January “National Day” Campaign Ideas for Local Advertisers

National Hobby Month

The spectrum of hobbies is quite broad, so it could apply to many different advertisers. Additionally, since we’re just coming off the holidays, people may be experimenting with new hobbies. Campaigns to celebrate hobbies could be related to products or experiences.

According to data, the most popular hobbies are cooking/baking, reading, pets, video gaming and outdoor activities.

With the data on popularity, you can quickly align different advertisers with these hobbies. 

Here are a few ideas:

• Classes: Community colleges and other organizations are good targets for these, with instruction around painting, sketching, ceramics or photography. These advertisers could target demographics and locations with display or OTT ads. They could also reach the masses with radio spots. Cooking classes, especially for couples or groups, would also be appealing.
• Supplies for hobbies: Most hobbies require materials. Artists need paint. Musicians need instruments. Crafters need a little bit of everything. For local retailers that provide these items, this is an excellent opportunity for a monthlong promotion. They could give a discount, gift with purchase or other offers. Explore ways to create a multimedia campaign to attract the most traffic, expanding across radio, digital and email marketing. They could earn new customers and keep existing ones loyal with special deals.
• Hobby events: Some enthusiasts host events as part of their hobby. Car shows are an excellent example. Check out your local monthly event calendar to find these. Then, reach out to those groups with the idea of attaching the event to the monthly theme. They can boost attendance with geofencing ad types. For broad appeal, radio spots are great. 

Additionally, in any of these options, SEM (search engine marketing) is another tactic to reach local consumers looking for hobby-related goods or events.

National CBD Month

Did you know that the CBD (cannabidiol) industry is over $4 billion in the U.S.? Consumers use it for various reasons and even give it to their furry family members. For states where the sale of CBD is legal, which often means it must have 0.3% of THC or less, it’s a great month to collaborate with companies to promote their e-commerce and physical shops via both linear and digital ads. Be sure to check the compliance requirements for these ads and work with a digital platform that allows for CBD advertising. 

National Soup Month

Everybody loves soup! Chilly days make soup a staple of winter diets. With so many options, you could have a different soup every day of the month, and that could actually be a campaign for restaurants. They could promote their soup of the day via social media and SMS marketing to their current customers.

Beyond restaurants, other advertisers may benefit from this, like local chefs for hire or catering companies. They could offer recipes as part of the ad and an offer for a future service. Social media is the ideal channel for this. 

National Blood Donor Month

Blood donations save lives, and the Red Cross estimates that someone needs a transfusion in the U.S. every two seconds. It’s a great service for anyone able to donate blood.

Creative ad campaigns can focus on awareness, education and signing up to donate. You can approach nonprofit organizations and local health care organizations with these ideas. Other local businesses may also want to highlight this cause with promotions incentivizing their customers to donate.

National Science Fiction Day (January 2)

Science fiction is a genre U.S. consumers love. Whether it’s books, movies or TV shows, their fans are loyal and steadfast. Specialty retailers, bookstores and cinemas could be good advertisers for campaigns to celebrate this day. Tactics to suggest include email marketing to current customers, targeted video and social media. Businesses could offer discounts, bundles or other incentives to reach sci-fi aficionados.

National Trivia Day (January 4)

Trivia is a favorite activity for many. It’s also highly engaging and appealing to people’s competitive side. Advertisers could use the day to celebrate their events or run a contest. Local bars and restaurants that host trivia nights will want to promote those. You can recommend social media, SMS marketing, SEM and digital display ads.

Other businesses could create a trivia game based on things like their industry, company history or something relevant to your city. Social media would be the best place to do this, but you can get their current customers involved through SMS and email. 

Help them design something that will be fun and engaging. The prize can be one of their products or services. It could help with brand awareness and overall customer engagement, which will last much longer than just the day.

National Technology Day (January 6)

Where would we be without technology? It’s hard to even imagine it. Technology plays a significant role in almost every person’s life. The problem, of course, is when technology fails or is hard to learn. There are two angles you could approach here.

First, you likely have multiple companies in your area that are tech repair experts. You could pitch a humorous take on this for an ad campaign that helps them connect with consumers with broken tech. SEM would be a great channel, as that’s where many are searching for answers. They could also reengage previous customers with email. Social media platforms are ideal for these as well.

Second, many people received new tech for the holidays, but do they know how to use it? There are businesses that do this, too. Advertising to people within a geo or through OTT based on previous behaviors (like searching how to do something) could point the technically challenged to the experts.

National Cut Your Energy Costs Day (January 10)

Any home or property owner wants to cut energy costs, and there are many ways to do that in the modern world. Utility companies have special programs. Solar panels are a mainstream addition to homes and businesses that support renewable energy efforts. For a campaign related to this national day, work with organizations in the energy field to drive awareness and leads. Some options for this include OTT/CTV spots targeted to homeowners, special emails sent to those in areas where these services are available, and radio spots that have limited-time offers.

National Shop for Travel Day (January 14)

Travel demand continues to grow, with experts estimating spending in 2025 to reach $1.26 trillion. Spending on travel will come from consumers and businesses. In 2025, domestic travel spending will increase by 1.6%, and international will be up 8.2%.

Ads for this day would be a good fit for travel companies, hospitality, and events or attractions. It’s a day they’ll want to debut some of their best rates for the year ahead. Using multiple digital approaches will drive traffic.

National Hat Day (January 15)

Hats have long been a wardrobe staple for men and women. With so many options, there’s a style for everyone. From caps that display professional sports teams to classic bucket hats, the options are endless.

For retailers with any types of hats to sale, approach them about campaigns to showcase this national day. Display ads with promo codes, emails about pop-up sales, and social media ads can drive traffic to their websites and stores.

National Use Your Gift Card Day (January 18)

Gift cards are always a popular item for the holidays. Many people actually forget they have them. A survey found that 47% of Americans have an unused one. This national day can be the reminder that some consumers need.

For any retailer, restaurant, hospitality or service business that offers gift cards, it’s a great and unique promotion. They could even throw in a certain percentage off if the person uses the gift card before the end of the month. Tactics like display and geofencing retargeting can target those who may have previously visited the business in person and online. Be sure to include any language about gift card expirations, if applicable.

National Have Fun at Work Day (January 31)

Finally, why not show the world your advertisers’ fun side? A campaign for this day is more about brand awareness and goodwill. A fun video would be a great play on OTT or social. Memes on social sites would also work. This type of advertising shows the human side of a company, and it can ensure that new and existing clients have a positive connection with the advertiser.

One idea is to do some employee spotlights for industries like plumbing, electrical and HVAC. These workers are heroes to many who call them in distress. With a bit of humor, this content could go viral.