  February 19, 2008Out of the Box
From: Pottery Barn KidsSubject Line: Shop the President's Day Sale - over 500 NEW items! Date: Thursday, February 14, 2008 Everyone loves a sale, but most sale emails have started to look like most other sale emails: red and square. In this example, Pottery Barn Kids thinks outside the box by making a circle. It's still the same stuff - "SALE" in huge letters, a percentage off, a stack of categories - but the novel format is enough to make us look twice! November 08, 2007Talking to Your Audience as They Are
From: J.CrewSubject 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. November 06, 2007Open Door Policy
From: Bluefly Subject Line: Exclusive Access to the Blue Room - Extra 20% off Today Only Date: Tuesday, November 6 2007 We often talk about emails as doorways into websites; I enjoy this creative illustration of that concept. The idea of "Exclusive Access to the Blue Room" intrigues me; I feel compelled to take hold of those gold handles and throw the blue doors open! January 30, 2007A Little Bird Told Me
From: katespade.comSubject Line: sale - new items up to 50% off Date: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 This is fun and happy, isn't it!? It's little touches like a cute birdie that make the difference between "yer same old sale" and something more compelling. January 15, 2007All Together Now
From: Restoration HardwareSubject Line: Save 20% and Color Coordinate Your Bath Date: Monday, January 15, 2007 Folks have been comfortably using the animated GIF to feature multiple colorways for some time now. While I generally see it done with a hero image, I believe this is the first time I've seen it happening with alt shots. It's a pretty effect. Will it sell more towels? Click here to see it. In order to achieve this, Restoration Hardware has used image mapping, which we all know is an absolute no-no in email marketing due to email program incompatability. (Some email programs strip out image maps.) However, I don't believe RH did this out of laziness or ignorance. The problem is, if you put more than one rotating GIF image in a single campaign, it seems to be next-to-impossible to get them to rotate in unison. So one way of tackling that issue would be to save the separate images as a single rotating GIF, and tack on the image map to get them to link to their respective locations in most email browsers. I'd be curious to see, in this case, whether the trade-off was worth it. I'm even more curious to know whether anyone has a solution to the multiple-rotating-GIFs-in-unison issue. Major props to anyone who can offer advice on that. One last totally unrelated note on Restoration Hardware marketing in general: they're promoting "annual" sales way too often. Even if the last was lighting and the next is bath, they all blur into one "annual" category, and feel more like a year-long sale than special events. January 11, 2007The Post-Holiday Sale
Well, the holidays are over. (You have to stop using them as an excuse!) And after having spent a ton of money on others, it's now time to spend a ton more money on ourselves. Cue the post-holiday sale. Let's take a look at how six different retailers did it.
While Brooks Brothers decided to skip creative production entirely, Janie and Jack went the opposite route, executing in their standard, heavy-production style. I'm particularly fond of Paul Smith's humble little Sale EDM, perhaps because, for me, it evokes the sweet illustrations of Shel Silverstein. Meanwhile, Room & Board uses texture and Forth & Towne uses patterning and color to make their messages pop. Crate & Barrel uses parentheses - the promise of a sofa - to sell their sale. 
From: Brooks BrothersSubject Line: Save an Additional 15% - Online Event Ends December 26 Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 From: Janie and Jack Subject Line: Season Finale Sale Continues and Spring Preview Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 From: Paul Smith Subject Line: The Paul Smith Sale starts 28th December Date: Thursday, December 28, 2006 
From: Room & BoardSubject Line: Shop Room & Board's annual clearance Date: Thursday, December 28, 2006 From: Forth & Towne Subject Line: Now Save an Extra 30% Off Sale Items Date: Thursday, January 4, 2007 From: Crate and Barrel Subject Line: Save up to 50% (including furniture, too) Date: Friday, December 29, 2006 January 09, 2007The Shortest EDM Ever
From: RedEnvelope Subject Line: Save up to 70%. So many deals, so little time. Date: Tuesday, January 9, 2007 This has got to be the shortest EDM ever. Have any of y'all ever seen anything so short? It's like - submessage size. It looks kind of silly to me; why not make better use of inbox real estate? Is this a strategic attempt to fit the entire creative into the dreaded "preview pane", or just the work of a designer short on time? July 21, 2006S-A-L-E
From: Paul SmithSubject Line: Paul Smith Newsletter - Paul Smith Sale Date: Thursday, June 29, 2006 While the generic subject line and missing menu navigation reveal a lack of experience in email marketing, here, Paul Smith integrates product and messaging seamlessly. Love the umbrella-sock "L". What fun! June 22, 2006Consoling the Kittens
From: UrbanOutfitters.comSubject 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 15, 2006Right on the Money
From: DieselSubject Line: Give your money a holiday Date: Thursday, June 15, 2006 What a fun, well-produced sale campaign. It manages to scream sale without screaming sale. June 12, 2006Smartest Sale
From: katespade.comSubject Line: please visit our online sample sale - limited time only Date: Monday, June 12, 2006 kate spade has a history of executing visually appealing sale messages - click to see examples from January and October - and this one is no exception. At this time of year, the sale offers are literally stacking up in our inboxes, so it's particularly important for both the campaign creative and subject line to pack a lot of punch in order to stand out from the crowd. Here, including the "limited time only" clause in the subject line was a smart way to inspire subcribers to open now or miss out. kate spade was particularly crafty here in requiring folks to sign up to take advantage of this limited-time offer; providing a deep discount incentive is an excellent way to gather customer data. Just one "whoops": the "SEND TO A FRIEND" menu item is misaligned in the Mac Safari web browser. Since this message will probably be forwarded along more than most, this is a rather unfortunate HTML flub. June 05, 2006Hot, Hot, Hot
From: Barneys New YorkSubject Line: Summer Sale - Starts Today! Date: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 Like their February "Yee-Haw!" sale campaign, Barney's "Sheesh!" summer sale message brings humor and fun to the email inbox. Bravo! Just one recommendation for improvement: This campaign would have been even more appropriate in the dead of summer. For those of us who've braved the NYC subway system during rush hour in the heat of August, you know what I mean ;)! Through relevancy, we can inspire a sense of comraderie in our campaigns, making a deeper connection with our customers, encouraging dialogue, relationship, and (ultimately) sales. May 06, 20061,000 Items
From: DWR StudiosSubject Line: Start Now: 1,000 Items On Sale at DWR Date: Friday, April 7, 2006 I'm not sure what "Start Now" means exactly ("Shop Now" would have been clearer), but "1,000 Items on Sale" makes for an extremely effective Subject Line. From what I've been seeing lately, if you're promoting any less than 100 sale items, don't bother listing the number. Numbers like 500 and now (wow!) 1,000 will definitely drive huge open and clickthrough rates. (Just make sure you have the product to back up the number.) May 05, 2006Straightforward, Relevant & Compelling
From: Pottery BarnSubject Line: Sale! New markdowns on summer style Date: Friday, May 5, 2006 This is a great photography-based sale campaign. The copy is straightforward, the featured product is relevant, and the significantly marked-down prices (shown in red, as they should be) are compelling. April 12, 2006Simple Sale; Notes on the Virtual World
From: The Land of NodSubject Line: Save up to 80% in our Spring Cleaning Sale Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 This campaign doesn't do anything "new" per se, but it's a great execution of your classic graphical text SALE message. And with 80% off, which I believe is the highest percent off I've ever seen in a sale EDM, you can bet the open and click-through rates will rock. I'm fascinated by the use of the word "in" rather than "at" in the Subject Line, as in "Save up to 80% in our Spring Cleaning Sale." We would typically use "at" here, however since this is an online sale in a virtual location rather than a retail store sale at a physical location, it makes sense. Moving forward, I suppose we should expect to see more changes in prepositions and other parts of speech in order to better describe the burgeoning virtual world. April 06, 2006I'll Be Watching You
From: J.Crew Subject Line: Thursday only: 20% off sale Date: Thursday, March 30, 2006 From: Ann Taylor Subject Line: Up to 50% Off, plus Special Online Offer Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2006 What's the difference between creative influence and downright plagiarism? Do you think Ann Taylor's sale message relies too heavily on the treatments used by J.Crew all season? Or is this just a strange coincidence? While we may think of EDMs as drops-in-the pan, barely noticed and quickly forgotten, I'll have you know, EDM designers, that someone is watching you... April 05, 2006A Well Turned-Out Sale
From: holdeverythingSubject Line: everything's on sale: up to 50% off Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2006 I designed this EDM, and therefore may be somewhat biased in my opinion, however, I believe this is an unusually well turned-out sale message. So often the meeting place of big red words and mismatched product photography, the image-based sale EDM can be (and usually is) a real "garage sale" disaster. In this case, the use of balanced imagery, consistent color, and subtle pattern bring a level of refinement to an oft-crass genre. A question: to the customer, does a crass red message mean greater savings, and therefore increased sales? March 30, 2006Tax Breaks
From: Earl Jean NewsletterSubject 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! February 16, 2006Yee-haw!
From: Barneys New YorkSubject Line: New York Warehouse Sale - starts today! Date: Thursday, February 16, 2006 Barney's almost redeemed themselves after yesterday's "Cannabis" EDM with this unique Sale message. How novel! What fun! One recommendation for improvement: make better use of inbox space. This message is only 432 pixels wide, which, according to best practice, leaves us with almost 200 pixels of extra horizontal space. Take advantage of that space rather than making us scroll down so much to read the very vertical message. January 05, 2006A Sale that Pops
From: katespade.comSubject Line: new items on sale: 30-50% off Date: Thursday, January 5, 2006 Well this is just plain FUN, isn't it!? December 30, 2005Not Just Junk!
From: Crate and BarrelSubject Line: Save up to 50% (including furniture, too) Date: Friday, December 30, 2005 This subject line is a great click-through driver. A smart way of saying "It's not just junk! There's good stuff on sale too!" I clicked through. December 26, 2005EDM 101
From: babygap.comSubject Line: End-of-Season Sale on Outerwear Date: Monday, December 26, 2005 This EDM exhibits what I'd call "classically good form." We've got our logo and menu items at the the top, followed by a hero image and a color copy block with a clear call to action. Four image silos with product names and prices appear below, followed by two smart submessages. This is an email design layout format you can use again and again. Now if only gap.com could get it's website to work in the Safari browser! They must be losing a ton of money when customers click-through to a website that doesn't work. Ouch! November 08, 2005Cutting Your Friends a Deal
From: GymboreeSubject Line: Friends of Gymboree - Save 30% on Everything Date: Tuesday, November 8, 2005 I'm not sure what qualifies me as a "friend" since I've never bought anything from Gymboree, but what a deal! For starters, 30% off everything is great, and making it exclusive to cool "friends" like me makes me want to get in on the secret and buy something. The Dr. Suess-like graphics Gymboree used throught this holiday season are cute, although in some cases they chould have showed more product and less Seuss. October 31, 2005Smart Sale
From: katespade.comSubject Line: now open: shop our on-line sample sale Date: Monday, October 31, 2005 This is a great sale message. Rather than screaming sale, it just points it out rather smartly. October 28, 2005Secret Sale
From: The Land of NodSubject 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. August 15, 2005Less Effective
From: gap.comSubject Line: Save on Fall Styles With These Great Deals Date: Monday, August 15, 2005 This message would have been more effective if it called out a top percentage off, then listed flat categories rather than adding product names in text next to them. Who cares about dress shirts or Ts you can't see? If you're going to call out a product, I want to SEE it. March 24, 2005Bright and Delicious
From: Williams-SonomaSubject Line: Last-Minute Easter Savings at Williams-Sonoma Stores Date: Thursday, March 24, 2005 Williams-Sonoma food photography is consistently great. This looks delicious! April 07, 2004Lofty Sale
From: west elmSubject Line: Don't miss additional savings up to 50% at westelm.com Date: Wednesday, April 7, 2004 Love this sale message - it's so urban loft chic. Cool use of silhouettes. |
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