Memorial Day Marketing: 12 Fresh Ideas and Examples (2025)

The Memorial Day holiday (May 26th) is more than family gatherings, weekend getaways, and barbecues.

For many Americans, it’s also a great time to shop, more so as it’s also the onset of summer.

A good time for eComm stores – but only if they break through the noise – with smarter, fresher Memorial Day marketing.

In this article, let's look at:

• 10 Memorial Day Marketing Ideas and Examples
• 15 Memorial Day Email Subject Lines

12 Memorial Day Marketing Ideas and Examples

1. Offer compelling Memorial Day product bundles

2. Make your discounts “appear” more appealing

3. Heighten curiosity with mystery Memorial Day deals

4. Time for summer deals!

5. Utilize the power of psychological pricing (with BOGO deals)

6. Create America-themed products

7. Capitalize on sensory marketing

8. Start the conversation with an essential Memorial Day checklist

9. Leverage possession utility as a persuasive tactic

10. Offer a freebie – with a catch

11. Support a cause for Memorial Day

12. Plan a flow for your Memorial Day promotions

1. Offer Compelling Memorial Day Product Bundles

Offer product bundles that address problems specific to summer for your Memorial Day promotions.

Suppose, you’re a pet food and care brand, you can offer product bundles that help remove ticks, prevent dehydration, and repellents that help protect dogs from Lyme Disease. 

Now, what you shouldn’t do – sell clothing bundles for pets that serve their purpose in winter. 

Hawthorne offers curated bundles as part of its Memorial Day sales at reasonable prices.

How to make your Memorial Day sale bundles more compelling: 

• Curate some products great for trips, BBQs, and parties into ‘Memorial Day Bundles.’ Make sure shoppers know the reason these bundles will be useful for the Memorial Day weekend (and ahead)
• Mention the authority. For example, you could roll out staff favorite product bundles – this way, you mention the weight of the subject-matter expert – and also persuade via employee advocacy 
• Display credentials of the subject-matter expert to communicate a watertight statement (For example: Products requiring medical advice) 
• Offer DIY bundles where customers can pick and choose items, thus conveying the choice to make independent decisions
• Put out the limited edition products for Memorial Day sale with a time-sensitive offer. This induces FOMO, motivating customers to act fast

Pro Tip: Retarget shoppers who didn’t engage with your Memorial Day email. But choose SMS this time and make it a limited-time deal. Say something like: “Last chance! Missed our Memorial Day bundle? Grab it now for an extra $XX off – only till 11:59 PM tonight. Don’t wait 👀 [link].”

2. Make Your Discounts “Appear” More Appealing

High-consideration products require customers to do deep research, and yet they might be apprehensive.

Reason?

They want the best offer. They often end up asking:

• Is this the best price that I can get?
• Is there an alternative that offers high quality at an affordable price?
• If there’s a convenient option, will I get to make returns? 

Tuft & Needle offers individual discounts on its best-selling mattresses as part of its Memorial Day campaign ideas.

Discounts on best sellers encourage new product trials by pushing shoppers beyond their apprehensions.

How to make your discounts on your Memorial Day campaigns more appealing: 

• Use price anchoring to make the price reduction more tangible 
• Use price badges to draw attention and enable customers to make quick decisions, as they stimulate pre-attentive processing
• Include a limited-time offer nudge to drive real urgency 
• Use multiples of 10 as discount percentages for memorability (like 20%, 60%, 30%)
• Offer an additional discount on top of your Memorial Day promotion to cart abandoners and wishlisters (say something like “it’s already in your cart, just check it out with an additional $XX OFF)

Pro Tip: Showcase tiered discounts to make your Memorial Day discounts even more compelling and also increase AOV, while you are at it. Say something like:

“We’re giving back this Memorial Day. Enjoy biggest ever savings with:
💥 20% OFF $150+
🚀 30% OFF $500+
🏆 50% OFF $1,000+ (up to $200 OFF!)”

3. Heighten Curiosity With Mystery Memorial Day Deals  

In a study by the University of Passau, it was found that customers who received the mystery deal exhibited greater happiness during the pre-purchase and post-purchase stages when they got a deal of their liking. 

Mystery deals increase dopamine, driving the customers to click.

Including mystery deals in your Memorial Day email marketing can help in reducing cart abandonment rates substantially. 

310 Nutrition offers a mystery deal as part of its Memorial Day email campaign.

How to make mystery deals more appealing for your Memorial Day promotions:

• Use a question in your mystery deal copy as a rational trigger 
• Include ellipsis(...) in your Memorial Day sale copy to build suspense 
• Add a Memorial Day countdown timer to increase urgency by the minute 
• Insert images that act as an emotional trigger to drive CTR
• Use power verbs in your CTA for higher response

Pro Tip: Need more Memorial Day sale ideas? One that helps you get rid of dead and slow-selling inventory over the Memorial Day weekend, simply run a “Memorial Day Warehouse Sale” or an “Open-Box Sale.”

4. Time for summer deals!  

You can drive awareness among first-time customers and turn them into repeat customers for your summer sale.

Havaianas offers 30% off on its summer collection as part of Memorial Day marketing ideas.

Offering promo codes can help increase oxytocin by 38% and 11% happier in contrast to those who didn’t.  

How to launch summer sales with your Memorial Day promotions:

• Offer summer guides with tips such as “how to protect yourself from the blistering sun”, “clothes to wear, and foods to consume to stay cool”. Connect these needs to your products
• Run product bundling offers that provide respite from the summer. For example, a summer multivitamins bundle 
• Educate customers about the problems that come with summer and outline the solution. Here’s how Pai Skincare does it

5. Utilize The Power of Psychological Pricing (With BOGO Deals)

Buy One, Get One deals are a customer favorite – 93% of them say it.

When shoppers get free stuff, they are likely to break away from rational reasoning. Dan Ariely, a noted behavioral economist, states in his book ‘Predictably Irrational’ that customers change their behavior patterns as soon as they see free stuff. It taps their innate desire to get something for free without paying for it. 

This is supported by the Zero Price Effect, where there’s an increase in demand for a product when the cost is zero, even if there is no need.  

Tuff Ring offers a Buy One Get Two deal as part of their Memorial Day advertising:

How to make your BOGO deals sell well in your Memorial Day marketing:

• Offer a complimentary product to enhance the value of the primary product. For example, a razor and a pack of blades 
• Provide free samples on the purchase of certain products to encourage new product adoption 
• Ensure you limit frequent BOGO deals in a particular period. This results in fatigue, and customers won’t be motivated to purchase 
• Make sure you do your inventory forecasting right to avoid stockouts 

Pro Tip: Want to power up your Memorial Day copywriting and promotion in one go? Tie in the emotion behind the day to make your ads feel deeply relevant. For example, if you’re a jewelry brand, offer free engraving in remembrance of fallen heroes.

6. Create America-Themed Products 

Creating products modeled after the American flag demonstrates the collective feeling of being American on Memorial Day. 

Tipsy Elves offers American flag-themed products as part of their offerings. 

An initiative, like the above, lets customers commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers through clothes and apparel with absolute ease.

How to help sell American-themed products for Memorial Day:

• Feature elegant models wearing your American-themed products as customers perceive beautiful things to be good, courtesy – The Halo Effect
• Name your products after American themes to invoke a strong sense of cultural attachment 
• Use low stock alerts to emphasize real-time urgency 
• Assure on-time delivery before Memorial Day to influence purchase decisions
• Include Memorial Day emojis in your copy, like “🧡 🤍 💙” (to show the flag) or “💜” (to show the Purple Heart)

Pro Tip: Add Memorial Day freebies like cemetery flags or handwritten notes to your promos. Use copy like the ones below across your on-site banners, emails, and packages:

“This Memorial Day, in honor of our fallen heroes, we’re including a small token of appreciation,” or “A handwritten note. A remembrance flag. A quiet thank you. Included with every Memorial Day order.”

7. Capitalize On Sensory Marketing 

Sensory Marketing is a way to appeal to any of the 5 senses (sight, taste, touch, sound, and smell) to draw attention and response from customers. 

Here’s how it is used in different segments:

a) Hardware: A hardware store selling electronic locks uses a video to convey safety, accessibility, ease of use, and efficiency showing the product in context. It outlines how one can monitor their safety far away with their phone, voice, finger, and key. The WiFi-enabled access enables safety, simplicity, and style. 

Do check out: 18 Ideas to Boost Online Hardware Stores Conversions

b) Jewelry: Features an image of a model wearing an earring to highlight its appeal and glow. It uses white background along with high-quality images to emphasize its craftsmanship and the vibe it possesses. It highlights the luxury and elegance of wearing the product.

c) Accessories: A mobile accessory brand selling its products will use an image to demonstrate that its products are damage-resistant.

Cure Hydration uses sensory marketing in its Memorial Day email.

Sensory marketing succeeds due to its underlying principle of embodied cognition – sensory interactions subconsciously determine the way customers perceive and interact with brands and products.

How to make sensory marketing bring you sales for your Memorial Day marketing campaigns:

• Supplement your copy with the images to set the right context
• Use fonts that make it interactive, such as Playfair, Lato, Oswald, and Roboto 
• Use subtle cues like product names without making them obvious. For instance, in the above example, the woman is drinking from a Cure Hydration bottle
• Use epizeuxis – repetition of a word in quick succession to increase its power and memorability in the subconscious minds of customers

8. Start The Conversation With An Essential Checklist 

Americans see Memorial Day weekend as an opportunity to travel. In 2022 alone, 39.2 billion people planned to travel outdoors, and the numbers are more than likely to increase this year. 

According to Numerator, nearly 46% of shoppers start their Memorial Day weekend planning 1 to 2 weeks before the 3-day weekend arrives, while a majority plan to celebrate with friends and family.

A checklist serves as a guide and gives a sense of direction. It brings forth the principle of authority – customers follow the lead of legitimate and credible experts. 

Here’s an example of a Memorial Day email from Minnow, inspiring shoppers to shop the sale:

Subject: your long weekend looks

Preview text: celebrate memorial day in red, white and blue 

How to put your Memorial Day checklist in place:

• Offer different categories so customers have the convenience of choice 
• Include high-quality product images, so customers can scan them. 75% of customers base their decisions based on product images. 
• Write product descriptions that simplify the benefits of the products
• Include seasonal essentials in the checklist and nothing else to establish authority
• Make sure you mention the Memorial Day shipping cutoff, so shoppers can place their orders in time
• Plan your Memorial Day content to share ideas that tie to the spirit of the day – like:
  
  • a blog post of top camping spots
  • videos of top BBQ menus
  • or a checklist like “how to give back on Memorial Day: visit a memorial site, place a flag, share a moment of silence”

Pro Tip: You can also segment out high-value shoppers and reach out to them over SMS, a week before Memorial Day (and reward them with early access) – here’s an example from Autozone:

9. Leverage Possession Utility As A Persuasive Tactic 

Possession utility is the perceived value that a customer gets by owning a product.

Burrow uses possession utility as a persuasive tactic to sell their furniture in their Memorial Day sale email.

How to use possession utility in your Memorial Day campaigns: 

• Use cause and effect statements in your content to describe the relationship features and benefits 
• Show how the product will be useful, even beyond Memorial Day (note how Burrow does this)
• Offer a 7-day free trial to let customers use the product and to reduce buyer’s remorse 
• Use the inverted pyramid model to highlight the most important information at the beginning 

10. Offer A Freebie – With A Catch 

A free gift on a minimum purchase as part of your Memorial Day sale is a motivating incentive. 

This practice elicits nudge marketing – a long-term marketing strategy that encourages visitors to make fast purchasing decisions through subtle or direct prompts. 

310 Nutrition offers a free Memorial Day Shaker Cup to influence customers to buy.

How to make your nudges more compelling for your Memorial Day campaigns:

• Use contractions to make it conversational and exclamation to emphasize the power of the nudge
• Highlight the nudge in red to drive urgency 
• Use capital letters to demonstrate your brand as competent 
• Include a limited-time offer messaging to drive impulse action

11. Support A Cause For Memorial Day

Supporting a meaningful cause builds emotional relevance and creates a deeper connection with shoppers. It also reinforces brand integrity, especially during holidays like Memorial Day, where purpose matters just as much as the promotions.

Authenticity50 nails this by partnering with the EOD Warrior Foundation to launch a “Give Back campaign” instead of a standard “Memorial Day giveaway”

How to support your Memorial Day campaigns through cause marketing:

• Partner with a military-related nonprofit and donate a portion of sales
• Gamify the cause: offer a free military-themed reward (like a morale patch or keychain) to the first 100 contributors
• Make the donation the hero of the campaign: “Your order helps us support EOD veterans this Memorial Day”
• Follow up with transparency – show the amount raised and share a thank-you message from the beneficiary organization

Pro Tip: Offer extended returns for your Memorial Day products, to not only alleviate pre-purchase anxiety, but also to show, it’s not just for the cause.

12. Plan A Flow For Your Memorial Day Promotions

( ℹ ) Also Answers: When do Memorial Day sales Start for eCommerce Brands?

Sequencing your promotions across May helps you stay top of mind, without overwhelming shoppers. Instead of launching a one-weekend sale, tie Memorial Day to other timely events and observances in May.

HOMAGE shows how to do this well in their Memorial Day email campaign. 

Sent on May 1st, they start early with Military Appreciation Month and extend through D-Day by collaborating with the National Veterans Memorial & Museum.

How to plan your Memorial Day campaign flow:

• Start early, launch promos the week of May 1st by tying into Military Appreciation Month
• Align your Memorial Day marketing ideas with key dates in May:
  
  • May 4th is National Firefighters Memorial Day. A pre-Memorial Day sale could be a welcome move
  • May 23rd – Friday before Memorial Day – National Road Trip Day. Remind folks to stock up for those BBQs (after all, people will start planning for Memorial Day, that weekend only)
  • May 24th – Brother's Day. Give a quick nudge about the long weekend (and hey, those brothers protecting the country? Gift idea alert)
  • May 25th comes next – National Wine Day. You know the drill. Red, white, and blue to mark the occasion
  • May 26th, 2025 – is Memorial Day. Observe it with due somberness
  • May 27th – Sunscreen Day. It's an obvious win for the outdoorsy and beauty crowds (also a chance to extend the Memorial Day Sale)
  • Wednesday after Memorial Day – National Flip Flop Day. Time to leave a subtle “Monsoon season's coming”
  • June 6th. D-Day. If you're in the military/vet space? Your moment.
• Use email and SMS to announce themed drops or donation updates throughout the month, building momentum

Pro Tip: This flow is especially relevant if you’re in:

• Military/vet-owned or aligned products
• Outdoor gear, travel accessories
• Health, sunscreen, or summer essentials
• Food and drink (grilling, BBQ, picnic bundles)

So, when should you start rolling out your Memorial Day Sales in 2025?

Start around the second week of May. Amp up the flow from the last weekend before Memorial Day (preferably Saturday evening or Sunday morning, it’s usually when people start making plans).

15 Inspiring Memorial Day Subject Lines

1. 40% Off Memorial Day Sale Extended!

2. Ready to bear your bump this Memorial Day?

3. The Memorial Day sale ENDS TONIGHT!

4. Memorial Day Sale: SAVE up to $45!

5. Memorial Day Sale Is Almost Over! 😲

6. Memorial Day weekend sales! Up to 50% off 200+ styles

7. Last Call: The Memorial Day Sale Ends Soon

8. Fresh picks for Memorial Day!

9. STARTS NOW 🚨 UP TO 60% OFF MEMORIAL DAY SALE

10. 🎈Memorial Day Mystery Box Special. Too fun to pass up🙌

11. Our Craziest Deal Is Back For Memorial Day

12. 🚨10% off sitewide alert!🚨

13. Our biggest Summer Sale is here

14. Salute-Worthy Snacks For Your Memorial Day BBQ

15. 🧡 💙 Everything you need for Memorial Day​

In The End….

Memorial Day campaigns must be driven by the right context, ideal experiences, and narratives. While Memorial Day is more of a fun holiday for the general public, it's originally observed to pay our respects to martyrs. If your audience caters to veterans, then having an exclusive offer should also be your goal. 

Memorial Day Marketing 101

1. What Is A Good Memorial Day Post? 

A good Memorial Day must not start with ‘Happy Memorial Day 2025'. Here are a few things you can do: 

a) Get straight to the offer 

State the offer and the last date. Whether it is a sitewide sale, tiered discount, limited-time offer, or flash sale, focus on the copy. 

b) Show your appreciation for the martyrs 

Sometimes, a simple message of gratitude for those who gave their lives is more powerful than any Memorial Day promotion. If your brand ethos aligns, offer exclusive discounts to active and former military personnel as a meaningful gesture.

Or, take a page from Combat Flip Flops, they skip the sale altogether and use their Instagram feed to honor fallen heroes with a series of remembrance posts. It’s honest, heartfelt, and deeply on-brand.

c) Encourage customers to share their opinions

Ask customers to share what Memorial Day means to them. It humanizes your brand and drives meaningful engagement on social media platforms.

It’s exactly what Grunt Style did with The Patriotic Festival: they host a real-life Memorial Day event in collaboration, and then share the moments online, which anchors the brand in both emotion and memory.

2. How Do You Write A Memorial Day Email?

Check out the best practices for writing a Memorial Day email:

a) Compelling subject line 

Use emotions such as gratitude, urgency, and excitement in your subject lines. Use emojis, power words such as Last call!, We can’t hold it any longer to improve open rates.

b) Copy that reinforces the offer 

In your Memorial Day email, use the Problem, Agitation, and Solution framework to nudge customers to purchase. A summer sale is a good idea to get started. 

c) CTA 

It’s recommended to keep a single CTA so that there’s no interference moving to the CTA. Enlarge the CTA button is large and ensure that the email uses a single column layout to make it mobile responsive. 

3. What Do You Say On Social Media For Memorial Day? 

Here are some ideas for a Memorial Day social media campaign: 

a) Offer ideas for the Memorial Weekend

Memorial Weekend is a long holiday with Americans traveling and spending time outdoors. Offer wardrobe essentials, summer skincare routine, and summertime beverages if you are a protein supplement brand. Here is how KwikTrip, a convenience store, does this, with an influencer collab:

b) Share relatable content 

A social media campaign doesn’t have to be aimed to sell. You can create reels that will help customers resonate with the current context. For instance, Samsonite featured a person looking to get their quarantine body during Covid.

c) Introduce new products 

Introducing new products on Memorial Day can help you receive the response you always wanted. With a patriotic theme, the timing couldn’t be more right. 

Kurgo introduces a waterproof collar for dogs that makes a dog owner’s life easier. 

4. How Can I Avoid Looking Like I’m Cashing In On Memorial Day?

Start with staying true to your brand values. Avoid sales that feel gimmicky or “too good to be true.” If you're running a donation drive (say, for an organization that supports veterans), show proof – publish a statement or a confirmation from the beneficiary with their official seal. That transparency matters.

If it’s a clearance sale, be clear about terms – returns, exchanges, refunds – no fine print surprises.

And most importantly: remember the fallen, the right way.
Yes, Memorial Day weekend is often when people travel or unwind. But as an eCommerce brand, repeating “Memorial Day Sale” on every asset can feel extremely tone-deaf.

Instead, lead with respect. This day honors those who didn’t make it back. So, if you’re acknowledging veterans, a simple:
“Glad you made it home”
…is more powerful than any headline.

Take a cue from Black Rifle Coffee, a veteran-owned brand. For Memorial Day 2024 (which also marked the 80th D-Day remembrance), they created a series of reels – no product placement, no promotions – just real, human stories of sacrifice and remembrance.

That’s how you honor the day and build real brand trust. Here’s what their Memorial Day posts looked like:

→ The first reel set the tone – outlining how they were merging the 80th D-Day with Memorial Day

→ Then came the legend highlights on Memorial Day, like one honoring Chief Shannon Kent

→ The series ended with a powerful tribute to Vincent J. Speranza, a WWII vet who fought in Normandy