Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, and brands like to remind people either to escape the heat by popping into their storefronts, or to continue looking like a vampire while shopping online at all hours of the night. They do this via email, naturally.
We partnered with our friends at MailCharts to provide some creative analysis of clever Memorial Day emails from last year, helping marketers capitalize on what works well and what doesn’t in time for those early summer sales.
Remember, the best email designs can be no match for mailbox or device quirks, so always test your campaigns using a tool like 250ok Design before sending. You don’t want to start the summer with egg on your face (because it’s getting hot and it will fry).
Here’s some perspective from Tom Buchok, director of product at MailCharts:
Need a compelling reason to send out a campaign with a Memorial Day theme? Here are three:
- Everybody else is. That excuse didn’t fly when you’re a kid, but it makes sense today. Email volume peaks the Saturday before Memorial Day Monday, but emails mentioning Memorial Day are already flowing into the MailCharts database. Folks are looking forward to summer, so your email can tie into that excitement, too.
- Drive incremental sales with discounts and promotions. We know consumers check their email all day long, especially when they’re bored. Use something besides your usual 20% discount to catch their attention when they’re scrolling their inboxes during downtime. Percentage-off and monetary discounts are the most popular promotions for Memorial Day. In 2018, 71% of merchants sent discounts, with 20-30% and 40-50% the most popular.
- Let your patriotic flag fly. Your customers aren’t in the market to buy from you every day, so give them a break from your regular email program with a special Memorial Day themed message. The holiday is a great time to connect with your customers over shared values, like honoring the spirit of the holiday.
Now… Onto the emails!
Memorial Day Email Examples
Jane
Subject Line: ? Our Memorial Day event continues ?
Catching our eye faster than fireworks is Jane’s creative Memorial Day metaphor. This email succeeds on aesthetics alone, but truly, the copy is what drives the email’s playful humor. Connecting “hot deals” to “hot dogs” is brilliant. Keeping the deal a mystery entices you to click through to see if you’re lucky enough to land a good incentive. Even if you don’t click-through, Jane creates a strong impression for its brand. BRB, gonna go grill a hot dog real quick.
Postmates
Subject Line: What Memorial Day Means to Postmates
Postmates pays homage to those who served on this day of remembrance. No deals or gimmicks here, as Postmates partnered with veterans to collect donations to honor those we’ve lost. A simple, clean design draws focus to the message without any distracting frills. Kudos to Postmates for utilizing their platform to support a meaningful cause the company values.
Handy
Subject Line: Happy Memorial Day! ?
Handy is giving you FOMO with this incentive. One day only! Hurry! Nothing like a sense of urgency to get you to take the bait, plus, 50% is a steep discount. If you’re still not sure, further scrolling shows an easy step-by-step to help you tackle your home cleaning and Memorial Day celebrations, plus another call-to-action. The layout flows well, making the 50% discount the main focal point. The clean, soft blue background reveals itself to be a sky after scrolling to the cookout imagery. Goodbye, FOMO.
PotteryBarn
Subject Line: ✧ Ends Tonight! ✧ Your Memorial Day Savings – Up to 30% Off + FREE SHIPPING!
Buy more, save more is right! Pottery Barn offers a ton of discounts for Memorial Day shoppers. Although the subject line is long, possibly getting cropped by certain mailbox providers, Pottery Barn is upfront about what the email contains. Presenting several discounts plus free shipping creates an overwhelming sense of savings. Readers will feel inclined to participate. As if the discounts weren’t enough, an elegant, American-themed armchair is showcased to encourage click-throughs. If only the dog was included. AMERICA!
Munchkin
Subject Line: In Honor of Memorial Day
Similar to Postmates, Munchkin uses its platform to honor those who served, skipping any sales or deals. It’s a heartfelt choice for this brand. It may not impact sales, but it will build positive impressions. Have you noticed the Easter egg in the design? Using their logotype heart to create an American flag replica is clever and further carries their brand in a genuine way.
For more examples of exemplary emails, head over to MailChart’s Memorial Day page.
“A little creative tweaking and a strong subject line might be all you need to pique your subscribers’ interest,” said Buchok. “Or use this relatively low-risk holiday to test something new, like a different promotion or purchase incentive, a new template prototype or something else where you don’t want to risk a major sales disruption.”
We hope these sparked some ideas in time for Memorial Day, or maybe for another later sparkler-related holiday… If you want more expert email insight, data, and intelligence, you know where to find it!
Editor’s Note: Before closing, we at 250ok wanted to share a note about Carl Sednaoui, Marketing Director and co-founder of MailCharts, our partner on this blog and others in the past. Carl’s unexpected and tragic passing in February left us with heavy hearts, yet we are determined to help continue and support his legacy. For more information about Carl, please click here for a beautiful in memoriam from Tom, co-founder of MailCharts. Thanks for everything, Carl.