How To Maximize Your Holiday Email Campaigns, From Puns To Pranks

There are many major holidays marketers circle on their campaign calendars, as they are dependable revenue drivers to count on every year.

These holidays require solidified weeks-long marketing campaigns, like Black Friday, Thanksgiving, and the winter holidays.

But what about those holidays in between, the “fun holidays”?

These are those holidays that pop up in entertaining marketing campaigns, like National Donut Day (June 7th, by the way ) and National Pet Day.

Many marketing teams may waffle around the idea of whether or not to do a campaign around these fun holidays. In a time when marketers know how important it is to make every email send count, the question is, no matter your industry, how can you make a relatable, engaging and fun holiday email campaigns—that convert—for your subscribers?

Let’s take a look at my own inbox to answer that question! Over the course of a few weeks, three “fun holidays” stood out to me:

• Leap Day (Feb 29)
• Pi Day (March 14)
• April Fools Day (April 1)

I wondered, how many brands would take advantage of Leap Day as it only happens once every four years? Or April Fools Day (that maybe we wish didn’t come every year…), as an opportunity to catch my eye in a very busy inbox.

So I dug into my inbox to pinpoint some of my favorite trends I saw with these holidays and how brands were celebrating them. In this blog post, I’ve shared a few of my favorites, and suggest ways marketers can make the most of these opportunities to engage subscribers.

Which holiday emails resonated the best?

On any given weekday, I receive an average of 240 promotional emails (yikes, I know, but such is the life of a curious email geek).

Leap Day on March 29, I counted 51 emails that were in some way related to Leap Day—that’s around 20% of all promotional emails I received that day. At first I was surprised by what I assumed was a low number. I thought it would be much higher, as brands had a rare opportunity to meet subscribers where they were, looking for excitement around the rare holiday.

However, of the three holidays I studied, Leap Day was the one marketers used most for marketing campaigns. April Fools Day April 1st and joke themed campaigns came in second with 11% of my promotional emails just 24 emails mentioned or had content tied to the prankster holiday (more on the content in a moment).

Pi Day on March 14 came in third with just 7% of all promotional emails themed around Pi Day.

What stands out to me is the opportunity marketers have to grow their participation in these fun holidays on an annual basis, not just for Leap Day.

Not all of the emails in my inbox had a discount code for a product tied to Pie, Pi, or 3.14, but simply acknowledging the holiday, bringing a bit of unexpected fun to the inbox is really what caught my attention.

After looking through all of the content for these fun holiday promotional emails, emojis, (and a fair share of chuckling at amazing puns), I found the most common content revolved around discounts and opportunities to further engage subscribers.

Let’s take a look at some fun holiday promotional email examples that had the winning formula.

The best fun holiday email examples

Leap Day – Brilliant Earth

My favorite Leap Day email (both subject line, preview text, and content) was from Brilliant Earth. With no specific discount, the content leaned into “girl math” and it made me giggle—and ultimately connect with the brand. Plus, the layout of this email is simply beautiful.

Pi Day – Godiva

The chocolate + pie = Pi Day promotional email seems pretty straightforward. However, what I love about this approach is that Godiva is giving the subscriber relevant content for the holiday, an actual pie recipe, which I saw so few emails do.

This approach doesn’t depend on the subscriber needing a promotion for their product (I’m thinking about industries like B2B that may not have a product to discount), instead it helps the subscriber think further about what information would be helpful for them at that moment.

April Fools – Shapermint

What I love about this email from Shapermint, aside from the clean layout and yes, a picture of a dog (always a win), was that it had a hook for an April Fools day joke, without going too far. I still received a few emails from brands with promotions for fake items that led to a disappointing “gotcha” landing page—and ultimately I closed the page.

Shapermint caught my attention with a product that I thought was probably a joke, and immediately they fessed up to the gag. Then led into the products that really are on sale which I might like. It didn’t go too far, it gave me a chuckle before looking at their sale.

Do Fun Holiday Promotional Emails Engage Subscribers?

“Fun holidays” present a unique opportunity for marketers to push the boundaries of conventional email content and delve into the realm of creativity.

These occasions offer a low-risk environment to experiment with quirky, unconventional approaches that might not fit the usual brand aesthetic. From outside-the-box promotions to incorporating emojis in preview text or even hosting engaging live polls, there’s ample room for innovation and playfulness.

Think of it as the perfect excuse to unleash your inner weird-Barbie—exploring avenues that might seem too whimsical or offbeat for regular campaigns. But will ultimately help you stand out from your competitors.

My advice to fellow marketers? Don’t wait around for the next Leap Day or Pi Day to inject some excitement into your email strategy. Embrace the spirit of spontaneity and surprise your subscribers with emails that break the mold, challenge expectations, and leave a lasting impression.

In a sea of mundane promotions, it’s those daring, unconventional emails that truly capture attention and foster genuine engagement. So, let’s dare to be different, let’s embrace the weird, and let’s show our subscribers that we’re not afraid to think outside the inbox.