Time to dust off that CSS snow and animated waving snowman as the holidays are just around the corner! We’ve already seen a stream of emails in our inbox as the countdown is on, but what truly makes a great festive themed email? It’s so easy to get stuck in a theme and lose sight of your messaging and brand identity. So here’s our top tips, along with some brands we think have nailed their emails...

1. Consider your creative

Do

• Go a little over the top than usual, with snow, sparkles, flashing lights etc...festivities have always been a bit about excess. - Sam, Senior Designer

Don’t

• Go too overboard just because you're creating a themed email. If it doesn’t feel on brand, don’t do it. - Sophie, Design Lead

• Use too much red! It can give off an aggressive tone and may clash with your brand colours. - Weng, Coder

This Dolce Gusto email has all the Christmas feels with a fun animation and the right balance of colour. The dark navy background contrasts the red CTAs and really makes them pop.

2. Use personalisation

Do

• Be as personalised as possible! If you want to show a customer you value them, then the best way to do that is by firstly showing you recognise them. That way the sentiment of your message is magnified. The more the ‘merrier’, but if nothing else, at least include their first name. - Gary, Head of Design

Don’t

• Just send generic emails that say "Merry christmas/happy holidays" etc... and that's it. If I receive that from someone like my mortgage broker it feels so meaningless. It has to have something to it. - Sam, Senior designer

The Starbucks rewards emails never disappoint. The creative is always on point and I like the simple things such as my name at the top of every email! This particular email does a nice job of launching the new festive drinks. Not only is it informative but they are giving me something of genuine value in return - an exclusive chance to try the festive drinks before anyone else.

3. Get creative with your copy

Do

• Tell a story and connect with your audience! Remember to stick to your brand's tone of voice and to be recognisable. - Jen, Designer

Don’t

• Get too carried away with the puns. “Season’s beatings” will forever haunt us at ActionRocket. - Sophie, Design Lead

Nando’s does a great job of playful copy that is always relevant to the theme and works particularly well for their target audience.

4. Give your email meaning

Do

• Consider your Narrative, the whole theme should feel like your joined up Chritsmas campaign. Bring joy and warmth and also give something of genuine value to your subscribers. - Lexi, Creative Director

Don’t

• Rush to send an email for the sake of it. It's quick and easy to send an email but harder to replace the unsubscribe if your email isn't relevant. - Holly, Head of Strategy

This paws email breaks down their gift guide into easy to scan sections so you can find the parts relevant to you. The creative and narrative also marries up to all other channels for a seamless journey.

5. Surprise and delight

Do

• Be inventive and try something new. Remember your customer's inbox will be filled with falling snow, cheesy puns and red in abundance - how can you make your email stand out? - Holly, Head of Strategy

Don’t

• Rely on just throwing in festive images/colours/banners if it doesn’t have relevance to your message. Jen, Designer

We love this email from After Shokz. They’ve really thought about inclusivity, educating those that perhaps don’t celebrate Hanukkah. The messaging is centered around spreading joy and giving back and it’s a welcome break from the countless offers in the inbox. That’s what makes this email stand out.