< February 2006
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From: Barneys New York
Subject Line: Celebrate!
Date: Friday, March 31, 2006
What fun! Simple yet effective: a gal hanging from a chandelier combined with a quick note in cavalier script really embodies that offhand "we're rich and we don't care" attitude. We also see an intelligent use of Date and Subject Line: we get to "Celebrate!" on a Friday.
Being one who constantly checks her email, I literally saw this message enter my inbox. I clicked through immediately, and if the delays that occured on the site were any indication, everyone was curious to see the new beauty, and clicked through immediately, upping the traffic and thereby slowing the speed. Unfortunately, the follow-through was a major disappointment. Barneys' new site is only mediocre aesthetically speaking, and sort of sucks from navigability and functionality standpoints. Maybe they should have done a a little more work on it before announcing to the world how great it was. Or maybe my experience simply mirrors the disappointment we all feel when the sparkle of a gorgeous new purchase eventually fades.
From: Earl Jean Newsletter
Subject Line: Tax Season Special Promotion from Earl Jean
Date: Thursday, March 30, 2006
Let me be frank, the primary reason I'm posting this message is that the offer is so awesome: get 50% off everything on Earl Jean's website through April 15. That's pretty amazing. (I bought something.)
While I was happy to take advantage of the offer, I do feel that a "Tax Season Special Promotion" is totally off-brand for Earl Jean. It might fit for - say - Quicken Financial Software - but Earl Jean puts out an "I'm too cool to pay taxes" image, a dirty hair and dirty deeds image, so to frame a sale within a "Tax Seaon" context doesn't make any sense. It's just not sexy.
On a technical note, it's really not appropriate to use "Newsletter" in the "From:" field unless you're delivering content (like an article), so in this case, it would make more sense just to use "Earl Jean."
But anyway, what a deal! Buy something!
From: The Museum of Modern Art
Subject Line: Last chance to save $10 on the newest arrivals at MoMAstore
Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2006
This email was brought to my attention by Kate Addiego. Thanks Kate!
The MoMAstore consistently delivers campaigns with clear messaging and clean design. This EDM is a nice example of successfully bringing together what could have been a mishmash of product imagery through common shape and color.
As a museum-affiliated enterprise, MoMAstore faces the unique issue of addressing the consumer and the connoisseur. The consumer saves $10 on their coasters, while the connoisseur admires a 2005 vase by Tokuda. Objects d'art get dates rather than prices!
From: Keds
Subject Line: keds.com: COOL IS BUZZ ON NEW AND CLASSIC STYLES
Date: Thursday, March 23, 2006
Let's face it: Keds haven't been cool since like 1990. Or maybe I only thought they were cool in 1990 since I was - like - 10. Regardless, Keds only recently began a campaign to regain their cool by employing as their face the negligably cool Mishca Barton. This email, featuring the "COOL BUZZ" appears to be a piece of that effort. While I find the creative execution messy and unprofessional (Umm... was this done in PowerPoint!?), the idea behind it is smart and something you just don't see in EDMs. We all know the power of product placement. Why shouldn't Gap, then, add little "Featured in XYZ Magazine" dot-whacks to their product imagery? Or why wouldn't Pottery Barn feature their "Outdoor Furniture, as seen in Real Simple"? Is it legally difficult to get permission to make these mentions, or is it just that no one's thought of it? Except Keds. Necessity is the mother of invention.
From: Janie and Jack
Subject Line: Our New Collections Capture an Adventurous Spirit
Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2006
This is the first email I've ever received from Janie and Jack, and I find the creative execution absolutely precious. For those of you in kids' retail, I highly recommend ordering a Janie and Jack spring catalog; it's beautiful. The attention to design detail suggests a quality product worth it's full price, and the rich layering of texture and color inspires a parent to imagine layering shirts and sweaters on their little Janies and Jacks.
From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: Introduce a new bold pop of color
Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Wow! In an unprecedented move, Crate and Barrel "breaks the grid" with an asymmetrical mix of silhouette and environmental photography. Obviously inspired by the mini-catalog that arrived in-home today (which is wonderfully colorful), this email is a fun departure from the usual all-silo or all-enviro messages that come not only from Crate & Barrel but the majority of furniture and apparel retailers.
One recommendation for improvement: I appreciate the simple copy, however, adding an underline or a carrot to suggest a call-to-action would inspire so much more click-through that it would be worth the design compromise. It's fine to leave product names and prices out for the sake of a cleaner design, however I feel it's absolutely necessary to include at least one clear point of entry.
From: Old Navy
Subject Line: This Week Only - Get $10 Off Any Purchase of $50 or More
Date: Monday, March 20, 2006
While the creative execution is nothing short of "blah" (I'm surprised this got past the business team without the addition of red!), I'm interested here in the print-out coupon tactic. Have you used it, is it effective, and in what context?
A physical coupon probably appeals to Old Navy's target audience: shoppers in search of a deal. However, how many of these value-oriented consumers have home printers?
From: Lands' End
Subject Line: The Perfect Packing List
Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Good Lord! While I am a fan of the well-executed multiple-message campaign, particularly when it combines full-price items with sales or special offers, this Land's End multi-message EDM is an absolute monstrosity!
While I appreciate the idea behind packing the customer's suitcase, which was done nicely by J.Crew last year, this email sets off a sensory overload with at least seven different messages, vibrant colors and energetic graphical elements. Ieee! Plus, Land's End flatters itself if they believe anyone will read the novel-length copy in a less-than-easy-to-read font. Hel-lo!? Next time try sending this as four separate EDMs, or at least chill out on the creative execution.
Question for an email delivery specialist: Why do Land's End (as well as Lord and Taylor) EDMs appear in my inbox with an attachment icon next to them, and how does this affect deliverability?
From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: Ship unlimited furniture from just $69
Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Love the clean, straightforward creative execution here, however, the copy could be somewhat misleading: "starting at just $69" refers only to the shipping price, not the actual product price. While the number 69 might compel click-through, I wouldn't be surprised if this campaign sparked very few conversions with actual pricetags over $1,000.
From: adidas Online Store
Subject Line: adidas by Stella McCartney Spring Collection has arrived
Date: Friday, March 17, 2006
Love the use of whitespace (or blue space, rather) in this design.
Totally not my area of expertise, but how does it make sense for Stella McCartney to design for adidas?
From: Burberry
Subject Line: Children’s Apparel, Accessories and Fragrance
Date: Thursday, March 16, 2006
The unearthly halo and black, pupil-less eyes make this baby look downright creepy.
I get it that retailers want to profit on the celebrity-fueled "it's hip to have babies" trend. Babies in tartan plaid are one thing, but baby FRAGRANCE!?
From: west elm
Subject Line: Best-Sellers: bedroom storage + 20% off jute boucle rugs
Date: Wednesday, March 15, 2006
west elm is one of my favorite furniture brands; they've really been pioneers when it comes to trends in home furnishings. When they initially introduced chocolate-finish furniture I found it distasteful, but now, a few years later, the rest of the market has "caught up" and everyone's featuring it, and I'm itching to replace my blonde-finish bedroom.
The imagery in this EDM showcases the storage sets nicely; we get a great sense for two entire collections in one shot. Unfortunately, as dark wood finish is notoriously difficult to capture on film, the pieces do look a little "black" and lack differentiation; shoppers may be reluctant to purchase a product they can't really "see". This is something that could have been fixed easily using PhotoShop curves and saturation settings.
From: FreePeople.com
Subject Line: Dresses for every day at Free People
Date: Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Let's play "Find the Call-to-Action!" Can you find it? ...
Why make the call-to-action so tiny? Why hide it in the weeds? Why not put it right below the body copy? In doing so, Free People would better serve prospective shoppers and increase sales without compromising their low-key approach.
From: J.Crew
Subject Line: If the pants fit, wear them.
Date: Monday, March 13, 2006
Pants are probably one of the most difficult items to purchase online, so we appreciate J.Crew's attempt to break their selection down by fit. Unfortunately, the pants depicted in the photography employed look almost identical to one another (particularly the "City" and "Favorite" fits), and J.Crew offers no advice as to which fit best flatters a particular body type. So while the intention here is good, the execution is not as strong as it could be.
Eagle Eye Note: There's an extra white pixel on the lower right-hand corner of this email, between the Original Fit image and copy. Blam!
From: J.Crew
Subject Line: Shop our final sale
Date: Thursday, March 2, 2006
Love the color and the simple execution. Not sure about the word choice. According to Merriam-Webster, INDULGE implies "excessive compliance and weakness in gratifying another's or one's own desires," as well as "inordinate gratification of desire for luxury and comfort with consequent enervating effect." Does that sound like a good thing to you? Hmm...
From: holdeverything
Subject Line: 10% off versatile shelving for every room
Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2006
From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: Modern furnishings from our new Spring Collection
Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Tate is in the air with new collections for holdeverything (launched late January) and Crate and Barrel (launched yesterday.)
A legal concern brought to my attention by a colleague: the Tate Modern is a British art museum. If Crate and Barrel's collection was not created in cooperation with the museum, is it legal to use a "tate modern" headline?
From: The Land of Nod
Subject Line: Calling all piggy toes. Calling all piggy toes.
Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2006
This email was brought to my attention by a colleague. Thank you!
The Land of Nod always seems to walk the razor's edge as far as copy goes. While employing the current energy crisis to drive rug sales is brilliant, "piggy toes" is just annoying. I agree with my colleague concerning the rug photography here. Notably difficult to depict online, The Land of Nod has done a wonderful job here showcasing their rugs. Nice work.
On another note, I'd like to make a general observation concerning Tuesdays: I'm not sure they're the best day to launch email campaigns anymore. While I received only 3 EDMs on Monday, I received 13 Tuesday, and, even as a self-described EDM Freak, did not get through all of them. How much more would this be true for the average consumer? Hmm... are Wednesdays the new Tuesday? Let me know what you think.
From: PBteen
Subject Line: With the right stripes, a girl can't go wrong.
Date: Thursday, March 2, 2006
From: PBteen
Subject Line: With the right stripes, a guy can't go wrong.
Date: Thursday, March 2, 2006
What a fun way to apply a catalog-like editorial look to a tabbed email. While this treatment isn't all that different from PBteen's usual fare, the addition of copy blurbs at novel angles and an environmental and silo image mix makes the message more compelling.
OK, I confess, I designed this message! How cute is it though!?
From: BananaRepublic.com
Subject Line: Hurry, last week to save 15% + new suits for spring...
Date: Tuesday, March 7, 2006
This email campaign was brought to my attention by Shinn Chen. Thanks Shinn!
In fact, two other collegues have also mentioned the following issue in connection with recent BananaRepublic.com messages: the image quality is too low. While there's something to be said for keeping images on the light side for faster loading, blurry product photographs and, in this case, copy blocks, do not a good impression make.
Additionally, over the past several months, BananaRepublic.com's clothing imagery has shown wrinkles. PhotoShoppers, employ the blur tool!
From: Gymboree
Subject Line: NEW! Dress up for Easter and $5 Flat-Rate Shipping!
Date: Thursday, March 2, 2006
Wow, looks like the Children of the Corn are celebrating Easter this year! The graphical treatments used here are happy and holiday-appropropriate, however the photography is, in my opinion, downright strange.
From: BananaRepublic.com
Subject Line: New spring polos + get 15% off...
Date: Tuseday, February 28, 2006
Ahhhh! Attack of the enormous scary Willem Dafoe-like Raptor Man! I promise, I'll buy as many polos as you want. Just let me live!
Seriously though, that hero image is enormous. Too big? What do we think?
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