How harnessing 90s energy can level up your email game

Dear Millennials (and some Gen Z),

Think back to the glory days of childhood: spending summers outdoors, 50p pocket money stretching far at the corner shop, Happy Meal toys worth keeping, Friday nights scouring Blockbuster and hoping your favourite film was still on the shelf, then Saturday mornings with cartoons and cereal. Writing this stirs up a lot, and I miss it.

The 90s, for me, were pure joy. But with my business cap on, they were also an era when brands were bold, brave, and bursting with identity. They didn’t hold back from being authentically different. And that’s what stuck: the jingles, the colours, the characters. Kellogg’s felt like a friend. Tango shouted through the screen. Argos catalogues fuelled hours of dreaming. These moments live on because they carried true emotion.

That spark shaped many of us who now work in branding, marketing and creative fields. It taught us that emotion – raw, unfiltered, honest – cuts through. Not nostalgia for its own sake, but emotion as the foundation of storytelling. 

And that’s why we’re still chasing it today. Look around, and everything feels very copycat, templated, and bland. In a world racing ahead with AI and innovation, emotion remains the low-tech solution that still connects. Not just slapping some pixels and a ‘Saved by the Bell’ font on a design and calling it 90s, but showing up with heart. With email, you are in someone’s sacred scroll zone – one of the most personal digital spaces we have – so how do you tap into nostalgia in a way that actually feels real? Let’s explore some tactics and strategies…

1. Use subject lines to create instant emotional connection

Tapping into generational memories and pop culture references can give your emails that ‘you get me’ feeling, which is crucial for standing out in crowded inboxes. If I said to you: “Deals as legendary as ‘90s Freddos", you’d think, cheap, great value and probably…tasty! 

It’s all about knowing your target audience, to be able to use cultural references that your they grew up with. For example:

Subject: It’s Giving 1999 

Preheader: Relive your dial-up dreams, no modem required.

Subject: We were on a break!!!Preheader: Come back and save…all is forgiven.

2. Celebrate brand milestones and ‘throwback moments’

Nostalgia anchored in your own history creates authenticity and depth. It positions your brand as timeless, trustworthy, and part of customers’ life journeys. You don’t need decades of heritage to do this – even young brands can throw back to their early days if they’ve been documented well enough.

Think of the milestones you’ve hit over the years and re-celebrate them with your audience. Build anniversary-triggered automations (‘10 years of [Product]’), or use storytelling modules like a ‘Then vs. Now’ section to show how your brand has evolved. A nostalgia-driven CTA such as ‘See how it all started’ can also bring people into the story. Done well, this turns your history into a shared moment of pride and connection.

3. Use real names and real voices

Let someone from your team write the email, literally. Not “From Team [Brand]”, but “Rachael from Product” or “Jordan in Customer Care”. Give them a little space to be personal, because that’s what builds trust. You could also feature a rotating ‘staff pick’ or ‘insider note’ in your email layout. And do it right; don’t use an AI person, or ghostwrite it.

4. Let values take the lead

You’re not just selling stuff, you’re part of culture and part of people's lives, big and small. Ask yourselves: what do we stand for? Then let that show up in your emails, too. It doesn’t have to be preachy, just intentional, true and authentic. Break the mould of corporate greyness.

You could highlight a cause you support, or something you're proud of beyond sales, even if it’s weird, like the fact that you gave your team a digital detox week. I firmly believe that showing you are humans who are alive and doing things will set brands apart as we move into an AI world.

5. Be bold, be brave, be authentic

Check your own inbox. When was the last time something really pulled at your heart? It's rare, and that's something we as marketers need to hold ourselves accountable for. Here’s the usual order of things:

Logo > Header offer with CTA > Product info > Offer that another department made you fit in at the last minute > unsubscribe? (yes please!) > Footer

To stand out, we need to be unafraid of trying something new. Daring subject lines, fresh structures, and interactive elements that make the entire experience feel alive, not just another template rolling off the production line. 

6. Invite conversation

Most emails shout. Very few listen. Add a genuine question. Ask for an opinion. Make space for your audience to talk back, even if it’s just hitting reply. We can do some great things with interactivity to make this journey smooth. Think polls, sliders, ratings or quick-tap buttons; tools that make giving feedback effortless and even fun.

I hope these tips are useful, and that you enjoyed the little trip down memory lane. If not, feel free to apply to gunge me Get Your Own Back style, Dave Benson Phillips and all. My inner 10-year-old will probably thank you for it.

Either way, keep it real, keep it emotional and whatever you do, don’t be beige….please.