Interactive Thanksgiving Social Media Posts Ideas to Engage Your Audience
Thanksgiving is the perfect time for brands to spark genuine engagement and connect with their audiences in meaningful ways. Last year, the Thanksgiving season saw an estimated 197 million shoppers, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. It is one of the busiest and most influential periods for brands.
One way to stand out is through interactive marketing. Interactive Thanksgiving social media posts can help create memorable experiences. Whether through engaging social contests, virtual or in-person events like workshops and parties, or themed content such as recipes and decorating tips. These interactive moments allow your brand to create an unforgettable holiday experience.
Best Performing Thanksgiving Social Media Post Examples
From user-generated content campaigns to immersive Virtual Reality storytelling, Thanksgiving social media campaigns have evolved from simple participation drives to emotionally rich, tech-enabled experiences.
Each example shows how brands can blend creativity, interactivity, and storytelling to build stronger connections and drive engagement during one of the most influential shopping weekends of the year.
Old Navy: Million-Dollar Surprises Sweepstakes
Idea: Old Navy launched a Thanksgiving sweepstakes, encouraging early shoppers to participate both online and in-store for a chance to win 1 million dollars. The campaign seamlessly blended digital interaction with physical retail engagement.
Metrics: Thousands of participants entered daily; the campaign saw a significant spike in website visits and in-store footfall during the Thanksgiving week.
Benefits: Combined excitement with early holiday shopping incentives helped boost both brand engagement and sales.
Coca-Cola: Pinterest Bottle to Turkey Campaign
Idea: Coca-Cola encouraged Pinterest users to get creative by transforming empty Coke bottles into turkey-themed crafts. Users shared their creations online with branded hashtags.
Metrics: The campaign drove high user-generated content (UGC) engagement and strong brand visibility across Pinterest boards and Thanksgiving DIY searches.
Benefits: Strengthened emotional connection with families through creativity and sustainability, positioning Coca-Cola as a brand that's part of festive traditions.
Green Giant: Corn Kid Interactive Recipes
Idea: Partnering with viral sensation Corn Kid, Green Giant launched an interactive Thanksgiving campaign where users could explore fun recipe videos, vote on favorites, and submit their own corn-inspired dishes.
Metrics: Millions of views and social shares, with recipe interactions driving traffic to the brand's website.
Benefits: Leveraged influencer appeal and nostalgia to engage families and younger audiences, driving both brand relevance and engagement.
Perdue Chicken: ThanksNuggets Campaign
Idea: Perdue introduced limited-edition ThanksNuggets. The chicken nuggets were flavored with Thanksgiving-inspired spices. They implemented a strong social media push where users could share creative Thanksgiving meals.
Metrics: The product sold out within hours; the campaign trended across social platforms, with thousands of UGC posts.
Benefits: Successfully blended novelty and nostalgia, driving product demand and positioning Perdue as a fun, family-friendly brand for the holidays.
Samsung: Unwrap the Feels VR Experience
Idea: Samsung invited users to explore new worlds from home through immersive VR experiences, such as standing atop mountain peaks or diving deep into the ocean, while emphasizing connection through its "Gift of Galaxy" theme.
Metrics: High engagement on social media with VR video shares and interactive participation across Samsung platforms.
Benefits: Reinforced innovation and emotional storytelling, using immersive tech to connect families virtually and redefine the meaning of togetherness during Thanksgiving.
How to Maximize Engagement with Thanksgiving Posts?
Thanksgiving is all about connections, so your social media should reflect that spirit. To maximize engagement, focus on authentic storytelling, interactive content, and timely posting.
Thanksgiving engagement posts should blend festive visuals, emotional messaging, and clear calls to action to create content that not only gets likes but also sparks meaningful interaction.
Appreciation Posts For Your Followers
Show your audience gratitude with appreciation posts that make them feel valued. Highlight customer stories, share milestones, or post a heartfelt thank-you message. You can even host a small giveaway to thank your most loyal followers. This builds community, loyalty, and a genuine emotional connection with your brand.
Thanksgiving Posts with Sales, Deals & Promotions
Thanksgiving weekend is a prime shopping period. It is perfect for blending festive messaging with exclusive offers. Promote your Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals with creative storytelling. Use countdowns, mystery discounts, or interactive "spin the deal" posts to keep followers engaged while driving sales.
Fun & Entertaining Thanksgiving Posts
Keep things light and entertaining with short-form video content. Use Thanksgiving post ideas like memes, cooking mishaps, or quick DIY table-setting ideas that perform exceptionally well. Use Reels, TikToks, or looping GIFs and trends to catch attention and encourage shares for organic reach.
Family-Themed Thanksgiving Posts
Lean into the warmth of the season with family-centric content. Feature user-generated photos, share heartwarming family traditions, or post a behind-the-scenes glimpse of your team celebrating. Family content feels relatable, helping your brand resonate on an emotional level.
Creative Formats for Thanksgiving Social Media Posts
Think beyond static images and experiment with interactive formats like polls ("What's your favorite pie?"), quizzes ("Which Thanksgiving dish are you?"), or AR filters that let users virtually join the fun. Use carousels for recipe steps, interactive infographics, or immersive 360° visuals to make your posts stand out.
Host Thanksgiving Contests or Challenges
Engage your audience with creative challenges like "Share your Thanksgiving table setup" or "Show us your leftovers recipe." Encourage UGC with branded hashtags and offer prizes. Contests drive participation and can dramatically boost your reach.
Leverage Influencers & Collaborations
Collaborate with creators, chefs, or lifestyle influencers to share Thanksgiving recipes, decorating tips, or gratitude stories. Influencer partnerships add authenticity and extend your brand's reach into new, engaged audiences and help with Thanksgiving promotions.
Thanksgiving Social Media Posts: Do's and Don'ts
Dos:
Post with authenticity and warmth.
Encourage audience participation through polls, stories, and comments.
Use consistent branding and festive visuals.
Schedule content strategically around the long weekend.
Don'ts:
Over-promote or make every post about sales.
Use generic stock visuals that lack originality.
Ignoring engagement, routinely respond to comments and messages promptly.
Miss the chance to express gratitude genuinely.
Bring Your Thanksgiving Campaigns to Life with Mixed Reality
Take your Thanksgiving content beyond static posts by turning it into an experience. Interactive campaigns invite audiences to participate, not just scroll. Your interactive holiday posts must use AR filters, Mixed Reality experiences, or gamified contests to bring your brand story to life.
For example, create an AR "Gratitude Wall" where users can write what they're thankful for and share it on their stories, or design a "Thanksgiving Table Builder" filter that lets followers virtually decorate their dinner table with your brand elements. You can also host live polls, quizzes, or choose-your-own-recipe videos that change based on user votes.
These interactive experiences make your content memorable, encourage deeper engagement, and position your brand as innovative and connected to the holiday spirit. Platforms like Flam can help brands easily build such Mixed Reality and interactive experiences that bridge creativity, technology, and connection during the Thanksgiving season.
How Brands Can Leverage Flam for Interactive Thanksgiving Marketing
Flam is the perfect partner to help you turn traditional Thanksgiving campaigns into interactive Mixed Reality experiences. Flam is an AI-powered Mixed Reality platform that helps brands create, publish, and scale immersive experiences across print, packaging, and digital channels.
With a simple QR code scan, consumers can explore 3D product demos, discover hidden Thanksgiving surprises, or experience immersive brand stories. Here’s how Flam can help your brand stand out:
Boost Engagement: Create interactive moments that keep audiences engaged longer and strengthen emotional connection with your Thanksgiving message.
Easily Update Campaigns: Refresh offers, visuals, or creative elements instantly to stay relevant throughout the season, without the need for reprints or redeployments.
Measure What Matters: Gain valuable insights into engagement and conversions to optimize campaign performance and ROI across all channels.
Conclusion
Flam bridges creativity and technology to transform Thanksgiving marketing into something personal, interactive, and unforgettable. By merging physical and digital touchpoints, brands can create experiences that delight audiences and drive measurable impact.