Email

Book

Mini

WoW

2012

ChristmasT he Ema i l m i n i Wow B ook

C h r i s t ma s 20 12

Christmas is a time for giving. For some that may come in the form of a gesture of good will, for others it might be a thoughtful present. But here at Red C we thought we’d share a bit of inspiration with you instead...…

Get ready for the NEW Christmas Email Mini Wow Book! A fabulous selection of festive emails we’ve collected that cut through the inbox clutter thanks to their head-turning subject lines, standout designs and enticing calls to action.

Hopefully, like us, these emails will make you say WoW, give you some insight into what the competition is doing and even bring you a few extra ideas on how to take your own email marketing strategy forward.

Enjoy!Steve WhiteStrategy Director

Contents

Coca -Co la

Howie s

J oe B rown s

B od en

on t h e B e ac h

of f i c e

Moonp i g

B onp r i x

Lake land

B od en

RubyEd

J ack Wi l l s

Amazon

Man C i ty

U rban out f i t te r s

S u t ton s Seed s

Sm i t h s

S h uh

Howie s

There is a casual almost flippant manner to how Howies present themselves that endears me to the brand. Just take a look at this email for example and its hand drawn look and feel. Not only is the design eye-catching, it has a casualness about it that makes me feel like they’re not being overly pushy with the sale.

That same relaxed Howies attitude is reinforced in the copy too. The headline offering in this email is ’50 prezzies better than socks’; Howies make a joke when presenting their offer rather than using a blunt sales message. For me, that relaxed tone makes me want to spend a little bit more time with the brand and keeps me curious and open minded about what they’re selling.

Date: 29 November 2012Subject line: 50 Prezzies for under £50

Howies

Natalie KinseySenior Account Executive

Nick CliffeSenior Art Director

Date: 21 November 2012

Subject line: Last chance for Christmas

delivery. Avoid the weekend queues!

Joe Browns

I wouldn’t say this email was particularly pretty, but what makes it standout for me is its canny use of space. Without the need to scroll down the email, your eye first catches a strong offering that’s tied to Christmas thanks to its supporting visual. Below that there’s not one but six product samples that you can click through and order. And, perhaps most impressive of all, the email finishes with a large and personalised share button that grabs your attention despite the busy nature of the email.

There’s a heck of a lot going on in a very small space, yet you never feel lost or unsure when navigating through its offers and that’s no easy feat. Impressive indeed.

Date: 16 November 2012Subject line: 25% off* plus Free Delivery on stocking fillers for all the family

Boden

You don’t have to say very much when you’re able to present your products as beautifully as this. All in all this email showcases 21 stocking fillers that all burst from the screen and draw your eye. Plus, the subtle use of Christmas lights and decorations pays homage to the festive season so much more stylishly than any other piece of design I’ve seen this year. Not that I’m surprised by that, it’s Boden after all!

Amy Estcourt Senior Account Manager

Stuart ClarkSenior Copywriter

At first glance this looks like a standard sales email, but look a little closer and you’ll see something that you’ve probably never seen before – I certainly hadn’t anyway! A Facebook link appears on the top nav that takes you through to On The Beach’s Facebook page. Such a strong push to the social media site reflects how important an advertising tool Facebook has become for many businesses. The email even finishes with a call to action to ‘like’ On The Beach’s Facebook page and drops in a tempting prize draw to give you a little push.

Yes it’s bold and I for one admire this brand’s approach. And I’m willing to bet they’ll be a few other companies in 2013 that will follow suit, but I for one won’t forget who I saw do it first. Kudos On The Beach, hopefully you’ll reap the rewards of your daring approach to email marketing.

Date: 1 January 2013Subject line: New Year Sale - Up to 30% off selected hotels before Janaury 31st 2013

office

Date: 01 January 2013

Subject line: SALE, now up to 60% off!

Surakshitha Jagadeesh

Account Manager

on the beach

Strong sales message? Check. Links to products? Check. Top brands? Check.

Eight cute buttons that showcase social media and other interactive tools? Check!

This email by Office may look understated, but it actually manages to get in a fab offer and plenty of links that help you obtain it with minimal fuss. The copy is trimmed right down and clever icons are used wherever possible to communicate what’s available without the need for extra copy, and it works a treat.

Yes, this email may be minimal in its design. Yes, it may only take a few seconds to read. But there are still loads of links and sales messages here – and that’s what makes it such a clever bit of email marketing.

Date: 1 January 2013Subject line: Appy New Year Steve

Moonpig

Katie Atkinson Account Manager

Date: 19 December 2012Subject line: Festive drinks offer for drivers! Plus, win a VAIO laptop and desktop duo, and more prize draws you’ll love

Christmas is a time to relax and catch up with old friends, that’s why pubs throughout the country are always packed at this time of year. However, somewhere in every one of these crowded bars are a handful of designated drivers who sadly aren’t able to enjoy a festive tipple.

So Coke have cleverly singled out these drivers and brought them a reason to smile this Christmas… a buy one get one free offer on coca-cola products in selected pubs! It’s a thoughtful offer that drivers all over the country would have raised their glasses to over the festive season.

If you would like to find out more information

about eyetracking, email Steve White

at swhite@redcmarketing.com or

call on 0161 872 1361 to arrange your

eyetracking study

Coca-Cola

One offering and lots of reasons to buy it… it’s the ideal formula when creating a strong sales message and Moonpig nail it with this smartphone app promotion. The headline uses the theme of New Year to cleverly turn this email into a timely offer. Disguised as New Year resolutions, four reasons to buy the app are then given along with supporting copy to persuade the reader into a purchase.

It’s not rocket science, additional benefits are more likely to push the reader into a sale. And that’s especially true when it’s neatly packaged around a particular time and occasion as this email does so well.

Sonya GreenwoodArt Director

Date: 30 December 2012Subject line: Four New Year’s style resolu-tions your wardrobe will love!

bon prixDate: 30 December 2012Subject line: The Lakeland sale continues - Hurry, limited stocks

Tom Mitton Senior Account Executive

Just how you’d imagine a Lakeland inspired kitchen – this email design is uncluttered, welcoming and attractive. This is largely down to its distinct use of illustration, which not only draws your eye but also communicates the range of products that are available. Navigating through the email feels effortless, as even its secondary messages are clearly grouped in boxes so that you can process every message in seconds.

Sophie Bennett Account Manager

As soon as we start the New Year, I think one thing: new wardrobe! And Bon Prix didn’t waste any time in assisting me when they sent this pretty email on the first day of January – talk about being on the ball!

Dressed as New Year resolutions, they gave me some handy style advice; from wearing more colourful lingerie to giving shoes I don’t wear to charity. All great ideas I was inspired to use and already have done after only being a few weeks into the New Year.

Lake land

Urban outfitters

Date: 30 December 2012

Subject line: NYE tunes and style, y’all!

Plus, mad SALE steals...

Now I don’t claim to be all ‘street’, but I do love the casual style of Urban Outfitters. Their subject lines are always a breath of fresh air when they arrive in my inbox. Look at this gem for example, ‘NYE tunes and style, y’all! Plus, mad SALE steals...’ – now that’s a line that will grab your attention!

Like their clothes, Urban Outfitters tone of voice makes their brand stand apart from most other fashion labels, and that makes them interesting enough for me to always want to read what they have to say.

And what did Urban Outfitters have to say in this particular email? Their main offering had nothing to do with selling me new clothes; instead they gave me some great playlist suggestions to make sure my Christmas party would be a blast. Now how cool is that?

Lara Morton Art Director

B od enDate: 24 December 2012Subject line: A Christmas message from us to you

Andy Campbell Copywriter

On Christmas Eve, it’s unlikely you’re going to be enthusiastic about receiving a sales email. You’re ready to unwind after weeks of Christmas shopping and enjoy the big day ahead. So, as much as I love Boden, when I received this email I wasn’t all that enthusiastic about opening it at first. But then I read the subject line, ‘A Christmas message from us’ and I was intrigued enough to find out what they had to say.

I opened the email and found there was no sales messages or clothes to shop; instead I was treated to a lovely Christmas poem from all at Boden House. Just when I thought I couldn’t admire Boden any more, they send this – what a lovely gesture at the perfect time of year!

Jack Wills

Date: 19 December 2012

Subject line: 20% Off the perfect gift

with your Jack Wills Gift Guide

Jessica Williams Account Executive

Whoever said that fashion emails have to be bursting with colour and product? This email from Jack Wills proves that a clean white background with a nice selection of typographical styles is sometimes more than enough to pull you into the content.

There’s only one image supporting the main communication and that’s of the product itself (gift guide), which keeps this piece of communication single-minded and effective.

However, the secondary message was just as interesting as the main offering and could have easily had its very own email... it advertised Jack Will’s interactive Christmas calendar, which, when you cast your phone over, each new day reveals a new offer. What a fun way to countdown to Christmas!

Ruby Ed

Date: 09 December 2012

Subject line: Great savings on cool tools

this Christmas

Secret Santa… nearly everyone in every office takes part in one during the Christmas period. And they’re always challenging, aren’t they? Getting a present for someone you don’t know all that well on a limited budget.

However, this year finding my Secret Santa gift was a breeze thanks to this email from Ruby Ed. It told me about an upcoming ‘Secret Santa flash sale’ where I could get a great looking pair of slippers at a discounted price. Perfect. And if the timeliness of the email wasn’t enough to prompt my purchase, they also made it a limited offer that was only available to the first 50 people that purchased.

What a clever and thoughtful approach to a sales offer!

Dawn Greaves Studio Manager

Howies

Date: 19 December 2012

Subject line: The end is Nigh

This email from Howies really made me chuckle. They could have just told me straight about their offering of super-fast delivery in a plain and simple manner. But what would have been fun about that? And Howies always try and have fun with their creative. So instead they wrapped their offer up in this little joke, ‘Order by midnight and we’ll deliver by the end of the world’. A wink at the Mayans predictions about the world ending in 2012. Love it!

Wayne Pretl

Interactive Designer

Amazon

Date: Various

Subject line: Various

Leigh Whitnall Account Director

The run up to Christmas is a time for extensive online browsing but with so many people to buy for it’s easy to forget where you’ve been and what you’ve seen. It’s at times like these that emails triggered by browser behaviour come into their own, a fact that is well understood and taken advantage of by Amazon, as they prove with this email here.

I opened it up and found that Amazon we’re showcasing a range of products similar to what I’d been looking at on their site only days earlier. Amazon had obviously done their research, and I benefitted from that by getting a no-nonsense email that was tailored to my exact interests. Even better, I was genuinely interested in most the products on the page and clicked through to continue my Christmas shopping. If only it could always be that easy!

Manchester City

Date: 17 December 2012

Subject line: Season’s Greetings

from Manchester City

Christmas is a joyous occasion, so if you’re creating an e-card it should capture that feeling. And that’s exactly what we set out to achieve when tasked with creating this Christmas e-card for Manchester City.

The email reads ‘Season’s Greetings from Manchester City FC’ and it shows a football formation resembling a Christmas tree. Then, from the bottom, one of its blue icons - representing a player - lights up. More icons then continue to light up leading your eye up the Christmas tree until the star starts shining. Finally, the now famous commentary from City’s final game of the season, ‘Aguerrrooooo’ wraps itself like decorations around the formation.

And there you have it, one of City’s greatest moments - ‘that Aguero goal’ - reenacted in the spirit of Christmas. What could be more joyous to a Blue than that?

Peter Griffith Interactive Designer

Smiths

Date: 21 December 2012

Subject line: Smith’s emergency

present service

Shopping at Christmas is always a nightmare, especially when you’ve left it until last minute! That’s why this email from Smith made me smile, the copy amusingly sets the scene to what limited options shoppers have left when they haven’t done their Christmas shopping by 21st December. One of the options is to buy a Smith hotel e-voucher, which is actually a good present, especially when you’ve almost ran out of time. I bet there were loads of people out there thanking Smith’s this Christmas!

Rosemary Walton

Client Services Director

After City fans saw the email they used to Twitter to talk about it, there was even a few messages sent to Aguero’s Twitter account too!

Schuh

Date: 25 December 2012

Subject line: Merry Christmas

Steve WhiteStartegy Director

If you open a Christmas card and it makes you smile then surely it has worked its magic? I certainly believe that’s the case, which is why, for me, this e-card from Schuh was the best email I received over the Christmas period.

It’s simple message, Merry Christmas from Schuh, was decorated by an animated gif made from glistening snowflakes. The effect was eye catching, charming and, most importantly, Christmassy! Schuh then took their quirky approach to Christmas further by creating an image of Rudolph by cleverly using just a shot of a brown shoe (presumably from their range) along with a Christmas bauble. Just goes to show that sometimes just being cute is all you need to do to captivate your customers.

Suttons Seeds

Date: 29 November 2012

Subject line: It wouldn’t be

Christmas without Chocolate!

Do people buy plants for each other at Christmas? I’m sure it happens but I think it’s safe to say that more people buy chocolate.

Which is probably why Sutton Seeds sent me this novel email to tell me about their new product: luxury chocolate flowers!

Not only do they look amazing, they’re made by award-winning French chocalateurs, Guisabel.

From a single chocolate flower in a plant pot to a bouquet of chocolate roses, there’s a wonderful range of Christmas treats to choose from - each with a nice amount of descriptive copy to describe exactly what each chocolate flower is made from. This is certainly the most interesting offering I got this Christmas!

But if you were really just after nice flowers, there’s an incredible 77% saving on Snowdrop Bulbs too waiting at the bottom of the email.

Katherine AllenAccount Manager

20 12Design Stuff

To find out how we can give your email marketing

the WOW factor, contact Steve

on swhite@redcmarketing.com or call 0161 872 1361