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Category Archive: Copywriting
June 30, 2009
From: Victoria's Secret Subject Line: Thank you for your recent purchase Date: June 20, 2009 Isn't it fun when you rediscover a brand? Take Victoria's Secret, for instance. Lately, my gal pals and I can't get enough of this iconic brand. And it has nothing to do with sexy little underthings, either. (Sorry guys.) We're all about the dresses, tanks, tshirts and swimsuits featured in the summer catalog. One of my girlfriends went so far as to say that the only promotional emails she opens anymore are the ones from Victoria's Secret! I'm not sure if they revamped their email marketing and merchandise, or what. But, whatever they're doing, it's working. What sealed the deal for me was this simple "thank you for your purchase" email. Instead of combining it with my order confirmation, they sent a separate email to just say...thanks. I loved it. Plus they gave me free shipping on my next order of $100 or more. I already have three dresses picked out.
June 18, 2009
From: Get the newsletter people describe as "highly unannoying"!
Subject Line: someecards
Date: Thursday, June 4, 2009
I got a hilarious card from a co-worker from someecards.com recently. I then used the service to send one myself, and received an email prompting me to sign up for their newsletter shortly thereafter. This is no doubt the most entertaining - and compelling - acquisition email copy I've ever read.
June 12, 2009
From: PayPal Subject Line: RE: FW: Account Validation Required Date: June 10, 2009 For over a week I received an email a day supposedly from PayPal with the subject line Account Validation Required. They all landed in my Junk folder, which was good, but when I started receiving two a day, I decided enough with the phishing. Of course, I knew that the fact it was from a .uk address was phishy, and I knew enough not to click on anything or give them any info. But I couldn't help but think about all the thousands of people who probably don't know it's a scam. Scary. I forwarded the email to the address that the REAL PayPal site provides in the event that you think an email is a phishing scam: spoof@paypal.com. Within an hour, I received this email back (check it out to the left). I really applaud PayPal for their follow-through, and I really like the tone of the copy. The good news: No more emails from the phony-baloney PayPal site with the .uk address. Now if we can just get rid of phishing scams all together, we'll be golden.
May 28, 2009
From: giggle Subject Line: help us help you Date: May 28, 2009 If you ask giggle, my two cents could be worth $500! Thought this was a great incentive to get people to engage with the giggle site and start writing product reviews. Their creative is always fresh and clean, and they really do a great job of carrying their brand through every customer touchpoint, from the site to email to the store. Total Sidebar: Not sure it was intentional, but I love the Jerry Maguire reference in the subject line. Remember that scene? "Help me help you, Rod. Help ME, help YOU."
May 22, 2009
From: Let's Not Motor Day: Friday June 5
Subject Line: MINIUSA
Date: Friday, May 22, 2009
Two little surprises in one MINI email:
(1) The preheader link -- "Having trouble viewing this email? Click here to view it in your browser." -- opens the full MINI website with the email itself in a smaller pop-up window. I like this idea. It allows us to both view the email and engage with the entire website, should we choose. I'm surprised I haven't seen this before; it makes so much sense. Thoughts?
(2) MINI has personality, down to the unsubscribe copy: "If these emails are boring you and you don't mind missing out on all the lip-smackin' stuff we'll be sending in the future, simply send a message to unsubscribe@insiders.miniusa.com and include "Unsubscribe" and your favorite fruit in the subject field." Cute, right? I honestly think that the favorite fruit piece might make someone chuckle enough to cause them to consider not unsubscribing!
May 7, 2009
From: Goop
Subject Line: It's Goop - DO
Date: Thursday, May 7, 2009
Okay, okay, I admit it. I signed up for GOOP newsletters. Never heard of GOOP? It's Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website. At first, I didn't get it. As a matter of fact, I initially mocked it, jumping on the bandwagon with other folks who, quite frankly, were excited to have something negative to say about Princess Gywneth. But, I've noticed an inner shift in my inner aspect. (Gwyneth would get that reference.) Secretly, I look forward to her emails, and I realized today when I received the latest that I needed to come clean. In some weird way, it feels like Gwyneth is literally pulling my email address out and saying, "Oh, I think I'll email Darrah today." It's kind of like Twitter on Botox. It's all plumped up and I love it. While at times her tone comes across a bit condescending, like she's dispelling her glorious wisdom to us simple folk who are never going to be as fabulous as her, I do believe that her intentions are genuine. And actually, she's featured some pretty impressive interviews and tips in her newsletters. Now, if she could just break loose and make it feel more like a casual conversation between the two of us...now, that'd be seriously cool.
May 6, 2009
From: Crate and Barrel Subject Line: 1,2,3 ways to save on select Wusthof and Shun cutlery Date: May 1, 2009 If you're into knives (or should I say cooking 'cause just being into knives might be a little creepy) then you'll know that Wusthof and Shun are on the cutting edge (pun intended). I love how Crate and Barrel turned a simple knife sale into something fun, interesting, clean and simple. And the texture with the lettuce at the bottom is simply gorgeous. Plus, they always have that dynamic store location in the footer. Guess they are the sharpest knives in the drawer. Okay, enough puns for one day...
From: JCrew Subject Line: Your password has been updated Date: March 26, 2009 They most certainly can. Check out this fun password change request from JCrew that I found in my archives. Talk about jazzing it up with some personality. Bravo.
April 24, 2009
From: Southwest Airlines Subject Line: 50% off a Mystery City Each Day Date: April 24, 2009 I love the way Southwest took a 50% off sale and made it a game. Sticking out in the inbox these days is a challenge, and this is the perfect example of how simple clever can be. Best of all, I love how they do not include the city in the subject line. It forces me to open the email. Very smart. While I'm not in the market to fly to Philly today, I can tell you this: I'm hooked. I'm already guessing about what tomorrow's city will be.
April 10, 2009
From: JCPenny
Subject Line: A Special Message to You from the CEO of JCPenney
Date: Sunday, March 22, 2009
From: The Limited
Subject Line: Affordably Chic. Get The Fashion You Love For Less!
Date: Monday, March 23, 2009
Relevancy is an important part of email. Relate to your audience, anticipate their needs, and you will find astonishing results. In tough economic times such as these, why not emphasize what you can do to help your subscribers? Like JC Penny & The Limited: sending out a friendly reminder that you can still get quality products without emptying your wallet.
There are many more emails out there similar to these examples. This type of messaging could also be a good opportunity to provide a discount.
March 31, 2009
From: Victoria's Secret
Subject Line: One Day Only! 20% Off Your Order of $50+
Date: March 31, 2009
From the subject line to the preheader to the focused design and copy, I just love this email. Maybe it's because my apartment is cluttered with moving boxes that I am craving the clean and simple, but right now, I'm really appreciating the retailers who are sticking to a main story and doing it right. Thanks for the email, VS. I'll be shopping.
March 17, 2009
From: Barneys New York
Subject Line: Good for You!
Date: Friday, March 13, 2009
I recently started a new email account, and this Barneys New York email is my favorite welcome message so far. The copy congratulates me on signing up and thereby joining the "email cognoscenti," the message is branded to set expectations for future Barneys emails, and the messaging is simple, direct and draws me back into shopping. My favorite part is their humorous approach - their fashionable but still roller-wearing model looks both sassy and beautiful. The playful copy beneath the CTA "Leave your rollers in - we don't care!" ties it all together: the funny photo and the benefits of being part of the email program (high-fashion shopping prior to primping :)
March 16, 2009
From: Sephora
Subject Line: Do It Yourself - and save!
Date: March 3, 2009
Just like a lot of folks out there, I'm making calculated choices about where I spend my cash these days. So how can marketers reach a gal like me who's holding tight to her credit card? Give me a reason to spend money so that I save money. Case in point, this super fun email from Sephora. I scrolled the whole way down and purchased a couple of things off this DIY list. They even highlight the salon price for each service and compare it to the Sephora DIY price. Very clever, very timely, very creative. IMHO, this is the perfect example of how marketing to the masses via recession-minded tactics can come off smart, not sneaky.
March 10, 2009
From: Nordstrom
Subject Line: 9-to-5 Looks at Nice Prices
Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2009
From: Nordstrom
Subject Line: Just In: Fresh, Affordable Dresses
Date: Friday, March 6, 2009
With the economic downturn raising stress levels throughout society, it's interesting to see how retailers are marketing to a belt-tightening subscriber base. The last couple emails I've received from Nordstrom have come with subject lines touting affordable prices.
Nordstrom is traditionally a high-end brand, selling sophisticated fashion to the consumers that can afford it. While they're famous for stellar sales, their regular messaging is not about price--it's about high-end style.
With the landscape changing for marketers, I wonder if the introduction of "affordability" messaging in Nordstrom's full-price email campaigns signifies an attempt to shift their brand perception slightly, to be thought of not only as the place to find the best service and best fashion pieces available, but also a destination for high style with low prices. I also wonder whether their price tags will be able to match their messaging, especially as subscribers change their ideas of what "affordable" means.
January 6, 2009
From: Smith-Harmon
Subject Line: Retail Email Year-End Trends for 2008
Date: January 6, 2009
If you're in the midst of planning your 2009 email marketing strategy, this free reportlet from Chad White, Smith-Harmon's research director, is a definite must-read. It's packed with stats, trends and charts about the overall retail email volume, frequency and timing among the top online retailers in 2008. Want to know which days of the week were most popular to send retail emails? Interested in the top 20 retail email days of the year? Ready to learn what the SECOND biggest retail email season was, behind Christmas? Fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a few surprises.
Download the free reportlet now to get the panoramic view of what happened in the world of retail email in 2008.
January 5, 2009
From: Tommy Bahama
Subject Line: Relax
Date: January 5, 2009
I love the imagery and sentiment of this Tommy Bahama email, which hit my inbox today. On the plus side, it totally makes me want to plan a mid-winter escape to some place warm and sunny. On the down side, I think they should have dropped the "spirit of the season" idea and focused on "Happy New Year". The holidays are definitely over, so the copy of this email feels a little late to the party. Kudos to the subject line though, which simply says: Relax. The perfect mantra for the first back at my desk.
December 11, 2008
From: Urban Outfitters
Subject Line: You lost. Will 15% off make it better?
Date: December 11, 2008
This Urban Outfitters email made me laugh out loud. About a month ago I entered a sweepstakes of theirs, in which they invited subscribers to start a wish list to enter a drawing to win a $1000 Urban Outfitters gift card. I’d forgotten all about it until I got this email today. Bummer, no shopping spree! But the email is great. The irreverent copy works because their brand is so irreverent, and it’s smart that they encourage me to start shopping again by offering a discount as a consolation prize.
December 10, 2008
From: Sirius
Subject Line: Talk to Us Request
Date: December 10, 2008
From: Tim Westergren at Pandora
Subject Line: Welcome to Pandora
Date: December 9, 2008
While I do love all things girlie (beauty, clothing, shoes), I think it's important to take a look at some OTHER industries, to see what they're doing with email. Recently, I ventured into the world of Sirius and Pandora, and I really like the way they communicate with their customers in their triggered emails.
The first email is one I received from Sirius. While it's far from flashy, the sentiment made me read it to the end. The back-story is that I filled out an online form asking about a song that was played on The Coffee House. Within 24 hours, I got this nice note from them telling me they were on it. They also let me know that they value my feedback and that they're dedicated to customer care. And it didn't come across as lip service. I think they actually mean it. The two suggestions I'd make as far as copy goes is to change the "from" field to Sirius Customer Care and to make some of the text clickable so I can easily get back to the site. They might want to think about adding in a logo to align it with the brand, too.
The second email is the welcome message I got from Pandora after creating an account. Again, nothing too fancy, but engaging all the same. It made me feel a part of the community, like I belong in this really cool music world where I get to create my own radio stations. (I LOVE PANDORA! Totally addicted.) I'll be interested to see what the next round of emails looks like from them. I'm hoping they do a welcome series that tells me how to amp up my Pandora experience.
December 5, 2008
From: Smith-Harmon
Subject Line: Chad White's Cyber Monday Report
Date: December 5, 2008
Online retailers put a lot of bank behind Cyber Monday this year, and the big question is: Did it pay off? That's a big ole YES from Chad White, Smith-Harmon's new Research Director. His latest FREE reportlet, Cyber Monday Sees Record Retail Email Volume is packed with much more than just retail email volume and messaging stats. This 11-page gem gets into a full-on discussion of messaging trends with creative samples.
Download the free reportlet now to get the complete story on the biggest day in online shopping.
November 26, 2008
From: Pottery Barn Kids
Subject Line: From Me To You.
Date: Saturday, November 8, 2008
From: Eddie Bauer
Subject Line: An important message regarding Eddie Bauer gift cards.
Date: Monday, November 24, 2008
From: Pottery Barn Kids
Subject Line: You're Invited
Date: Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Dear Reader:
While not quite as "personal" as an email sent directly by an actual sales associate, I'm interested in Pottery Barn Kids' and Eddie Bauer's efforts to "personalize" communications using a letter format, particularly with regards to difficult, fear-assuaging messages such as – in essence – "times are tough, but shopping is an expression of love" and "don't listen to what NPR says, our gift cards are A-OK". I'm curious about your thoughts with regards to this "me to you" style-communication. Have you tried it? What were the circumstances under which you sent this type of message? What type of response did it elicit?
From me to you: Happy Thanksgiving! Have a fantastic holiday. Go buy some gift cards ;).
Lisa Harmon
Principal
Smith-Harmon, Inc.
November 21, 2008
From: Sephora
Subject Line: 1 box, 10 gifts.
Date: November 16, 2008
I L-O-V-E Sephora's version of last year's Elf Yourself. Talk about creative. From start to finish, it's a seamless experience that even the most tech-challenged girl can navigate with ease. Here's the skinny: After you've uploaded a pic of yourself, you go through a series of steps where you outline your eyes, mouth and face shape. Sounds complicated, but trust me, they've made it blonde-proof. (It's okay, I can say that because I'm a blonde.) Once you've finished with the outlining, the real magic begins. Within seconds, you have four fun and fabulous looks to choose from: Smokey Sugar Plum, Merry Berry, Santa's Little Temptress and O, Tannen-Babe. It's your face all glammed up in four festive ways, complete with eye shadow, mascara, gloss and more. All that's left is for you to add a personal message and send it on to your fellow glamour gals. You'll get a sweet little email that lets you know your Mistletoe Message has been sent, and best of all, the savvy team at Sephora includes a promotion code in the confirmation email for a free set of lashes or a sample size of Sephora Lip Attitude with any purchase. Simply brilliant.
Want to see my Mistletoe Makeover e-Card?
Check it out here.
From: Anthropologie
Subject Line: A holly jolly good time.
Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
I love how well Anthropologie has integrated their holiday messaging into their regular creative style. This email is so clearly holiday, but nothing about it is cliched or off-brand for Anthropologie. The subject line, the snowy cream color, the whimsical copy and the quirky candle animation are all so Anthropologie, and also all so refreshingly holiday.
November 6, 2008
From: Abercrombie
Subject Line: winter coats to keep you warm.
Date: October 30, 2008
From: Abercrombie
Subject Line: layer-up in classic style.
Date: November 6, 2008
I'm having a little trouble figuring out Abercrombie's latest email campaign. Maybe someone can help me sort it out.
The first email shown here has the subject line: winter coats to keep you warm. But, ummm, the email features a plaid flannel shirt. I guess it would be ironic if the guy happened to be naked or something, but he's not. So it just looks odd. Although, the links do make sense: Boys Outerwear and Girls Outerwear. At first, I thought it was just a production error, like maybe the wrong file was sent or something, until I received the second email and I realized they're trying to be ironic.
The second email's subject line is layer-up in classic style., which uses a hyphen incorrectly, but that's not really the issue, so I'll move on. The hero image features a guy with no shirt on, albeit he does have a short-sleeve tee draped over his shoulder. So, what exactly is he layering here? I guess it's ironic, but does it really sell the clothes? Maybe on a huge billboard it does, but in email when the whole objective is to get people to click through, does it work? The thing that's too bad is that the link to Boys Knits goes to some cool long-sleeve knit pullovers, tshirts, etc. IMHO, it would have been good to show at least a few products to tell the story and spark someone's interest enough to click the links. The way it is now, you really have to be a die-hard Abercrombie fan to be interested enough to click through.
It's election week: Let's put it out for a vote. Check out the two emails and share your thoughts. But remember this: It's like rain on your wedding day, a free ride when you've already paid, and having 10,000 spoons when all you need is knife. That's ironic, don't you think?
October 23, 2008
From: Michael Stars
Subject Line: New Breast Cancer Charity Tee
Date: October 7, 2008
In the last few weeks, I've received quite a few emails from retailers with a Breast Cancer Awareness message as the main story. This really got me thinking about the whole idea of cause-related marketing and whether or not it can actually drive sales.
Lo and behold, I received a blog posting on October 15th from MediaPost.com that talked about this very topic. Here's a slice of the story:
According to the 2008 Cone/Duke University Behavioral Cause Study, released recently by Cone and Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, cause-related marketing can exponentially increase sales, in one case as much as 74%, resulting in millions of dollars in potential revenue for brands.
Gets you thinking, doesn't it? What if every company found a way to include a cause-related message once a month, rather than once a year? In addition to driving sales through the roof, just imagine all the good we could do. Food for thought.
Read the full blog posting on cause-related marketing at MediaPost.com.
October 14, 2008
From: Crate & Barrel
Subject Line: Hurry...Free Shipping on bedding ends 9/30.
Date: September 25, 2008
From: Pottery Barn Kids
Subject Line: Dress Me Up - Our Exclusive Dolls Are Here!
Date: October 14, 2008
Let's take a minute to talk about store locators. Here's the deal: Email not only drives traffic to your website, it also drives traffic to your stores. In fact, companies with the ability to track their email subscribers' in-store purchases have the numbers to prove it. This is why including store information in your email is a slam dunk. Not only will it help drive sales, it also adds dynamic content, personalizes your message, and reinforces your subscribers' customer service experience.
My favorite execution is by Crate and Barrel. They include a banner at the bottom of each email they send me, with copy that reads: We're in the neighborhood. 155 Stockton Street, San Francisco, California. First, I love the friendly approach. Second, I love the click-through experience even more. When I clicked on the copy, I was taken to their store locator page on their website, complete with a map and a photo of the Union Square store. Nice touch.
Pottery Barn Kids also included a banner in their latest email, but the payoff wasn't quite as streamlined as the Crate and Barrel experience. At first I was impressed because they included a zip code field, which is a cool idea in theory. However, after entering my zip code, I expected to be taken to a page with a listing of all the stores in my 'hood. Not the case. I was taken to their general store locator landing page and asked to input my info again. The idea is there, they just need to work out the details.
If nothing else, adding store location information might be an interesting test to throw out there for the holidays, especially if you have exclusive in-store only merchandise you want to promote. If you know where your subscriber lives, you can recommend a specific store location, a la Crate and Barrel. If you don't, you can use a default message that takes your subscriber to your store locator page.
October 7, 2008
From:JetBlue
Subject Line: Low, lower and lowest...Our BIG fall sale is here!
Date: July 28, 2008
Feeling a little low on the creativity scale today, I decided to dig through my email archives to find a gem of inspiration. This JetBlue email is an oldie but goodie. It came out this summer amidst a flurry of emails where everyone was screaming SALE, SALE, SALE! What I love about this email is that they found a clever angle and made the sale messaging interesting. The body copy says: Our CFO is away. It's time for a sale. Book now before he gets back on August 6th! In reality, the CFO probably knew about the sale, but I just loved imagining the CFO coming back from vacation and everyone snickering behind his back because they pulled off the ultimate inside job. Finding unique ways to spin played-out content is a sure-fire strategy for grabbing your subscribers' attention. The only miss for me on this JetBlue email is the subject line. IMHO, the SL is a window into the content of the email. So, if you have a witty email, then use your SL to give subscribers a sneak peek into your creative genius. Not only did the JetBlue SL call this a Fall Sale when it was only July, but it also left out the whole fun-factor story about the CFO being on vacation. My SL suggestion? Our CFO is on vacation – flights starting at $39!
September 30, 2008
From: Bloomingdale's
Subject Line: Rock With Motorcycle Boots + Free Shipping.
Date: September 20, 2008
From: Piperlime
Subject Line: Rock out! Biker boots and bags are in.
Date: September 30, 2008
Trend alert! Looks like all you rocker chicks and wannabe biker babes can rejoice in this season's biggest trend. Within a little over a week, I received these two emails from Piperlime and Bloomingdale's. I think Bloomingdale's showed a killer breadth of assortment, but Piperlime nailed the copy and showed off the handbags to complete your look. They also had a strong secondary shoe message for the shoe gal who's a little more Mad Men vs. Rock of Love. Bloomingdale's, on the other hand, went with Children's Clothing as their secondary. Hmmmm. Seems like a missed opportunity there. It's a tough call, but I think I'm going to have to go with Piperlime for overall execution. Rock on.
September 29, 2008
From: Anthropologie
Subject Line: Dust off the dog-ears.
Date: September 29, 2008
With an inbox that boasts 571 unopened emails, I think it's safe to say that I probably subscribe to more emails than the Average Joe or Jane. So when a subject line truly stands out from the hundreds I get each week from retailers, airlines, credit cards, non-profits and others, well, I think that's an accomplishment worth mentioning. Right out of the gate, this week's honors go to Anthropologie for their subtle invitation to revisit their fall catalog. Dust off the dog-ears. is one of the most creative subject lines I've seen in a good month. I loved the SL so much that I was actually a little nervous that maybe the email wouldn't deliver on such cleverness. But it definitely did. It featured torn pages out of the fall catalog with even a dog-ear on one (talk about detailed!) and the copy simply stated: Isn't it time to revisit your favorites?. Yes, Anthropologie. I think it is.
September 15, 2008
From: Apple
Subject Line: The new iPod touch. Game on.
Date: Thursday, September 11, 2008
Normally, I love just about everything Apple sends me, but this email left me speechless and a little disappointed. What did it to me? The headline: iPod Touch. The funnest iPod ever. Really? With all the creative genius coming out of Apple, that's the only word they could come up with? Funnest!?! I get that language evolves and that non-words become words over time simply because we use them in our everyday conversations. I also totally get that in today's TXT world, it's cool to ditch the grammar we learned in school and go straight for the slang. But, funnest? IMHO, the writer could have at least tried to make it relevant by using the word fun as a comparison. So maybe other iPods are fun, but iPod Touch is the funnest. I could have played along with that, but this just missed the mark for me. On another note, the subject line totally reeled me in with The new iPod touch. Game on., and the body copy did its job by supporting the SL with The new, ultrathin iPod touch was born to play. Tilt, tap, shake, and swipe your way through stunning 3D games and applications. It's just that headline. Sorry, Apple. I still love you, though. Write soon.
August 26, 2008
From: Piperlime
Subject Line: Brown bag it.
Date: August 21, 2008
Piperlime writers get to have some serious fun with their copy. They have developed a really strong brand voice and I love that they keep it dialed with every email. Last week, as I sifted through my cluttered inbox, this particular subject line jumped out at me. Maybe it had something to with the fact that I'm looking for a brown handbag or maybe it just brought back fond memories of school lunches (and considering it's back-to-school time this SL is even more appropriate). Either way, it got me. So I opened the email. While the headline fell a little flat for me because it didn't support the subject line sentiment, the body copy was right on – Nothing says fall like a gorgeous brown bag. I agree, Piperlime.
August 22, 2008
From: Old Navy
Subject Line: Time to Play Favorites
Date: July 31, 2008
In keeping with the theme of this month's Smith-Harmon Loveletter, I want to take a minute to talk about preference centers. Personalizing the inbox is no longer as easy as just including a Dear Jane as a greeting to your email or adding a name to your subject line. These days if you really want to deliver personalized messages that stand out in the inbox, you have to find out what your customers want. And you do that by building out your preferences center. Find out what interests your subscribers and you'll be better able to deliver the right messages to the right people. Piperlime includes a banner that's dedicated entirely to preferences in every email. Pretty cool, right? Only problem is that the landing page felt like they were trying to get me to sign up for more Gap Inc. emails vs. finding out what interests me. I was hoping for questions about my age, shoe size, fave colors, sense of style, etc. etc. Taking a giant leap, Old Navy actually dedicated an entire email to finding out what interests their subscribers. I was excited! Unfortunately their pref center landing page was as sparse as Piperlime's page. When I clicked-through, it simply asked me if I wanted info on Men's, Women's, Plus-Size, etc. clothing. Nothing else. Oh wait, it also asked if I wanted to sign up for more emails from any other Gap Inc. brands. Wish they'd asked me about my favorite colors or personal denim style. Or maybe at least what age bracket I fall in! It comes down to this: The more you know about your audience, the more you can personalize the message. Check out Sephora's Beauty Insider profile experience to see a really cool pref center in action.
August 18, 2008
From: Netflix
Subject Line: We're Sorry DVD Shipments Are Delayed
Date: August 14, 2008
From: Netflix
Subject Line: We're sorry your DVD shipment was delayed
Date: August 15, 2008
No, you're not seeing double. I received these back-to-back customer service emails from Netflix last week. Seems their shipping system was on the fritz, so they took action by stepping up to the inbox not once, but twice to simply say sorry. At a time when prices are rising and savvy consumers are fine-tuning their buyers' intuition, it's in every retailer's and service provider's best interest to upgrade their personal, one-to-one interactions with their customers. Taking a few extra minutes and a few extra dollars to keep 'em feeling attended to is well worth the investment. IMHO. My only copy critique is that they should have switched up the subject lines a tad more. I almost didn't open the second email because I thought it was simply a repeat. Lo and behold, it spelled out specifically what Netflix was doing to make up for the mishap; they were giving me a 15% credit on my bill! Pretty major, right? Something like "We're giving you a 15% credit for DVD delay" as the subject line would have done the trick and let me know that it was a follow-up to the first email. One more little edit is about the casing in the subject lines; one used headline casing and the other used sentence casing. I've never seen any stats on one being better than the other, so it's more of a style consistency thing. Basically, pick a side and plant your feet.
July 8, 2008
From: Starbucks.com
Subject Line: Starbucks Card rewards are waiting for you
Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2008
From: Amazon.com
Date: Depends on Prime Sign-up Date
Notably difficult to depict are the ephemeral benefits that come with products like gift cards and membership subscriptions. Starbucks does a lovely job with this mail promoting their souped-up Rewards Card. The simple three-column structure, illustrative photography and concise text communicate the new rewards clean and clear. Starbucks' big challenge with email, of course, is tracking effectiveness, as emails drive customers to retail locations rather than trackable URLs.
Speaking of ephemeral benefits, Amazon.com also does a lovely job outlaying the perks of Prime membership here. Have you tried the program? I checked it out and got addicted to ordering stuff like shampoo.
February 6, 2008
From: west elm
Subject Line: See the chicest new sofa in town
Date: Tuesday, February 5, 2008
User-generated content and product reviews are popping up in email more and more, with reports of success, proving that we do want to hear what people like us have to say about the brands and products we shop. But what to do if you're just not there yet technically, and/or you're a more aspirational/less democratic brand?
west elm has found good ground by including quotes and images of people like us (only perhaps slightly cooler!?) in their emails and catalogs. Alex brings personality and perspective to this mail, no Web 2.0 required. I actually read her quote, spending perhaps 10 seconds more with this message than I otherwise might have.
January 25, 2008
From: Horchow
Subject Line: Want fewer Horchow e-mails?
Date: Monday, January 14, 2008
This email was brought to my attention by the fabulous Megan Regard. Thanks Megan! I say: snaps to Horchow for giving their recipients more control over the number of messages they receive. I like the idea of sending a dedicated mail totally focused on updating communications preferences, although I'm not sure I'd recommend framing it like this. I feel like the subject line "Want to receive fewer Horchow e-mails?" could potentially plant the idea into subscribers' minds that they receive too many emails, while something like "Customize your email experience!" seems more positive and open-ended, and doesn't potentially make the opt-down (or out!) decision for the recipient.
But that's just my opinion; the proof is in the pudding! It will take months to measure how this mail ultimately effects subscriber behavior, but if anyone from Nieman Marcus would be willing to share the initial results, I'm sure many of us would be grateful to benefit from your learnings.
Thanks and Happy Friday :)!
December 12, 2007
From: Louis Vuitton
Subject Line: Let Louis Vuitton help you find the perfect gift
Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2007
While the copy is awfully flat (I'd guess the designer, without a writer, "did their best"), this is beautiful creative. Nice and concise.
December 7, 2007
From: shopbop.com
Subject Line: Busy Girls Need Fabulous Clothes
Date: Friday, December 7, 2007
I like how shopbop contextualizes their product here, diary-style. For the girl who dreams of days floating from one retail location to another, properly-attired...
November 8, 2007
From: J.Crew
Subject Line: New sale arrivals...
Date: Thursday, November 8, 2007
More than once I've mentioned that J.Crew does a great job writing direct, conversational copy. I guess they'd better, since so many of their emails rely solely on graphical text, like this one. It's your standard sale message, but I like that they say "now's a perfect time to take a five minute break..." They're not saying "shop now for your best selection, quantities are limited", which, after so many years of hearing it, is a phrase I practically find myself repeating in my sleep. Instead, they're directly addressing us as we are: in front of our computers, most likely working, weeding through our email. There's a freshness to thinking about and addressing recipients as they are that I really appreciate.
October 28, 2007
From: CB2
Subject Line: a.m./p.m. space solutions
Date: Monday, October 1, 2007
From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: New Fall Home Trends
Date: Monday, October 15, 2007
Thanks to Terri Potter from ScanSource for bringing two Crate and Barrel brand family emails to my attention. With reference to the CB2 campaign, Terri pointed out the synchronicity between the subject line, headline and photography, and I concur: "It's coordinated without being too matchy-matchy." We also agreed that the Crate and Barrel Fall Trends campaign is very attractive. As a Corporate Marketing Copywriter, Terri made an interesting point about the headline: "The copy might be a little too clever – you have to read it out loud, I think, to get the joke. Makes me wonder how many times I’ve "talked through" copy that sounds funny in my head without thinking that this is going to people’s email inbox. Is it even funny on screen? I think this would work if a Tennis Pro Shop was having a fall sale..."
October 9, 2007
From: Brocade Home
Subject Line: Take A Seat...SALE on Upolstered Chairs...Quantities Limited
Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2007
From: Pottery Barn
Subject Line: Take a Seat + Additional Savings
Date: Monday, October 8, 2007
Hello again! After forever-and-a-day, here I am, Lisa Harmon, back in action. After they rolled into my inbox yet again yesterday, I felt compelled to get back on the blog to write about three overused words: "Take a Seat".
I admit to the fact that I do receive a highly disproportionate number of home furnishings emails. I've also observed that we're in the midst of a custom upholstery craze, which ups the volume of seating-specific messaging. All the same, I'd simply like to call attention to the fact that virtually every one of these emails uses the words "Take a Seat" in the Subject Line, Headline or otherwise. OK, that's not true; it's not every campaign, but I've seen the phrase so many times now that it's become a running joke between myself and one of my colleagues. OK, we get it: it's clever! But not the 20th time!
I'd like to earnestly request that we all put on our copy caps and come up with something new as we start to discount all that leftover custom upholstery.
April 20, 2007
From: BabyCenter
Subject Line: Welcome to BabyCenter
Date: Thursday, April 19, 2007
BabyCenter is basically the bible to every new mom I know (and it seems like almost everyone I know is a new mom!) They recently underwent a brand refresh, and I am a major fan of their new logo; it reminds me of lollipops.
I signed up for their email program yesterday and received (immediately, for bonus points!) a very well-written welcome message. The copy body highlights the specific benefits of being a member of the BabyCenter community, while managing to make a person-to-person connection. (It's signed Tina Sharkey, Chairman.) The email also includes a number of intelligent links, including my profile, articles and online shopping.
Here are a few ways the campaign could be rendered even more effective, from top to bottom:
1) Above the logo and website navigation, add language similar to the below:
"View here if you're unable to see images in this e-mail.
To ensure receipt of our e-mails, please add babycenter-email@babycenter.com to your address book."
"View here" links to a hosted version of your newsletter, which allows users with disabled images to view graphics.
2) Include "Forward this email to a friend >" in the upper-right.
3) Add alt tags to your images. This will allow users with images disabled to get a sense of what they're missing, inspiring them to enable images or click through.
4) Break up your navigation items into separate graphics rather than a single, image-mapped graphic. Some email browser strip out image map links, preventing users from clicking through!
5) Jazz up the creative a little! Add some color to the "My Profile", "Quick Links" and "Shop" sections. Pair photo thumbnails or icons with each Quick Link. This will help to distinguish and draw attention to the messaging.
6) For your primary calls-to-action, try using HTML buttons as opposed to text links. They'll grab more eyes and generate a higher CTR.
7) There is a slew of "fine print" messaging that needs to be added to the footer below the creative, some of which has legal ramifications. The most important is to include an unsubscribe link, plus your company's postal address so that you are in compliance with CAN-SPAM. Something like the below should work:
If someone sent you this message and you'd like to receive BabyCenter e-mails, subscribe now.
Unsubscribe from BabyCenter e-mails.
Copyright © 2007 BabyCenter LLC | 163 Freelon Street | San Francisco, CA 94107 | View our privacy policy.
I'm feeling more welcome already...
April 17, 2007
From: CB2
Subject Line: modern dinnerware in bloom
Date: Tuesday, April 17, 2007
I'd like to give CB2 a standing ovation for their work on this campaign. They took a relatively run-of-the-mill product - "verde dinnerware" - and married it to both the season and a holiday (Mother's Day) through photography and copy. As far as effectively using what we have at our creative disposal to form a coherent, visually-appealing, relevant message, this EDM is one of the few to make it into the same league as Apple's legendary February 2006 " In the Ear" campaign. It should inspire all of us to put more forethough and preparation into our email creative. Thank you CB2!
April 3, 2007
From: CB2
Subject Line: create a cool gift registry
Date: Monday, April 2, 2007
CB2 does a nice job with their gift registry promotion here, infusing levity and delight into what can be a stressful process during a major shift in people's lives. I've heard one too many stories about engaged couples second-guessing their commitments based on flatware disagreements, so CB2's positioning the idea of "fork and knife" as fun is both refreshing and kind (as well as on-brand.)
March 29, 2007
From: Bergdorf Goodman
Subject Line: CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN: The red sole you love in new spring styles
Date: Thursday, March 29, 2007
I love how Bergdorf included this Louboutin quote: "I always say, 'It's a red color, but it's a green light.'" It's a clever little line, and it infuses the featured shoe with story and meaning.
March 19, 2007
From: Forth & Towne
Subject Line: Important News about Forth & Towne - Please Read
Date: Monday, March 19, 2007
From: holdeverything
Subject Line: save 20% on your first west elm purchase
Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2006
Some of you may have already heard that Gap Inc. is already shutting down it's fairly-new Forth & Towne brand. Their email notification brings up a good question: how do you handle bad news, like a store (or brand) closing, via email?
First things first: it is important to break the news to customers. You don't want them making pointless trips to your retail locations, only to find them shuttered. But how you break the news is everything. Here, Forth & Towne erred on the side of being a little too, well, sad. This email just feels depressing. It's important, even with negative news, to keep upbeat and highlight a customer's opportunities. For instance, Forth & Towne could have focused more on sale opportunities at local stores, or could have plugged some of their other brands in an attempt to convert shoppers to Banana Republic or Piperlime, like HoldEverything did with west elm in this example from last year. I realize Forth & Towne will probably cover these things over the course of the next couple of months, but at least touching on them in this initial message would have helped soften the blow.
March 5, 2007
From: Coach.com
Subject Line: Introducing the first fragrance from Coach
Date: Monday, March 5, 2007
A lot of us have been feeling like Coach has turned into a big old logo machine as of late, watering down the product in order to appeal to a broader market. I guess that's one way to grow. And so is launching a fragrance! Reed Krakoff puts it nicely: "I wanted to create a fragrance that embodies the many personalities of Coach women." So are we targeting everyone after all, or only schizos? (I think we might want to reword that quote. Is there a copy editor in the house?)
February 2, 2007
From: katespade.com
Subject Line: What's The Buzz About...
Date: Thursday, February 1, 2007
I wonder whether "Buy Now" is actually too strong a call-to-action. There's a level of commitment the word "Buy" requires that might not be appropriate until a customer is sitting in front of a fully-detailed product page. I'd recommend "Shop Now" instead, which is very direct and action-oriented, but won't drive away folks who aren't ready to "Buy" quite yet.
"More" is also a safe bet; we always want "more", right?
January 16, 2007
From: Built by Wendy
Subject Line: Built by Wendy Shoes
Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Well that's straightforward isn't it? I think someone forgot to put their clever cap on over at Built by Wendy...All the same, it's a cute little brand - check them out if you haven't already.
January 2, 2007
I've appreciated the humor sprinkled throughout Urban Outfitters' email campaigns, but even more I appreciate the LOVE I get each week from fredflare.com. On December 18, they told me "WE LOVE YOU / THX FOR BEING OUR BESTIE:)" which is just about the cutest thing I've ever read in an email. On December 22, they assured me that they're "HERE FOR [ME]!", all smiley with hearts, and on the 29th they thanked me for "an amazing year."
I just think it's so nice and sweet that Fred Flare is mailin' out some love each week. I always open their campaigns - they bring a smile to my face. (I'm sure they must be getting some love back in return from their customers!) This seems like such a nice way to drive sales. Maybe we could all try to inject some love into our campaigns this year. Thanks Fred Flare!
From: fredflare.com
Subject Line: fredflare.com's $9.95 3-DAY ENDS TODAY!!!!!!
Date: Monday, December 18, 2006
From: fredflare.com
Subject Line: fredflare.com is HERE FOR YA!
Date: Friday, December 22, 2006
From: fredflare.com
Subject Line: fredflare.com's FREE SHIPPING ENDS SUN:)
Date: Friday, December 29, 2006
January 1, 2007
From: Neiman Marcus
Subject Line: Fabulous stationery + test your thank-you writing know-how
Date: Monday, January 1, 2007
I really like this message from Neiman Marcus. It's timely: we all have thank-you notes to write, don't we? It's engaging: we all want to know the "right" time to send those notes, don't we? It's brief: I think they featured the right amount of content. This isn't a hugely long email newsletter about thank-you note writing that we don't have time to read. It's an easy-to-digest quiz question that clearly prompts us to click through for satisfaction. (I did!)
One recommendation for improvement: use a clearer headline. "In a word" is cute, but basically meaningless and easy to gloss over. Instead, feature "How soon should you send a thank-you note?" in the large pink type. I guarantee it will improve click-through.
December 14, 2006
From: Restoration Hardware
Subject Line: Give the Perfect Last Minute Gift – Shop Gift Certificates
Date: Thursday, December 14, 2006
This is a brilliant piece of copy: "Give the Gift that's Never Re-Gifted". That should have been the subject line of this campaign, too. So many retailers are pushing gift cards this season, and this is the first promotion that's really turned my head. Lackluster creative, but very compelling copy.
December 4, 2006
From: Lacoste
Subject Line: Happy Holidays to Lacoste's Friends and Family
Date: Monday, December 4, 2006
It's snowing gators! Look out!
This holiday season, I've received a flurry of "Friends & Family" special offers like this one, all from retailers that are not my family nor my friend. While I understand the desire to make customers feel special and deals seem exclusive, it doesn't make sense to claim an intimate connection with a subscriber who's never made a purchase before.
That won't stop me from using the discount though. Keep 'em coming.
November 22, 2006
From: The Land of Nod
Subject Line: Free shipping on orders over $150!
Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2006
This is cute! I didn't know Rudolph could type. Maybe I could get my cats to write my emails, and just Cc: me.
Rudolph was sneaky, though: The Land of Nod is a home furnishings business promoting free shipping on everything but home furnishings. (See the asterisked disclaimer.) It's "just not right" to give us global free shipping and then take it away, even when it's couched in cute language. Bad Land of Nod!
November 17, 2006
From: fredflare.com
Subject Line: fredflare.com's BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!
Date: Friday, November 17, 2006
I have no idea what's going on here, but it's hillarious and awesome!
November 9, 2006
Maybe it's just because they've got me personally figured out, but I find J.Crew's EDM copy absolutely convincing. Their sale messaging always conveys a sense of urgency, and even their September 26th Fall Collection message - which reminds customers to shop now before full-priced items sell out - drove me to click-through and purchase. Either they've got a great copywriting strategy, or I'm justa sucka. Maybe it's a bit of both. Whatever the case, this type of copy-reliant message has obviously been successful for them: they keep doing it, and I keep clicking...
From: J.Crew
Subject Line: New items added to our Final Sale
Date: Tuesday, August 31, 2006
From: jcrew@ click.jcrew.com
Subject Line: A little reminder from J.Crew
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2006
From: J.Crew
Subject Line: An exclusive invite to a special sale
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2006
From: J.Crew
Subject Line: Run, don't walk...it's our fall sale
Date: Tuesday, November 9, 2006
July 10, 2006
From: info@mercedes-benz.com
Subject Line: Mercedes-Benz brand world - your registration
Date: Monday, July 10, 2006
First impressions are critical. The content and quality of your welcome message will influence a subscriber's behavior forever, determining whether or not he or she will continue to open - or even subscribe to - your campaigns.
I was disappointed by the Mercedes-Benz Brand World welcome message, which was not only dry but also, for reasons I cannot pinpoint exactly, feels very "English as a Second Language." Even the subject line - "Mercedes-Benz brand world - your registration" - is flat, sounding more like a rote operational message than a gracious welcome.
This message does nothing to service the website behind it, which is actually quite lovely. Click here to check it out.
June 22, 2006
From: UrbanOutfitters.com
Subject Line: Take an Extra 25% off. This time, we mean it.
Date: Thursday, June 22, 2006
This is awesome. Apparently there was a problem with Urban Outfitters' June 19th Sale campaign, and the message pictured here is a little apology for the flub. Being someone involved with and serious about EDM campaigns, seeing something as ridiculous as this - something flush with the humor of a human being, something admittedly imperfect - is so totally refreshing. It feels so authentic and vulnerable. I want to buy something, if not only to console the kittens.
June 19, 2006
From: The Land of Nod
Subject Line: Introducing Furniture Color Previews
Date: Thursday, June 15, 2006
The dynamic color swap is a great innovation in ecommerce, and I applaud Land of Nod for implementing a Furniture Preview Tool. Also, although it's a little jerky, they make great use of the rotating GIF here to illustrate this new functionality. However, this email suffers from a Land-of-Nod-centric perspective. Rather than touting their own amazing functionality, the copy should focus on how this functionality serves the customer. The text should highlight how easy and fun the customer's furniture shopping experience will be, not how impressed they'll be with the Land of Nod. Remember who you're selling to!
To view the animation, click here.
April 28, 2006
From: Pottery Barn
Subject Line: Fresh Basics for the Summer Bed
Date: Friday, April 28, 2006
This is a well-merchandized, well-laid out campaign. The number and quality of products shown appeal to a broad audience looking to stock up on basic bedding. Rather than clarifying this message, however, the copy confuses it. What is a "SUMMER BED"? And while the allusion to a "balanced breakfast" is cute, do we really "start every day" with bedding, or do we actually "end every day" with it?
Unless you've got a creative hook that makes really sense and adds to the overall message, it's best to stick with straightforward copy: a clear, direct message and call-to-action. In this case, I believe a general "stock up on our favorite basics, plus add personalization" direction would be more relevant, and would engage more shoppers.
April 18, 2006
From: PUMA
Subject Line: Grow into something new
Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2006
On the web, the focus on design often eclipses the importance of copy. Here, we see what happens when copy is not treated with the respect it deserves. The subject line, subhead and call-to-action - all of it - sounds "off", doesn't it? Like it was written by someone with a limited understanding of the English language? "Click here to discover what is budding." Heh.
Because we need to be concise with our online copy, the few words that we do present become all the more critical. I highly recommend the book "Net Words: Creating High-Impact Online Copy" by Nick Usborne for online copywriters, creative directors and ecommerce managers - anyone directly or indirectly involved with internet copy. The book not only provides useful suggestions for writing effective copy for the web, but also shows us why copy for web is important so that we don't shortchange this critical piece of the whole.
April 17, 2006
From: Pottery Barn
Subject Line: The newest additions to our Chesapeake Collection are here.
Date: Monday, April 17, 2006
Here, Pottery Barn does a really nice job of addressing and engaging a specific audience: active shoppers. Building upon the introductory Outdoor Furniture message they sent on April 3, they speak directly to customers who already own a piece, offering new styles and colors. Showing the cushion swatches is particularly effective: it engages the customer in a design consideration, taking them one step closer to product purchase.
March 18, 2006
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.
March 8, 2006
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: 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.
February 21, 2006
From: CB2
Subject Line: Now serving great prices on cool barware.
Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Here, CB2 uses a novel dot-whack device to list product prices. It's cute; it works with their logo and their modern aesthetic.
Speaking of modern, a question about the copy: "bottoms up to affordable modern" what? Modern what!?
February 20, 2006
From: dELiA*s
Subject Line: Save $10! Swim Sale online only
Date: Saturday, February 18, 2006
From: gap.com
Subject Line: Find Your Perfect Swimsuit
Date: Monday, February 20, 2006
We've got yet another campaign "double" today - dELiA*s and gap.com sent out strikingly similar swimwear messages. Check out that photography! Those layouts! Kind of creepy.
The obvious opening comment is "ouch!" - gap.com's HTML broke in my email browser, thereby breaking the illusion of their overall message. This is the worst browser break I've seen in a long time. How embarassing!
If we can "see beyond the break", however, gap.com's execution is more successful because the message is deeper and more focused. It's all about the swimfinder and it's many uses; just by reading the links we start to think about finding our suit and are compelled to click through. In the case dELiA*s, even though we've got a sale and a free shipping offer, the triple-combo of sale, free ship and mix & match swimwear dilutes any one message and does not pull us into the process the same way gap.com does. Plus, after all, "buy 2, save $10!" isn't really that great of a deal.
February 17, 2006
From: BananaRepublic.com
Subject Line: Our favorite espadrille has arrived
Date: Thursday, February 16, 2006
From: J.Crew
Subject Line: Editor's pick: the Fulham shoe
Date: Thursday, February 16, 2006
Both J.Crew and Banana Republic presented single-shoe-family messages yesterday, which makes for a great side-by-side comparison.
Banana Republic has been going a little overboard with multi-messages, submessages and "Free Shipping" promos lately, so it's refreshing to see them doing something simple; something closer to J.Crew's usual MO, actually. While the executions are somewhat different, these messages are comprised of remarkably similar components: a "collection" hero image, a basic romance copy block, and a direct call-to-action. So which wins my click-through? While I personally find espadrilles remarkably ugly, the Banana Republic message convinces us with smart copy that "If you only allow yourself one shoe this season, make it this espadrille," positioning it as a "must-have" rather than a nice-to-have "editor's pick" like the J.Crew Fulham shoe. So I guess we'd purchase the Fulham only if we were buying two pairs of shoes this season.
On an unrelated note: the espadrille hero image is several pixels thinner than the copy block above it and the menu bar below it, making an otherwise clean email look sloppy. Count those pixels, kids!
February 10, 2006
From: Bliss Beaut-e-mail
Subject Line: winning news from bliss
Date: Friday, February 10, 2006
While I love Bliss products, I sometimes don't love their brand tone. "I-can-have-it-all" sassiness can look too much like "I-can-have-it-all" bitchiness, as is the case with this smirky gal "who's been two-timing." To send something like this so close to Valentine's Day comes off as, well, bitchy.
February 4, 2006
From: Barneys New York
Subject Line: Love it!
Date: Friday, February 3, 2006
Barney's put together a fun, simple suite of EDMs for Valentine's Day; they've used this same format for a series of messages featuring this season's gift picks. The creative is pretty cute, although it doesn't include a single call-to-action... but I just love the concept of "Love it!" as a Subject Line and Headline because we're always saying "Love it!" around here, about everything. It's sunny out. "Love it!" It's lunchtime. "Love it!" It's a $1,200 Mini Croisiere handbag. "Love it!"
January 31, 2006
From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: The most amazing little cappuccino maker
Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2006
This is just the smartest little EDM! For those of us who "run on" caffeine, "Pays for itself in just 18 cappuccinos" makes an extremely convincing argument! Way to rock the "buy to save" argument, CB. Now I only wonder how they taste...
January 27, 2006
From: Apple
Subject Line: Great gift ideas to surprise your valentine.
Date: Friday, January 27, 2006
This EDM came to my attention via a colleague - thanks! The heart-shaped ear buds, the affectionate shot within the iPod Photo, and the "Love is in the ear" copy are all spot-on, coming together to form a really strong seasonal message. Nice work, Apple!
January 24, 2006
From: CB2
Subject Line: The Very First CB2 Catalog is in the Mail
Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Here, CB2 did a great job showing a whole lot of product while avoiding the dreaded "garage sale" look. (You can't see it in my screenshot, but the polka-dots actually rotate between product images and product info.) If only I could CLICK on each image to find the product for purchase on the website! The images all link to an "order a catalog page", which I would imagine will result in a lot of lost revenue for this message.
A note about copy: CB2 is no longer a "new" destination from Crate and Barrel - I've been getting their EDMs for over a year now. Time for a new tagline!
December 14, 2005
From: Neiman Marcus
Subject Line: Click quick: Last 3 days of FREE SHIPPING
Date: Wednesday, December 14, 2005
"Click Quick", both in the subject line and copy, is such a cute concept! Too bad the creative is so weird. Are those Christmas balls or bubbling lava?
Question to Nieman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman: Do you HAVE to send the EDMs EVERY DAY!? I only have so much room in my inbox. Every other day is fine. Let me miss you a little.
November 8, 2005
From: katespade.com
Subject Line: kate's favorites | november
Date: Tuesday, November 8, 2005
The monthly "kate's favorites" messages are great in that they're just as much fashion editorial as they are direct marketing. Kate Spade's got this no-nonsense, "I know all, darling" voice that comes as a fun change amidst the less-personal corporate voices we're used to hearing.
October 28, 2005
From: The Land of Nod
Subject Line: Shhh! Secret Sale!
Date: Friday, October 28, 2005
Land of Nod's copy can sometimes be cute and quirky, an other times a little TOO quirky. But this is them on a cute and quirky day. I'm always a fan of the "secret sale" concept, and they've used the subject line and copy to make it really fun. Not sure what I think of that little "Holy Moly!" guy in the corner, though.
October 27, 2005
From: Old Navy
Subject Line: Snap Up Our Picture-Perfect Looks: Sweaters Start at $19.50
Date: Thursday, October 27, 2005
Here, Old Navy does a nice job employing the "polariod" look which is suddenly showing up everywhere in online retail. Everyone's putting product shots into polariod frames for a more "authentic" look, and it's cute, but here it makes SENSE thanks to the "Picture-Perfect and "It's a Snap" copy.
August 15, 2005
From: J. Crew
Subject Line: Editor's Favorite and Free Shipping
Date: Monday, August 15, 2005
This is one of the single MOST compelling one-product promo EDMs I've seen all year. The copy, combined with the multiple detail shots, really makes us feel like these are "the most incredible jeans." And with just a few hundred pairs available, how could we not buy them immediately? Way to amp up the urgency.
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