Marketing

Summer holiday campaign inspiration

A round-up of favourite summer email campaigns, and what makes each of them work, from nautical GIFs to tan lines and the Great British Summer.

Summer is on its way, so here's some email inspiration. We've rounded up some of our favourite summer email campaigns for you to have a look at. Here's why we love them so much.

Kate Spade's nautical theme

From the cute use of a simple GIF to the way the copy leads the eye down, this email has it all. Through the nautical imagery it evokes summer days by the seaside, the copy and graphics are well laid out, the GIF isn't so complicated as to make the email clunky, and the message is nice and clear. Top marks all round.

Virgin's giveaway

Richard Branson's total lack of self-consciousness is a real asset to Virgin. Personal branding can be an important aspect of overall branding, so if a particular executive, or even you yourself, is fundamental to your brand's image, don't be afraid to feature their image or words. Summer themed giveaways always go down nicely as well, while we're at it.

Bonobos' tan line

Summer calls for some strong visuals, and nobody nails strong visuals like Bonobos. Their simple picture of a tanned wrist bearing a clear watch mark instantly calls to mind summer days on the beach. It's as clear a representation of sunshine as anyone could ask for, and paired with an enticing offer, makes for an arresting and engaging email.

John Lewis and the Great British Summer

Most summer campaigns feature iconic imagery of sun, sand and sea. John Lewis took it in the other direction in 2017 with their National Treasures campaign. Capitalising on the unpredictability of the Great British Summer, they created a tongue-in-cheek but ultimately affectionate campaign which swiped at Britain on holiday. Featuring pelting rain, sunburn, queues for ice cream, and tea parties, it was both amusing and evocative.

easyJet

easyJet are worth following in general for eyecatching, inventive, and on-brand email marketing. Their branding really helps with summer promotions: the orange makes us dream of sun-drenched tropical sunsets, and it's easily offset against a sky of summery blue. Personalisation is also something they're fantastic at. Bright colours, simple but evocative imagery, personalised promotions, and timely messaging. They have really got this formula nailed.

Summer is a great time to warm up cold leads and onboard new subscribers. Bright weather brings high spirits, and high spirits make people amenable to your marketing.