Double 12 (12.12) is a year-end shopping day on 12 December, started in China and now one of the biggest sale days in Southeast Asia. The best Double 12 campaign ideas give shoppers a quick, playful reason to sign up between Black Friday and Christmas: a 12-day countdown calendar, a wheel with 12 prizes, a year-end lucky bag or a last-minute gift finder. Plan three to four weeks ahead and keep the mechanics simple, because shoppers are tired of discounts by mid-December.
For brands selling to customers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand or Vietnam, 12.12 is a fixed point in the year-end calendar. For European brands, it's a useful reason to talk to customers in the quiet spell after Cyber Monday. Below you'll find what Double 12 is, how it differs between markets, the 2027 and 2028 dates, a planning timeline and 10 campaign ideas with the right game format for each.
What Is Double 12?
Double 12 (双十二, Shuāng Shí'èr, or simply 12.12) takes its name from the date: the 12th day of the 12th month. Taobao started it in 2012 as a follow-up to Singles' Day (11.11), aimed at smaller sellers (The World of Chinese). In its early years it also became known for offline offers, with discounts in shops and restaurants for people paying by phone.
The event has changed since. In 2023, Taobao renamed its December sale the "Year-end Good Price Festival" (年终好价节). It still centred on 12 December, opening on the evening of 9 December and running to the 12th, with cross-store discounts and Tmall brands taking part for the first time (Daoinsights). Other Chinese platforms have kept running their own 12.12 promotions.
In Southeast Asia, 12.12 is very much alive. The large regional marketplaces run 12.12 as a headline sale, with daily themed deals in the run-up, free shipping, vouchers and livestreams. One marketplace celebrates its birthday on 12.12 and made it a "birthday sale" (Malay Mail).
So the name means slightly different things depending on where your customers are, but the moment is the same: a year-end deal day on 12 December.
When Is Double 12?
Always 12 December. In 2027 it falls on a Sunday and in 2028 on a Tuesday. The warm-up varies: in China it has started a few days before, and in Southeast Asia marketplaces often begin themed sales in late November or early December.
| 2027 | 2028 | |
|---|---|---|
| Singles' Day (11.11) | Thursday 11 November | Saturday 11 November |
| Black Friday | 26 November | 24 November |
| Cyber Monday | 29 November | 27 November |
| Double 12 (12.12) | Sunday 12 December | Tuesday 12 December |
| Christmas Day | Saturday 25 December | Monday 25 December |
Double 12 sits close to the last shipping dates for Christmas in many countries. That makes it a natural "last big deal before Christmas" for e-commerce. Our free marketing calendar shows the holidays in your markets.
Where Double 12 Campaigns Run
In mainland China and on the Southeast Asian marketplaces, 12.12 happens inside the platforms, with their own vouchers and games. Scratcher doesn't integrate with those platforms.
Scratcher is for the channels you own:
- Your own webshop, for customers across Asia and Chinese-speaking customers worldwide
- Your newsletter and SMS list, where you can collect sign-ups that don't depend on a marketplace
- QR codes in your shops, malls and pop-up stores, which fits the offline roots of Double 12
- Social media you already run in each market
Many brands sell on marketplaces and on their own site. A game on your own site is a way to turn marketplace buyers into subscribers you can reach directly next time.
Double 12 Planning Timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Early November | Choose the goal and one main idea. Decide how 12.12 fits with Singles' Day and Black Friday so you don't run three discounts in a row. |
| Mid-November | Build the game, write texts in each market's language, upload codes, set odds. |
| Late November | Connect your email tool, test the flow, print QR codes. |
| 1–11 December | Run the countdown or teaser games. Remind sign-ups of shipping dates. |
| 12 December | The main day. Send a morning and an evening reminder. |
| After 12.12 | Draw winners, follow up, move new subscribers into your Christmas emails. |
10 Double 12 Campaign Ideas
1. 12 days to 12.12
What it is: A countdown calendar from 1 to 12 December with one door a day and a new offer behind each. The last door is the best deal. It's shorter than a full Christmas calendar and runs right up to the sale.
Channel: Newsletter, SMS and app.
Format: Campaign calendar
2. A wheel with 12 prizes
What it is: A spin with 12 slices, from free shipping to the main prize. Every slice wins, and the number speaks for itself.
Channel: Website pop-up.
Format: Spin the wheel
3. Year-end lucky bag
What it is: Lucky bags with a surprise selection of products are popular at the turn of the year in China and Japan. Let players pick a bag online to reveal a prize, or offer a real lucky bag as the main prize.
Channel: Website and social media.
Format: Mystery box
4. Last-minute gift finder
What it is: A few questions about who the gift is for and the budget, then three suggestions that can still arrive before Christmas, with a 12.12 code by email.
Channel: Website, search and social ads.
Format: Product finder
5. Scratch card at the till
What it is: A QR code at the checkout or in the window opens a scratch card with a same-day prize. It brings back the offline side of Double 12 for shops and restaurants. Make the codes with our QR code generator.
Channel: Shops, malls and restaurants.
Format: Scratch card
6. Vote for the product of the year
What it is: Shortlist your best products of the year and let customers vote. Everyone who votes enters a draw, and the winning product gets the biggest 12.12 deal.
Channel: Social media and newsletter.
Format: Vote game or online poll
7. Year-in-review memory game
What it is: Turn the year's launches into a memory game. Players match pairs, see your range while they play and sign up to enter the draw.
Channel: Website and social media.
Format: Memory game
8. Three-day high score
What it is: A skill game from 10 to 12 December with a daily prize for the best score. It keeps people coming back right up to the sale.
Channel: Social media and app.
Format: Tap it or slice it with a leaderboard
9. Win back lapsed customers
What it is: Send customers who haven't bought this year a gift surprise with a personal 12.12 offer. It's a reason to get in touch that isn't just another discount email.
Channel: Email and SMS.
Format: Gift surprise
10. Year-end survey with a prize draw
What it is: Ask customers what they want more of next year. Everyone who answers enters a draw. You end the year with data you can use for Lunar New Year and spring.
Channel: Email.
Format: Survey
More ideas: the free competition idea generator.
Prize Ideas
By 12 December, most shoppers have seen weeks of discounts. Prizes that stand out:
- Free express shipping that still makes Christmas
- A gift with purchase or a lucky bag
- Many small instant prizes, so most players win something
- One big prize for the draw, such as a year's supply of your product
Use the prize odds calculator to set quantities and the discount code generator for unique codes. To decide between a discount and a prize, try the discount vs prize calculator.
Collecting Sign-ups and Consent
- Ask before the result. The email or phone number comes before the spin or scratch.
- Consent: A clear, unticked checkbox. The consent text generator helps you word it.
- Language: You write all campaign texts yourself, so you can run each market in its own language. Have native speakers check them.
- Fair play: One entry per email address or phone number and blocked throwaway addresses keep deal hunters from taking all the prizes.
- Terms: The competition terms generator gives you a draft.
- Follow-up: Move new sign-ups straight into your Christmas emails.
Check Local Rules
Prize promotions are regulated differently in every market. In mainland China, the 2020 Interim Provisions on Regulating Promotional Activities cap the top prize in a lottery-style prize promotion at ¥50,000 and require you to publish the prizes, number or odds and how to claim before you start. China revised its Anti-Unfair Competition Law in 2025, so ask a local lawyer which rules apply today. Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the other markets each have their own rules on lucky draws, so check whether you need a permit before you launch. For Europe, see competitions and GDPR. This article is general information, not legal advice.
What to Measure
- New sign-ups and how many came from marketplace buyers
- Conversion rate from game visit to sign-up
- Code redemptions on 12.12 and in the days after
- Revenue from new subscribers over Christmas
- Results per market, if you run several
Tag links with the UTM builder and calculate the return with the campaign ROI calculator.
FAQ
What is Double 12?
Double 12 (12.12) is a shopping day on 12 December. Taobao started it in China in 2012 as a follow-up to Singles' Day. It's now a major year-end sale in Southeast Asia too.
Does Double 12 still exist in China?
Yes, but under different names. In 2023, Taobao renamed its December sale the Year-end Good Price Festival, still centred on 12 December, and other Chinese platforms kept running 12.12 promotions.
Is 12.12 big in Southeast Asia?
Yes. The large regional marketplaces run 12.12 as one of their headline sales of the year, with themed deals in the run-up, vouchers, free shipping and livestreams.
How is Double 12 different from Singles' Day?
Singles' Day (11 November) is the bigger festival. Double 12 comes a month later, closer to Christmas, and has traditionally focused on smaller sellers and offline offers. See our Singles' Day campaign ideas.
Plan Your Year-end Calendar
Double 12 closes a run of big sale days that starts with Singles' Day and Black Week and Cyber Monday, and leads into Christmas. Read our Christmas campaign ideas and the 618 shopping festival guide for the mid-year counterpart.
Scratcher has 40+ game formats, 150+ templates and Rex, an AI assistant that builds a campaign design from your website. Start your free 14-day trial (no credit card needed) or book a meeting and we'll help you plan your 12.12 campaign.
