This year, according to Custora, email drove more Black Friday sales than any other channel – a total of 25.1%. And MailChimp customers alone sent a record 1.2 billion emails on Black Friday – followed by another 1.1 billion on Cyber Monday.
With more and more marketers embracing the potential of email over the Black Friday weekend, competition in the inbox was at an all-time high. Here’s our pick of the brands that did things a little differently this year to stand out.
Fat Face’s Black Friday donations
Black Friday email from Fat Face
Subject line: There’s still time to help us to help them
Fat Face stood out from the retail crowd by promising its customers donations to charity instead of discounts. We really like the design and use of monochrome typography which adds gravity to the messaging. We might have tried a more adventurous subject line that better emphasized the unexpected Black Friday offering.
Oasis’ Social Monday
Cyber Monday email from Oasis
Subject line: An EXCLUSIVE treat inside…
Oasis turned Cyber Monday into Social Monday and took the opportunity to drive social engagement across various different channels. The email itself is simple and easy to engage with, and it shows how brands used email not just to push sales but also to support activity on other platforms.
Liz Earle’s Blue Friday
Black Friday email from Liz Earle
Subject line: Black Friday – Save up to 30%
Liz Earle are well known for their blue branding and they leveraged that to add an extra twist to their Black Friday email. We like their clear messaging and animated execution, with a paint swipe turning the background from black to blue.
People Tree’s Ordinary Friday
Black Friday email from People Tree
Subject line: It’s just Friday…
The tone of this subject line instantly stood out against all the others that were focussed on generating excitement. We like the mix of content and use of direct quotes and photography to bring the subject to life. The email also uses color cleverly to keep the focus on the first key message.
The White Company’s White Weekend
Black Friday email from The White Company
Subject line: Forget Black Friday, it’s all about The White Weekend
The White Company did the opposite to everyone else and celebrated The White Weekend. This unique approach helped them stand out and add value to the brand, as the offer feels much more exclusive than simply slashing prices to compete with everyone else.
Lloyds Pharmacy’s Flash Friday
Black Friday email from Lloyds Pharmacy
Subject line: Flash Friday Deal 2, because you’re awake anyway…
It’s not unusual for brands to increase frequency over the big weekend, but Lloyds pharmacy took it to the extreme with their Flash Friday campaign and sent six emails within 24 hours, each coinciding with the start of a sale. This one arrived at 1am – note the reference in the subject line.
Every email featured a countdown clock and icons showing past and upcoming sales, which helped create a sense of urgency. Let us know which your favorite is, or catch up with all our recent picks on Pinterest.
Last updated: Aug 05, 2016
