Black Friday has traditionally been a retail play, leaving little space for Entertainment brands, artists, or music to join the moment. But this year, Cards Against Humanity won over social feeds with its “99% Off Sale.” As retail madness around the country kicked into high gear, CAH launched www.99percentoffsale.com. Every 12 minutes, a new item went up for sale, each one more absurd — and somehow more incredible — than the last. The fun came from the suspense of what would drop next and from the overall site experience, where every item was modeled by a bizarre mystery man in a red Zentai full-body suit. Even the site’s FAQ was written in the game’s signature voice. The top question asked, “What’s happening?” and CAH answered, “The American empire has entered its terminal decline.”

CAH dropped a mix of high-brow, low-brow, and borderline unhinged items. This wasn’t a chance to win something, people could actually purchase absurd items at jaw-dropping discounts. Prizes swung wildly from the absurd to the oddly alluring: Indiana Jones' ‘Actual Goddamn Hat’ Signed by Harrison Ford for $51.50, a human skull, a Berkin Bag for $127, a dumpster, coal from the Titanic, a 100” TV for $19.99, and the ability to name a new species of worm…and so much more. The moment went viral, hooking consumers who kept refreshing to see the next mystery item before the clock hit zero.

If you were lucky enough to add one of these mystery items to your cart when it became available, the CAPTCHA was tailored to the brand’s sense of humor. “Click on the flags of the countries where the average annual income is less than the cost of a Birkin bag."

The randomness (and sheer audacity) was just the point. Beyond an obvious knock on Black Friday, the 99% Off Sale was a stunt that served to amplify the wit, charm, and charisma that sets the Entertainment brand apart in its category. Black Friday isn’t usually in the category playbook, yet CAH showed how tapping into a moment with huge algorithmic momentum can create surprising space to stand out. For a game built on irreverence and satire, this was as much about reinforcing CAH’s identity as it was driving sales for the iconic game.