How Arnold Worldwide & Santander Are Challenging Black Friday Thinking

As retailers grapple to compete with the likes of online shopping giant Amazon, they are offering consumers new ways to buy, buy more, and buy sooner. Macy’s recent decision to open at 6PM on Thanksgiving has become just another sign of the times.

Madrid-based Santander, a relative newcomer to the US market, is working with Arnold Worldwide to buck this trend by reviving the real sprit of the holiday season. Through an integrated marketing campaign, Santander is redefining Black Friday: not as a day to spend money, but rather a day to spend time – enjoying family, seeing friends, or giving back.

While this seems like an unusual move from a bank – an institution that greatly benefits from holiday spending – Santander’s family-values focused European roots run deep, as does their commitment to Real Change and challenging traditional perceptions of banking.

As a part of this initiative, Santander will encourage people to create their own meanings for Black Friday, and offer new ideas like:

- "Black Top Friday" spent shooting hoops with the kids or friends

"- Black Belt Friday" spent having a Kung Fu movie marathon with your favorite karate fans

"- Black Bean Soup Friday" spent volunteering for the day