May Days

National Life Insurance Day (May 2)

This occasion is perfect for your insurance advertisers. Life insurance can be a sensitive topic, but it’s a product that many people believe is essential. Data from 2024 revealed that 51% of Americans have some type of life insurance. This information also noted that around 100 million U.S. consumers are either without it or inadequately insured. 

There has been a continual decrease in the percentage of Americans with life insurance since 2011. This could indicate that people need more education and information on the subject. It’s an opportunity for insurance brokers to create a campaign with life insurance facts and benefits, such as short videos on social media or targeted display ads based on demographics most likely to purchase (i.e., parents, those over 50, etc.), to attract new customers. 

Another angle would be to encourage consumers to get more coverage than just the plans provided by employers. Remind them that these plans end when they leave a job, but they’ll have policies forever when they purchase directly from insurance companies.

May the Fourth Be With You (May 4)

This fun May national day celebrates Star Wars. As one of the most successful and beloved science fiction sagas, Star Wars has fans from every demographic.

Advertisers can attract Star Wars devotees and other consumers by capitalizing on this day. Any retailer or restaurant could offer a discount related to four. Restaurants may even have a themed event to promote it.

Entertainment venues may be hosting parties as well. Think beyond typical clubs or bars when looking for these. Escape rooms and experiential attractions are also potential advertisers.

Tactics to recommend include geofencing, social media and streaming audio.