12 Mother’s Day Marketing Campaigns We Loved

Mark your calendar if you haven’t already. On May 8th, we celebrate the moms in our lives on Mother’s Day. For eCommerce retailers, this is a great opportunity to get creative and lure shoppers to your site. How? It starts with developing and implementing an awesome, mobile responsive Mother’s Day marketing campaign, fully aligned with global industry best practices.

Running low on creative ideas? Well, that’s why we have curated the top 10 picks of effective Mother’s Day marketing campaigns to get you inspired enough to create the “mother” of all marketing campaigns. We will walk through what makes each of the Mother’s Day marketing campaigns effective in winning the hearts and wallets of consumers.

Why do you need a Mother’s Day marketing campaign?

The fact is, that Mother’s Day is the third-largest retail holiday celebrated across the globe. Not to mention, over 85 million moms will be celebrated with parties and gifts this year in the United States alone, making it a holiday that no eCommerce brand can’t afford to miss out on.

Let’s break down the consumer spending trends further. The total spending on Mother’s Day 2017 reached a whopping $23.6B in the United States and this holiday expense is only growing. In 2019, Mother’s Day spending was expected to reach an all-time high of $25B, with 84% of adults in the United States celebrating this year. In 2022, two years after the pandemic hit, 8/10 American consumers are expected to celebrate Mother’s Day this year. One major factor contributing to new record sales is that retailers are inspiring consumers with unique gift options leading to an increase in average purchases.

Who’s buying gifts and how much are they spending?

While approximately the same number of people will be celebrating Mother’s Day this year as in 2018,  the average holiday spend per capita is expected to grow this year. How much? Quite a bit, actually. In 2022, retailers can anticipate average sales of around $205 compared with $180 in 2018.

Further breaking down demographics, consumers aged 35-44 are likely to spend the most money on moms, with an average purchase amount of $248 this year, up from $224 in 2018. Something for marketers to keep in mind when designing a stellar Mother’s Day marketing plan is that men are likely to spend more money on gifts than women, averaging $237 compared with $158. Meanwhile, as the above chart demonstrates, Mother’s Day is not only about traditional gift-giving for mom, even Godmothers and moms of furry, four-legged babies are on the receiving end of gifts on this holiday!

Why does a great Mother’s Day marketing campaign make all the difference?

Standing out from the competition and captivating your target audience requires a little extra creativity. From pop-ups to gift guides, we’ve got you covered! The magic formula combines the power of customer segmentation, product recommendations, and marketing automation to turn any Mother’s Day marketing campaign into an effective way for boosting sales this season.

Here are the key components we’ve gathered on what makes a great Mother’s Day marketing campaign and how these simple tweaks can make all the difference in boosting your conversions this holiday.

1. Help shoppers save the date with Pop-up reminders

Sometimes, life’s busy pace gets the best of us. It’s not that we forget about mom, we just lose track of the days – and before you know it – Mother’s Day is just around the corner! Help your shoppers out by sending them gentle reminders in advance so they don’t make anxiety-filled rush purchases, like sticking with the conventional cards and flowers.

How to set it up: Remind visitors of this upcoming holiday in advance using in-site messages that pop-up post-purchase, and see if you can spark shoppers interest in adding-on a gift purchase for Mother’s Day. Then, proceed to a landing page with your brand’s selected Mother’s Day product suggestions. This gentle nudge is simple and effective in boosting conversions.

2. Drive purchases by setting up re-purchase reminders

Many consumers shop for Mother’s Day gifts while keeping mom’s favorite brands in mind. That’s why it’s uber important that eCommerce retailers target customers who have previously bought a Mother’s Day gift from them the previous year since these shoppers are more likely to repurchase from your brand again this year.

How to set it up: Engage your existing customers and boost Mother’s Day sales by creating a repurchase reminder campaign for this subset of your customer. Start with building a segmented list for customers with holiday gift purchases and dates (e.g., Anniversary, Birthdays, Mother’s Day). Then, schedule a series of gift reminders to these customers to be triggered each year.

3. Use segmentation to boost conversions with targeted offers

Everyone loves a good deal! Include targeted promotional offers for your customers in this year’s Mother’s Day marketing campaign is an effective way to drive sales. Then follow up with a series of attention-grabbing countdown campaigns to promote your offer

One way you can boost sales using segmentation is to create a well-designed profile-based gift guide based on specific profiles. Precise profiles allow you to highlight the best gifts based on consumer preferences and activities. For example, create profiles with gift suggestions for moms who are athletic, adventurous, or fashionable. Build the gift guide by profile and showcase your best products that would be the best fit!

Another approach is to offer personalized offers based on shopper behaviors. Here are some examples of the segments you can target:

• VIPs / Loyal customers:

This group is segmented based on their annual spend/points or frequency of purchases. You can create even more brand loyalty in this segment by showing them appreciation and value with awesome Mother’s Day offers. Here’s an example of a Mother’s Day-themed loyalty campaign from Facebook.

• First-time shoppers:

Offering a free service such as a personal shopper for gift advice is a great way to introduce your brand to new visitors. Consider offers that aim to break down the hesitation barrier for the shopper to try out your product for the very first time. Check out Anthropologie’s personal shopper offer.

• Discount seekers:

Some shoppers will only click your ad and shop your eCommerce site if they feel like they are getting a great deal. For this segment of deal seekers, offer free shipping, giveaways, or the chance to win a sweepstake.

How to set it up: When it comes to creating uber-targeted messages with relevant copy, start by defining unique segments of your customers and the types of offer that appeals to each segment. This way, you can easily drive the desired outcome from your audience.

4. Capture their hearts with lovely Mother’s Day Templates

In order for any brand’s Mother’s Day marketing campaign to be effective, you need to have solid branding and targeted messaging – all displayed clearly and beautifully within the email templates. The right layout and an advanced scenario generator can help you mix and match ideas to create attractive campaigns that will drive your customers directly to checkout. Spread the love this Mother’s Day by finding the perfect free templates and integrating them into your marketing campaign.

5. Attention-grabbing Mother’s Day subject lines

Be sure to come up with some cute and catchy ideas for Mother’s Day subject lines to use in your next email campaign. Don’t forget to make use of Mother’s Day emojis for eye-catching effects! Remember, 35% of email recipients open emails based on the subject line alone!

Here are some of our favorite creative Mother’s Day subject lines to inspire you:

Sales and deals:

• ? A Gift for Mom & A Gift for You!
• BOGO 50% off (your product) makes the perfect Mother’s Day gift!
• Gift Ideas for Mom Plus a Free Gift ? ? ?
• Get your gifts in time for mom – We’ll ship them FREE!

Gift guides and product suggestions:

• Looking for some Mother’s Day gift ideas? Open this!
• Look no further. Gifts for EVERY mom!
• Shop our Mother’s Day gift shop!
• Hand-picked gifts for mom! Shop now!
• Mother’s Day gift ideas + new products you’ll ❤️!
• Our favorite gifts for mom. Shop now!
• 3 Gifts mom is going to L-O-V-E ?

Last-minute deals:

• Reminder: Last day to ship and get it by Mother’s Day!!
• ?Check out our last-minute Mother’s Day deals here! ?
• Gift Ideas for Mom + a Free Gift!
• Mother’s Day is May 12th. Need a gift?

General Mother’s Day promos:

• Supermom deserves a super gift!
• Mom’s gonna love this…
• There’s no greater gift than a mother’s love
• Your personalized gift for mom – delivered by Sunday!

Stellar Mother’s Day marketing campaigns we loved

Now that we’ve explained some of the key elements you need to have a rockin’ Mother’s Day marketing campaign in 2022, let’s dive in deeper and take a look at our top picks of Mother’s Day campaigns that we simply loved – because they have it all!

Mother’s Day campaign example #1: Modcloth

Campaign concept: This marketing campaign offers everything from price point purchasing to profile-based gift guides! Also, it targets every type of mom and various shopper profiles as well – from adults buying for their mom to husbands buying for their wives/expecting moms.

Marketing medium used: Email marketing campaign

Why we loved it: First off, the colors are perfect for a Mother’s Day marketing campaign. Asking the shopper which profile suits their mom best is genius. It draws the eyes down to the featured profiles and images. Not to mention the products are beautifully showcased. From combining complementary products to the color-coordinated icons matching the copy for each “mom profile” – Modcloth shows the customer exactly what types of products are being offered. Lastly, a clear and to-the-point CTA, “shop” marked on each profile does the trick to get clicks.

Mother’s Day campaign example #2: Seat Geek

Campaign concept: A catchy and trendy GIF advert that targets the brand’s main audience of younger users who interact with Seat Geek using their mobile app.

Marketing medium used: Email marketing campaign

Why we loved it: There is something to be said about knowing your audience, and Seat Geek masters it with a GIF in its campaign that targets its young users. You are drawn to keep reading the GIF message as it unveils, and the more you watch, the more you get to the heart of the brand’s Mother’s Day marketing message — spending time with mom. Another twist is that the sports ticketing app keeps to its recognizable on-brand colors of blue and yellow for its Mother’s Day marketing campaign, instead of the more traditional colors associated with the holiday.

Mother’s day campaign example #3: Ulta’s #PamperHerWithPretty campaign

Help us celebrate #MothersDay! Tell us what wisdom YOUR mom shared with you about perfume! #PamperHerWithPretty #ultabeauty pic.twitter.com/HUGMl8Z2al

— Ulta Beauty (@ultabeauty) April 28, 2017

Campaign concept: Ulta’s #PamperHerWithPretty campaign on Twitter combined with a video ad campaign created valuable personal messages from real shoppers and gives the advice to inspire customers to pamper moms with beauty products this Mother’s Day.

Marketing medium used: Social media, Twitter, Instagram

Why we loved it: It’s brilliant! Everyone has beauty advice from their moms that they want to share. As everyone knows, mom knows best! The video Ad creates an instant emotional connection to the brand. It’s a great way to get your visitors involved – from brand-loyal customers to occasional shoppers – by giving them a voice and a platform to share and celebrate their moms’ advice!

Outcome: Ulta’s make-up advice from moms campaign combined an array of beauty tips collected and the final product was a multifaceted social marketing campaign including the Instagram handles of the customers who contributed them and a video clip.

Mother’s day campaign example #4: Clarins: Recording Mother’s Day voicemails AND in-store giveaways

Campaign concept: By asking customers to record their answer to “What would you wish for your mom?” as a voice message via WeChat, a Chinese messaging and social media app, Clarins created a touching Mother’s Day marketing campaign.

Marketing medium used: Social (WeChat) and physical (brick and mortar)

Why we loved it: This social media campaign by Clarins drove both online and in-store engagement by getting customers excited about the brand. In return for recording a sweet message for their moms, shoppers got a little gift — qualifying for a free in-store gift at Clarins over Mother’s Day weekend! Furthermore, once in the stores, visitors could participate in an in-store draw with prizes of a facial treatment, a travel kit, or spa coupons!

Outcome: With all of the offered incentives, Clarins created a buzz. This resulted in customers showing up at the physical stores over Mother’s Day weekend, skyrocketing retail sales.

Mother’s day campaign example #5: ΙΚΕΑ 

Campaign concept: The Swedish giant tailor-made its website for this special occasion with a very interactive idea. The “There are more ways to say “I love you mom” campaign was implemented by creating different curated bundles for different types of moms with a hover feature. 

Marketing medium used: Company website

Why we loved it: Because curated ensembles increase the overage order value while making the visitors want to purchase these items more. Visualization is a powerful motivator and the entire campaign inspires buyers with a clear message and an insightful idea. 

Mother’s day campaign example #6: Samsung

Campaign concept: In 2015, Samsung shot a hilarious video with off-camera people scrolling through their texts. The texts were from their moms and the subjects were various conversations varying from failed attempts at internet slang, to rants about random stuff and blank messages. 

Marketing medium used: Video 

Why we loved it: Firstly, because the texts were hilarious and everyone can relate to this situation. Who hasn’t received a message from their mom that makes zero sense? Additionally, Samsung leveraged humor and designed a brilliant campaign that highlighted brand recognition with finesse and subtlety. 

Mother’s day campaign example #7: McDonald’s

Campaign concept: The 2020 McDonald’s Mother’s Day campaign was not something we were expecting, and that is why it made it to this article. Just like the ad’s slogan “Give mom the gift she never knew she wanted”, the audience got a social media post they never knew they wanted either. 

Marketing medium used: Social media, Facebook 

Why we loved it: The success of this campaign lies in the engagement it generated as McDonald’s followers’ filled the post with comments. The funny post increased the page’s traffic and started the conversation with minimum effort. 

Mother’s day campaign example #8: The Body Shop

Campaign concept: The Body Shop UK collaborated with famous artist Alison Jackson and made a video parody about how the Royal Family would treat Queen Elizabeth on Mother’s Day. The actors impersonated Prince Charles and Camilla to prepare breakfast for the Queen and tend to the corgis. 

Marketing medium used: Video 

Why we loved it: Collaborations are a mutually beneficial marketing strategy designed to engage the audiences of the participating parties, achieving broader brand recognition and awareness. Body Shop reached the followers of Alison Jackson and vice versa, increasing word-of-mouth and subscribers. 

Mother’s day campaign example #9: Discovery Channel

Campaign concept: It wouldn’t be Mother’s Day without a heartwarming campaign, so we just had to add one of the cutest ads of all time. The Discovery Channel posted a video on their Facebook account thanking all the extraordinary mothers on Earth, highlighting that moms will always take care of their young, despite the species.

Marketing medium used: Video, social media

Why we loved it: Sentimental, warm campaigns always do the trick, and Discovery Channel nailed it! The brand’s Facebook post lit up with comments from the channel’s visitors, increasing the page’s traffic and its reach. 

Mother’s day campaign example #10: Lancome

Campaign concept: Digital campaigns are a sure thing, but old-school billboards are always welcome and timeless. Mother’s Day in 2020 was an ambivalent time since we weren’t fully aware of how the pandemic was going to unfold. Some consumers were still reluctant to shop at the brick-and-mortar stores, but those brave few that made it to London’s Westfield shopping center came across a gigantic 3D billboard featuring Julia Roberts, courtesy of Lancôme and Kinetic Worldwide. 

Marketing medium used: 3D billboard

Why we loved it: It was really hard to miss Julia Roberts’s enormous 3D dress, thus providing massive brand recognition and engagement for both companies. Although, apart from the size of the billboard, its aesthetic value made it quite distinctive and eye-appealing.

Mother’s Day campaign example #11: Google

Campaign concept: a social media post that turned out to be a full marketing campaign, honoring all mothers worldwide while promoting GoogleNest, positioning it as the technology that helps mothers answer all the “hey moms…” they have to respond to every day.

Marketing medium used: Social Media

Why we loved it: It is a heartwarming campaign, showcasing that mothers are the first search engine that everyone is using or used as a child. Mothers have to answer approximately over 300 questions per day so the tagline “Give your original helper a little help of her own” is a brilliant way to promote the Googe Home Hub that will not only help out a mother but the entire family as well. Google displays in its ad all the different products/options the GoogleNest has to offer along with their exact price. Just before promoting products and prices, the bold CTA to pay homage to all the occasions Mom was by their side to help them out is the one that makes the difference.

Mother’s Day campaign example #12: Hallmark

Campaign concept: a social media post that honors Mother’s Day by using emotional parenting scenes throughout a child’s aging. In this campaign, Hallmark is brilliantly placing its gifts and gift cards as the perfect mean to express gratitude to all the mother figures around the world and celebrate Mother’s Day.

Marketing medium used: Social Media

Why we loved it: Because it is an extremely emotional campaign that highlights the perfectly imperfect moments of parenting, building a bold image for the brand and its products. In the video, we see flawless product placement of Hallmark products and gift cards, items that not only aim to celebrate Mother’s Day but are also related to self-care and will provide relaxation to all mothers around the world. The ad closes with the heartwarming message “When you care enough to celebrate the love they give” which perfectly reflects Hallmark’s brand positioning.

Useful Mother’s Day marketing resources for eCommerce retailers

• Retail Best Practices: 12 Tactics to Maximize Your Mother’s Day Revenue
• The 50 most important Mother’s Day statistics for retailers
• 100+ Catchy Mother’s Day Subject Lines for eCommerce
• 5 Advanced Mother’s Day Marketing Ideas for eCommerce
• Email Marketing Ideas for Mother’s Day [Free Templates]

Discover more seasonal & holiday marketing campaigns by top brands

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• The best summer marketing campaigns for eCommerce [2022]
• 17 Father’s day marketing campaigns we will never forget

A Mother’s Day marketing plan any mom would be proud of…

The ever-changing landscape of retail trends and eCommerce means that gift-giving has evolved way beyond cards and flowers as the ideal Mother’s Day present. After all, everyone wants to get mom something she will really cherish, which means pulling out all the stops.

Ecommerce marketers also need to go all out for this holiday with a creative and captivating Mother’s Day marketing campaign. Don’t forget — Mother’s day is the third-largest retail holiday across the globe. Send promotions to shoppers in advance and consider the broader audience that Mother’s Day gifts can target. Let our top picks of Mother’s Day marketing campaigns inspire you to think outside of the box. With a little imagination, some solid Mother’s Day marketing ideas from above, and an advanced automated platform to take care of the rest, you are sure to develop a marketing campaign any mom would be proud of!

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