PadSquad Launches ‘The Big 5: The Advertiser’s Guide to $1.2 Trillion in Shopping Moments’ Report

New Playbook Previews 2025’s Top Seasonal Commerce Moments, Providing Advertisers with a Blueprint for Marketing Success

PadSquad, the leading provider of high-impact digital ad and video experiences for brands and agencies, has debuted the complete report for tentpole marketing and seasonal advertising, The Big 5: The Advertiser’s Guide to $1.2T in Shopping Moments. As advertisers’ calendar year unfolds, tentpole moments from Easter to the Winter Holidays present new challenges and opportunities for brands to connect with their audience.

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According to new data from PadSquad, holiday-themed retail ads drove 63% higher engagement and 29% higher video completion rate (VCR) than non-seasonal creative. Based on 2024 consumer spending, the five major shopping events that stand out as prime opportunities for advertisers in 2025 are:

• Easter ($22.4 billion)
• Mother’s Day ($33.5 billion)
• Father’s Day ($22.4 billion)
• Back-to-School/College ($125.4 billion combined)
• Winter Holiday Season ($979.5 billion)

“To win during these key moments, brands need to understand what makes each shopping event unique and build campaigns that match how modern consumers think and buy,” said Lance Wolder, Head of Strategy at PadSquad. “Easter is the first major consumer shopping event on the list this year. With 81% of Americans planning to celebrate the holiday, the time is now to optimize advertising and marketing strategies.”

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PadSquad’s optimal strategies and tactics for successful Easter advertising include:

• Contextual Relevance: Reach shoppers across sites where they spend the most time and leverage behavioral target capabilities to find people who recently browsed for holiday décor, toys, or candy.
• Emphasize Family: Focus creative on family traditions and nostalgia with cultural themes. Include family-focused messaging like “Make Easter Special” or “Celebrate Together.
• Pin-Worthy Creative: Consider social-inspired video creative formats to showcase insta-worthy Easter baskets or gamified ads like virtual egg hunts to create memorable experiences.