It's official: Christmas is approaching and there’s no ignoring it. But before that, November brings the big focus of none other than Black Friday. We’ve decided to not go too crazy on the BF emails this month, and instead included a selection that spans all the monthly themes, including the rather lovely World Kindness Day on 13 November.

And in the centre of it all? A calming contribution, for grounding purposes…

1. Not On The High Street

SL: Countdown to Xmas with 20% off or more*

Chosen for: Design

This email from Not On The High Street stood out amidst the pre-Christmas inbox influx for its combination of great design elements. We love the bright, bold colour palette that brings festive vibes in a refreshingly subtle way. The play on typography in the hero works well to draw attention to the messaging, linking the discount offer to the urgency of Christmas’ hasty approach. Using negative white space in balance with the CTAs also draws the eye effectively, and we love the fun roundel stickers highlighting their products' USPs.

2. Bloom & Wild

SL: You’re so much stronger than you know 💪

Chosen for: Tone of Voice

Bloom & Wild got their messaging around World Kindness Day spot-on this year. They centre the reader and their special relationships, reminding us how important it is to reach out to our people. From the subject line through to the headline, the body copy and even the product descriptions; the story arc ties together beautifully and really hits home the ways you can be someone’s cheerleader. *sniff*...I’m not crying, you are.

3. Calm

SL: ENDING SOON—50% off on Calm

Chosen for: Design

This email’s aesthetic is calming in itself, with its peaceful imagery, soft curves and violet-pink hues. The animation at the bottom is a great way of gently reinforcing Calm’s brand messaging, as well as a clever link to their recognisable app tool. And of course, that ever-important reminder to breathe in…breathe out. Ahh, we feel more relaxed already.

4. La Roche-Posay

SL: We are shutting down, so you can open up

Chosen for: Theme

Of course Black Friday was going to pop up at some point! But, plot twist…we’ve selected this email from La Roche-Posay for its novel approach to the event. They chose to close their website down entirely so they could offer free skin consultations all week long. In doing so, they’re acknowledging that Dermatologist appointments aren’t accessible for everyone and addressing that by turning the sales element of Black Friday on its head. A brilliant display of inclusive marketing, and how to build trust from their consumers.

5. Green People

SL: Take a moment for TLC

Chosen for: Design

Another brand repping World Kindness Day - we love to see it! The way the colour palette complements the product packaging is extremely pleasing and makes the CTAs really stand out. We love how Green People have used the ‘unboxing’ trend to reveal their gift set, and the inclusion of a customer’s review quote at the end is good use of user-generated-content to strengthen the product even further.