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. This would also work well with mobile messaging campaigns. 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, TV, 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. They notched higher sales than electric cars or plug-in hybrids in 2021.

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

Another option for National Bike Month 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. Shared scooter and e-bike trips have doubled since 2018. 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 

• Orange Juice Day (May 4): Fresh-squeezed OJ would make an enticing video ad. 
• National Hoagie Day (May 5): Delis and restaurants can serve up special 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. TV and display ads can promote specials for the day and lead customers to reserve their space or order takeout.
• 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, TV, OTT and SMS. 
• 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, TV 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 special deals for active and retired military. Those specials can run on the radio and online. With digital advertising, you can target personas most likely to be military families. 

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. is 17%, with almost every health care organization experiencing a lack of nurses. The industry projects this will continue through 2030 as the demand for nurses increases while supply decreases.

Retailers, restaurants and spas could all offer special discounts for 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.

Colleges (four-year and technical) should also capitalize on this week to tell the stories of why the career is a great 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. 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.

Teacher Appreciation Week (May 8-12)

Teachers play a pivotal role in every community and deserve a big thank you every day. During this week in May, advertisers may 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 36,000 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, TV and display.

May Causes 

National Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day (May 13)

Do you have advertisers that are community-driven? An idea to observe this day could be encouraging consumers 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, and offer 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 work with dermatologists and other skin care professionals to drive information about skin cancer and remind 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 1) 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)

Consumers 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. 

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. The rate of Americans with life insurance decreased in 2022 to 50%. This could indicate that consumers 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.