Although Easter marketing campaigns may historically only have relevance in the food industry, it’s become a growing part of spring seasonal marketing efforts. Engaging in seasonal marketing isn’t simply about promoting items and products related to the celebration; but creating campaigns that capture audience behavior during this holiday period.

As Easter, in many countries had additional public holidays, many consumers take advantage of the days off to travel abroad or visit family, directly impacting the hospitality industry.

In this article, we will highlight facts to help you plan the best Easter marketing campaign based on consumer trends. Plus get inspired with 3 very engaging Easter marketing campaigns.

10 Easter marketing stats & facts to know ahead of Easter 2024

Below, we’ve gathered a few statistics to help you understand the importance of conducting Easter marketing campaigns in 2024, as well as the trends and consumer behaviors that might influence the overall strategy behind your campaign.

1. 74% of Brits were planning to celebrate Easter in 2023 compared to 81% of Americans (Sources: Finder survey, NRF report)
2. 85% of consumers under 35 years old were planning to celebrate Easter in 2023, compared to 80% for those aged 35 – 54, and 74% for those aged 55 and older  (Sources: Finder survey, NRF report)
3. £960 million was the estimated amount Brits were to spend for Easter 2023, compared to $24 billion in the US (Sources: Finder survey, NRF report)
4. $192.01 was the estimated household spending on Easter in 2023 in the US (Source: NRF report)
5. 6.3 million Brits were planning a holiday trip within the UK in 2023 over the Easter weekend, marking a 16% decrease from 2022 (Source: Finder survey)
6. 4.2 million Brits were planning a holiday outside the UK in 2023, reflecting a 28% decrease from 2022 (Source: Finder survey)
7. £457.6 million was the estimated amount Brits were to spend on Easter eggs in 2023 (Source: Finder survey)
8. Visiting family, cooking a holiday meal, or attending a church service were the three most popular activities to celebrate the Easter holiday in the US in 2019 (Source: NRF article)
9. The most popular Easter purchasing items were, in order, food, candies, gifts, clothing, greeting cards, decorations, and flowers  (Source: NRF Consumer trends)
10. Decorations and flowers continue to gain popularity each year. In 2023, half of Americans were planning to buy decorations (compared to 41% in 2019), and 44% were planning to buy flowers (compared to 38% in 2019) (Source: NRF Consumer trends)

3 Easter marketing campaigns to inspire you!

We have selected a few engaging campaigns created with the Playable platform. 

Costcutter – Shop local this Easter campaign 

Costcutter, the UK convenience store chain, elevated their Easter Marketing campaign to the next level in 2023. They created and promoted an egg-citing seasonal-themed landing page with various sections, including a fun “shoot the eggs” game.

Campaign highlights:

• Goal of the campaign: Collect marketing permissions & drive sales
• Type of game: A landing page with a shoot it game
• Game description: An Easter-themed landing page where customers could find a “Shoot the eggs” game to win a special prize, along with Easter recipes, special discounts on products such as Easter eggs, Prosecco, and Carlsberg beers, as well as Easter activity ideas for children.
• Incentive(s) to participate: The chance to win 1 of 2 Nintendo Switch consoles. 
• CTA: At the end of the landing page, there was a button to find your local Costcutter store. 

Sculpted by Aimee – Bag the Sculpted products campaign 

Sculpted by Aimee, the Irish makeup brand, decided to go with a more subtle Easter campaign by simply incorporating an Easter-themed background into their highly engaging drop game campaign.

Campaign highlights:

• Goal of the campaign: Collect marketing permissions & engage their audience
• Type of game: Drop game
• Game description: Participants would move a Sculpted by Aimee shopping bag to collect the Sculpted products falling down while avoiding non-sculpted items. They had to collect 150 points in less than 30 seconds.
• Incentive(s) to participate: A chance of winning a £200 gift voucher
• CTA: At the end, participants would be rewarded with free shipping and directed to the “bestseller” page of their website.

DFS – Easter brainteaser campaign

DFS, the well-known furniture retailer operating in the UK and Republic of Ireland, aimed to engage their customers last Easter. They used a fun ‘Spot the Difference’ game.

Campaign highlights:

• Goal of the campaign: Collect marketing permissions & engage their audience
• Type of game: Spot the difference
• Game description: Participants had to spot the 5 differences between two images with lots of Easter eggs in the decor. (Hint: the differences were all sofas). By winning the game, participants could then enter a draw to win the grand prize. 
• Incentive(s) to participate: A chance of winning a sofa up to the value of £2,000

CTA: A link to “Enter the competition”

Gamify your Easter marketing campaigns!

These Easter marketing campaigns show the effectiveness of incorporating game mechanics into your seasonal campaigns. Both to captivate your audience and achieve marketing objectives. From interactive games, to cleverly designed landing pages, these campaigns demonstrate innovative approaches to attract, engage, and retain customer interest.

To further empower your Easter marketing endeavors, take a look at our Seasonal marketing handbook. Packed with valuable insights and practical tips, this resource will equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to create compelling seasonal campaigns. Campaigns that resonate with your target audience.