When it comes to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the winners aren’t just the brands that rack up sales; they’re the ones that capture attention, drive conversation, and leave a lasting impression.
In 2024, Pixability’s YouTube Insights revealed how shoppers used video to plan and validate purchases throughout the season. Meanwhile, YouGov’s BrandIndex tracked which brands earned the highest “Buzz scores,” asking consumers whether they had heard something positive or negative about a brand in the past two weeks. And DAIVID’s creative testing platform analyzed how Amazon and Walmart’s humor-driven campaigns performed.
Together, these data sources provide a 360-degree view of who won last year – and what lessons marketers should take into 2025.
What Pixability’s Insights Tell Us About Black Friday 2024
Pixability’s YouTube Insights provide a valuable lens on what drove consumer behavior last season – and what will matter in 2025.
In a direct email, Matt Duffy, the CMO of Pixability, told me on Sept. 18, 2025, “YouTube searches that spike the most on Black Friday are tech-related products, but in terms of consumption patterns, the real winners are home-related channels – where people are likely watching reviews of bigger-ticket items like couches or even how to put a deck on your house.”
Duffy also shared original research directly with me that showed on Black Friday itself (Nov. 29, 2024), searches for popular products spiked compared to the seasonal average:
- Dyson Airwrap: up 132%.
- AirPods Pro: up 100%.
- Nespresso Vertuo: up 92%.
- Smart TVs: up 73%.
- Madden NFL 25: up 42%.
But the bigger story was how far in advance shoppers began preparing. In November, views of product-related content like gift guides, reviews, and hauls were nearly 19% higher than the rest of 2024. By October, those same videos were already up 26% compared to the first nine months of the year.
Duffy added, “The uptick in product interest accelerates as early as October, with views on videos that inform purchase decisions up 26.3% compared to the first nine months of the year.”
Category-specific growth was also revealing:
- Home content: up 91% in October, 62% in November.
- Tech content: up 26% in October, 8% in November.
- Fashion content: up 17% in October, 8% in November.
The surge in home-related content suggests shoppers are increasingly using Black Friday to make bigger lifestyle investments, not just splurge on gadgets.
Retailers benefited as well. For example, Best Buy-related content saw an 18% jump in November, reflecting how brand-specific searches converged with shopping intent.
The takeaway? Winning Black Friday begins long before Black Friday. Brands that resonate are the ones that show up early, align with categories people are actively researching, and create the kind of content – reviews, guides, tutorials – that helps consumers feel confident about their choices.
Duffy concluded, “Views on videos that inform purchase decisions – gift guides, reviews, hauls – were 18.7% higher in November than the rest of 2024, with home-related content up 62% year-over-year.”
Which Brands Generated The Most Buzz During Black Friday And Cyber Monday 2024?
During a webinar on Sept. 24, 2025, Ashley Brown of YouGov said, “Ahead of 2025, we looked back at the brands that drove the highest Buzz during November last year to understand which categories are winning consumer attention during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.”
Brown added, “YouGov BrandIndex tracked more than 2,000 U.S. consumers between Nov. 1 and Dec. 3, 2024. The net Buzz score showed which fashion, retail, tech, beauty, and gaming brands were most positively talked about during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.”
As the dust settled after Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2024, one thing became clear: Not all brands captured consumer attention equally. Some emerged as big winners in the battle for share of mind, sparking conversations online, in the news, and at the dinner table.
The results highlight which fashion, retail, tech, beauty, and gaming brands broke through the noise. Let’s take a closer look.
Fashion Retail: Nike Runs Ahead Of The Pack
In fashion, Nike led with a Buzz score of 26.2, proving once again that its mix of cultural relevance, athlete endorsements, and smart digital campaigns keeps it top of mind.
The rest of the top 10 shows a mix of performance wear, heritage names, and mass-market favorites:
- Nike (26.2).
- Adidas (22.5).
- Rolex (19.9).
- Skechers (18.8).
- Old Navy (18.5).
- Victoria’s Secret (17.1).
- New Balance (16.2).
- Puma (16.2).
- Levi’s (15.2).
- Crocs (14.7).
From high fashion watches (Rolex) to comfort footwear (Crocs), fashion buzz during Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2024 reflected both status and accessibility.
Retail Stores: Walmart, Home Depot, And Target Dominate
Among retailers, Walmart took the top spot with a Buzz score of 23.9, but Home Depot was a close second (23.8). Target and Lowe’s tied at 22.0, while Costco rounded out the top five at 21.3.
The full ranking underscores how large-format retailers continue to dominate awareness:
- Walmart (23.9).
- Home Depot (23.8).
- Target (22.0).
- Lowe’s (22.0).
- Costco (21.3).
- IKEA (17.7).
- Best Buy (16.6).
- Ace Hardware (15.2).
- Home Goods (14.9).
- Kohl’s (13.9).
These brands won by blending convenience, deep discounts, and multichannel experiences that amplified their visibility.
Tech & Electronics: iPhone Tops The Charts
It wouldn’t be Cyber Monday without tech. In 2024, the iPhone led the pack with a Buzz score of 33.5 – the highest single score across any category. Samsung (29.4) and Apple as a brand (29.0) followed, reflecting the enduring ecosystem war.
Here are the top 10:
- iPhone (33.5).
- Samsung (29.4).
- Apple (29.0).
- LG (21.4).
- Android (21.3).
- Apple Watch (21.1).
- Sony (15.8).
- iPad (15.8).
- HP (15.5).
- Google Pixel (14.8).
Big launches, steep markdowns, and loyal communities made tech brands the most talked-about of Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2024.
Skincare, Hair & Cosmetics: Dove Leads In Double Categories
In beauty, Dove pulled off a rare double, ranking No. 1 in both skincare (28.6) and haircare (26.0). Legacy personal care brands dominated, while retailers like Sephora and Bath & Body Works also broke into the top 10.
The rankings:
- Dove (Skincare) (28.6).
- Dove (Haircare) (26.0).
- Vaseline (22.0).
- Olay (18.8).
- Nivea (18.1).
- CeraVe (17.2).
- Head & Shoulders (14.5).
- Neutrogena (14.3).
- Sephora (13.5).
- Bath & Body Works (13.3).
The buzz highlights how trusted household brands continue to thrive, even in a social-driven beauty market.
Video Games: Call Of Duty Fires The Winning Shot
Gaming saw heated competition, but Call of Duty secured the top spot with a Buzz score of 16.8, followed closely by Candy Crush Saga (16.5) and Super Mario Bros. (14.8).
The top 10 video game brands during Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2024 were:
- Call of Duty (16.8).
- Candy Crush Saga (16.5).
- Super Mario Bros. (14.8).
- Call of Duty: Warzone (14.2).
- MONOPOLY GO! (11.9).
- Minecraft (11.4).
- Mortal Kombat (10.9).
- Grand Theft Auto (9.7).
- EA Sports FC (9.6).
- Fortnite (9.3).
From AAA franchises to mobile hits, gaming buzz was fueled by new releases, bundles, and the power of community-driven hype.
Brown concluded, “The lesson for marketers is clear: measuring net Buzz doesn’t just reveal who won last year – it provides a roadmap for which categories and campaigns are most likely to generate positive word-of-mouth this holiday season.”
Amazon And Walmart Prove Humor Can Win Black Friday
While buzz rankings and search spikes show marketers and their agencies which brands topped the conversation, creative execution explains why.
In 2024, Amazon and Walmart both leaned into humor – and it paid off, according to original research shared directly with me on Sept. 26, 2025, from DAIVID’s AI-powered testing platform.
Amazon’s “Five Star Theater” campaign featured actor Adam Driver performing dramatic monologues based on actual customer reviews. By turning quirky product reviews into performance art, Amazon transformed shopping commentary into entertainment.
Walmart countered with “Deals of Desire,” a 10-part parody series riffing on popular TV tropes, distributed across TV, YouTube, TikTok, and out-of-home. The series even brought back Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder, who read reviews in character.
According to DAIVID’s creative data, both brands outperformed the industry average for humor. Amazon’s ads were 22% funnier than typical campaigns, while Walmart’s were 19% funnier. Walmart’s “Stable Boy of the Season” was the single funniest ad, boosting purchase intent nearly 9% above the norm.
In an email sent directly to me, a spokesperson for DAIVID said, “The problem with brands trying to be funny is that most fail. For advertisers, it’s even harder as you also have to squeeze in some suitable brand messaging at the same time, while also not offending any of your target demographics. Easier said than done. Well, despite the risks, both Walmart and Amazon managed to tickle people’s funny bones with their campaigns.”
Image courtesy of DAIVID, shared to author, October 2025Attention patterns told a different story. Both campaigns struggled to hook viewers in the first few seconds, but Amazon steadily won people over by the end of its longer-form spots, such as the “Salad Bowl” video. Walmart’s performance varied, though “Stable Boy” again stood out as the exception.
The spokesperson added, “Losing attention in the first few seconds can really hurt an ad’s performance. It’s hard to win it back. So, it’s interesting that in Amazon’s case overall attention levels in ‘Five Star Theater’ by the final few seconds actually exceeded the industry average. As people listened to the content, they started to understand the premise more and were more inclined to stick around.”
Image courtesy of DAIVID, shared to author, October 2025Brand recall was strong across the board, with Walmart benefiting from explicit mentions of its loyalty program. Purchase intent lifted for both brands – +6.4% for Amazon, +5.8% for Walmart – putting them well ahead of the average ad.
Using DAIVID’s Creative Effectiveness Score (CES), both campaigns ranked well above industry norms. Walmart posted a CES of 6.21, while Amazon edged ahead at 6.39, with its “Adam Driver, Dutch Oven” spot scoring highest at 6.47.
The lesson? Black Friday campaigns don’t have to be just about deals. Humor, when executed well, not only entertains but also boosts recall, strengthens brand affinity, and drives intent. Amazon and Walmart proved that a wink can sometimes work better than a shout.
The spokesperson concluded, “Viewers of the Amazon ads were on average 6.4% more likely to splash the cash after watching than the industry norm. In fact, all of the top five ads that scored the highest for purchase intent came from Amazon. Meanwhile, Walmart’s ads were 5.8% more likely to inspire people to reach for their wallets than the average ad.”
Looking Forward: What 2024’s Winners Tell Us About 2025
Looking back at 2024, three different data sources tell a powerful, complementary story:
- Pixability’s YouTube Insights demonstrate that planning and discovery start weeks before the sales, with shoppers relying heavily on video to guide decisions.
- YouGov’s Buzz scores show which brands were most talked about across categories – from Nike and Walmart to iPhone and Dove.
- DAIVID’s creative testing reveals why campaigns work, with Amazon and Walmart proving that humor can drive both engagement and purchase intent.
For marketers preparing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025, the lesson is clear: Success won’t come from deals alone. The campaigns most likely to win will be the ones that:
- Enter the conversation early.
- Align content strategies with the way consumers actually research and shop.
- Use creative storytelling to stand out.
In other words, Black Friday isn’t just a day; it’s a season. And the brands that treat it that way will be the ones topping the buzz charts, driving intent, and winning hearts in 2025.
More Resources:
- Marketing Calendar 2025 With Template To Plan Your Content
- How To Optimize Your Ecommerce Site For Holiday Shoppers
- A Complete Guide To Holiday Marketing
Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock
