20 Christmas Email Marketing Examples & Quick Guide [2024]

No Christmas email marketing strategy is complete without some cool Christmas email marketing examples to get you inspired.

We’ve collected some great Xmas email campaigns to help you get into the Christmas spirit to  enter the festive season like Santa down the chimney. From Pre-Christmas emails to Christmas Day to Post-Christmas campaigns, explore fresh email marketing ideas to delight your audience and boost your seasonal sales.

You’ll also find some simple tips to create holiday campaigns you subscribers will find hard to skip.

Pre-Christmas Email Marketing Examples

Statistics have shown that 38% of American consumers are more likely to start their holiday shopping before the end of October.

Early Christmas shopping deals, amazing gift guides, and season’s greetings are the best way to engage consumers faster than your competitors. Also, if you plan on targeting your audience throughout Christmas, you need to get your hands on marketing automation to streamline the email-sending process. You can even turn your welcome or abandoned cart series into Christmas season emails.

With these in mind, let’s see some amazing Pre-Christmas email marketing campaigns for early Christmas birds.

1. Marks & Spencer’s Little Christmas Story

Subject line: It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

This holiday email example by Marks & Spencer is great for early Christmas shoppers looking for the perfect snuggly knits. Instead of visuals, the brand uses pictures of people wearing the goods. However, it’s not just boring product images with dull CTAs. Marks & Spencer makes its knits an integral part of its Christmas email design.

Smiley faces and stylish looks make this campaign more relatable, inviting the email subscriber to feel the Christmas vibe. What’s interesting is that the pictures and the headlines tell a story through email to intrigue and inspire the recipients.

To mimic this Christmas email, you only need a drag-and-drop email builder and some Xmas visuals. You can easily register for a Moosend account, hop into the editor, and set your holiday marketing in motion.

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2. Cox & Cox – 50 Days Till Christmas Email

Subject line: TODAY ONLY: Save £50

This Christmas campaign arrived 50 days before Christmas, and there’s a good reason for that. The brand offers customers special pre-Christmas deals to save money and time buying Christmas decorations. From the Christmas email template to the clever copy, this Christmas email marketing example is perfect for engaging your subscribers before the holiday season.

Also, regarding the incentives, the Christmas email subject line and the copy help customers realize the limited-time offer, creating a sense of urgency. At the same time, the visuals and GIFs give subscribers an idea of what this email is about.

3. Starbucks Limited Product Announcement

Subject line: Get holiday faves + a 🎁 tomorrow!

Everyone has seen the amazing Christmas products and beverages by Starbucks, and many want to be the first to obtain them. With this great Christmas email campaign, the brand informed subscribers that they’ll receive a free limited-edition cup with every holiday beverage they ordered on a specific day.

To attract them more, they added great visuals of their holiday drinks to give more reasons to customers to drop by. Finally, the subject line and email design have all the elements a holiday email needs to stand out.

4. MeUndies’ Early Holiday Gift Guide

Subject line: Gifts for Everyone 🎁

The best way to boost your holiday sales is to create a Christmas gift guide for your target audience, as MeUndies did. The subject line is very straightforward, offering a solution to one of the most common Christmas pain points: finding the perfect gift ideas for your loved ones. Moreover, emojis will help your subject line stand out in your audience’s inbox and look more fun to interact with.

The use of bright colors and visuals makes this campaign ideal for the brand’s younger audience. Lastly, from touching upon Zoom calls to TikTok dances, the copy truly speaks to the subscribers who feel that the brand knows them.

If you’re having trouble making converting subject lines, don’t hesitate to use an email subject line optimizer to boost your open and conversion rates.

5. MAC’s Best Christmas Deal Example

Subject line: Customize a Holiday kit! 3 picks for $65 ($90 value). 🙌

Starting with the Christmas subject line, the brand wants to ensure that recipients will open the email no matter what. To do so, MAC raises three points: the reason (Customize a Holiday kit!), the offer (3 picks for $65), and the value: ($90 value).

Everything subscribers need to interact with the holiday email is right there, in front of their eyes. But what happens when MAC’s email subscribers open the campaign? The first thing they’ll see is a gif with the products offered in the deal. Which is an amazing idea for every email marketing strategy, as gifs can save you space and add movement to your campaigns.

Finally, the pink copy attracts the recipient’s attention to the special Christmas sale, leading them to click on the CTA. If not convinced at first glance, the $90 value underneath comes in for the rescue.

6. Wendell August Forge’s Christmas Stock Up

Subject line: LAST DAY ❄ Buy 3 Ornaments Get 1 FREE

Customers love stocking up early, so why not give them an early Merry Christmas deal to fire them up and make it urgent? As you can see in the above Christmas email marketing example by Wendell August Forge, the brand adds a sense of urgency to the subject line to increase its open rates.

And to make it even more efficient, it also inserts the “Buy 3 get 1 free” incentive to tease potential shoppers. That’s a great way to get prospects to buy more products from your store.

When it comes to the copy, the brand opts for simplicity, using urgency and emotion to lead subscribers toward conversion. And to top it off, the color of the CTA and the effective use of white space make the brand’s incentive hard to miss.

7.  The Blonde Abroad Christmas Blog Update

Subject line: The Cutest German Christmas Town in the US!

Christmas email marketing isn’t only limited to retailers, eCommerce stores, and B2B businesses. Bloggers can also leverage it to wish readers happy holidays and, of course, promote their posts during a super busy time of the year. In the above example, The Blonde Abroad, a traveling blog, sends a beautiful holiday email campaign to engage readers.

Moreover, while the Christmas email copy is extensive, the blogger uses it to deliver her Xmas experience into her subscribers’ inboxes and make recommendations for winter and holiday destinations. Which is all her audience wants to see.

Christmas Eve Email Campaign Examples

Christmas Eve emails might belong to the pre-Christmas campaigns, but if you use them the right way, you can give your business a bigger boost before Christmas hits.

Below, we’ll see messages using urgency to get customers to make a purchase. Without further ado, let’s take a glimpse into the last-minute buyer’s heaven.

8. Mejuri’s Gift That Never Expires

Subject line: Gifting made easy

This Christmas email marketing example by Mejuri might look simple; however, there’s true conversion potential lying within.

First of all, the timing of this email is truly what makes it work. This isn’t just another Christmas sales email but a clever solution to “save” last-minute shoppers on Christmas day with digital gift cards. Moreover, what makes this email attractive is that customers can instantly purchase gift cards for their loved ones and, according to the CTA, send them away immediately.

The value proposition is too hard to miss, letting subscribers know that it’s the gift that “never expires” and is “always the right fit!” Apart from the gift card visual, Mejuri inserts social buttons to promote engagement with its social media accounts.

9. The Citizenry’s Pre-Christmas Mystery

Subject line: Our wish for you.

At first, this Christmas Eve email example by The Citizenry looks like a regular Merry Christmas email. The subject line is straightforward, and the visuals match the Christmas theme perfectly. However, what makes this email interesting is the mysterious message underneath.

The brand invites its email subscribers to save the date since “the biggest perk of the year will be coming their way!” Apart from the usual links to The Citizenry’s Christmas shop and gift guide, there’s no more information about what this “perk” is.

For the brand, that’s an amazing way to build hype for something exciting and keep customers coming back for your Christmas email newsletter. Now you might wonder, what was that perk? Take a look:

This post-Christmas email is all The Citizenry’s subscribers have been waiting for since Christmas Eve. With this out-of-this-world gift, the campaign was met with big smiles and a lot of appreciation.

10. Masterclass’ Free Holiday Gift For You

Subject line: Last chance for a last-minute gift, delivered instantly

Now, this Christmas email marketing example by Masterclass is the perfect illustration of how you can use your subject line to amplify your Christmas offer. Without using advanced elements like countdown timers, the brand gives the email a sense of urgency. In fact, it’s a double urgency: “last chance” for a “last-minute gift.”

Not only that but the last part, “delivered instantly,” works in the brand’s favor to boost its conversions. After all, ordering something on the 24th of December and getting it instantly is an excellent Christmas marketing idea for certain consumers.

Furthermore, concerning the email design, Masterclass goes for a brand-oriented campaign with a Christmas offer that gives you something back for free.

11. Ann Taylor’s Xmas Sales Gone In A Flurry

Subject line: This Sale Will Be Gone In A Flurry…

At first look, this Xmas email example by Ann Taylor is your typical FOMO-infused campaign with a clear CTA to the sale and another call to action to join the loyalty program.

However, what if I told you that the visual is a gif? If you look at the subject line, you’ll see how the brand reinforces the sense of urgency in a unique and Christmassy way. With its turn, the gif will amplify the effectiveness of the urgent copy.

Ann Taylor’s amazing example shows you how simplicity and advanced elements can do the deed without being excessive. Use countdown timers and gifs to mimic Ann Taylor’s example, and go for more. If you want a fast-to-implement solution, sign up for a free Moosend account and make some real Xmas magic.

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Christmas Day Email Examples

Christmas is finally here, but email marketing never sleeps. As with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Christmas is the perfect day to deliver exclusive deals and offers to shoppers looking for a last-minute gift!

Of course, if you want to show your holiday spirit, you can also deliver a warm wishes email. Choose the perfect Christmas email template, customize it, and then you are ready for the holiday cheer.

12. Rothy’s From Us To You Xmas Email

Subject line: Happy holidays from us.

Christmas is all about last-minute sales and exclusive offers, right? Well, it is, but what about creating a heartfelt message to move your audience? Instead of delivering another last-minute deal, Rothy’s opts for a very personal and friendly email. The company used photos of the people behind the brand to humanize it and show them appreciation.

The email design also works beautifully with Rothy’s Christmas card email, using a “From X to Y” structure to make the copy stand out. Of course, the sales elements are there. too. Nevertheless, they are so craftily incorporated into the campaign that they aren’t intrusive or weird-looking.

13. Zara’s Biggest Sale Of The Year

Subject line: SALE stars tonight at 22:00 at zara.com

There’s something different about this Xmas campaign by Zara. First of all, this isn’t your typical Xmas subject line, as the brand has turned it into a sales announcement. While there’s nothing Christmassy about it, Zara takes advantage of Christmas Day to promote its online sales event.

What’s more, the real goal here is to boost engagement with Zara’s app. So, the brand promises early access to mobile users from 8 o’clock.

Giving your audience early access is perfect for getting last-minute shoppers to buy more. And for those who want to get their items from a store, the brand lets them know they’ll be available from the 26th. This adds a little urgency to the messages since most discounted items will be out of stock by then.

14. Function of Beauty’s Email Christmasception

Subject line: Leave someone off your list? 🎁

Forgetting to buy a present for our loved ones can happen to the best of us. With this Christmas campaign, Function of Beauty presents last-minute customers with a solution. And while we’ve seen other examples doing the same thing, this brand takes it to the next level.

Not only is the email design converting, with beautiful Christmas visuals and a brightly-colored call to action to attract attention, but the designs give customers a glimpse of what their loved ones will receive.

Apart from all these, the brand also leverages gifs to bring this Christmas email marketing example to life:

15. Kurt Geiger’s Merry and Bright Sales

Subject line: An Extra 10% Off – Merry Christmas from Kurt Geiger!

In this Christmas email example by Kurt Geiger, you can see how the brand uses a short Xmas poem to get subscribers into the holiday mood and boost sales.

To increase its click-through rates and conversions, the brand equips this email with a clear CTA (which could’ve been a brighter color to attract more attention) and the products for sale. This way, Kurt Geiger’s subscribers will be entertained and informed about the store sale.

Finally, when it comes to the subject line, the brand uses its discount to show the immediate value that potential customers will gain. Simple, unique, and fun, this Christmas email shows how to marry sales with creativity.

16. Hunker’s An Xmas Helping Hand Example

Subject line: Everything you need to clean AFTER the holidays

Hunker is a website with interior design tips, tours, DIYs, and more. While it doesn’t have a product to promote and sales to boost, Hunker has to win the engagement game as every other blogger during Christmas.

So, how does it do it? With a very targeted article on how to tidy your house after the holiday season. This content marketing technique is a great example of how you can intrigue your audience and offer them value without selling them something.

For Hunker, this is the perfect opportunity to engage with their target audience and offer advice, raising the subscriber’s appreciation for the brand. Of course, this Christmas email doesn’t stop at one piece of advice. To increase traffic, Hunker adds a few more posts that its audience might find useful.

Post-Christmas Email Marketing Examples

Christmas is behind us but does this mean you have to stop your Christmas email marketing efforts? It’s time to target the post-Xmas time or, if you like, the pre-New Year period.

During this time, brands usually send their famous end-of-year sale emails with extra special offers and discounts. Let’s check them out.

17. Topshop’s Boxing Day Sale

Subject line: The Boxing Day sale has started!

Boxing Day is celebrated in the UK after Christmas Day. While targeting your UK audience with a post-Christmas campaign is neat, targeting everyone on your email list with the right message will give them more reasons to make a purchase.

For Topshop, organizing a Boxing Day campaign makes the post-Christmas sale more special than simply saying, “here’s another sale.” Also, the copy works perfectly, addressing another common pain point: getting the wrong thing for Christmas.

With a bright visual and an even brighter discount, Topshop’s email example has everything it needs to wow customers and increase clicks and conversions.

18. Leesa’s Shop Now, Do Good Email

Subject line: New year = 365 chances to do more GOOD 💙

A few days before New Year, Leesa takes the opportunity to deliver one of the greatest Christmas email marketing examples to promote its “do more good” cause.

The email design also has a gif to excite Leesa’s subscribers about the new year, adding a bit of movement to their campaign. Lastly, the brand leverages yellow CTAs and white space to lead its email subscribers to take action. Of course, the $200 off is a real eye-catcher.

Want to mimic Leesa’s example? Join Moosend, hop into the editor, and add the most beautiful gifs to steal some looks.

19. MVMT’s End Of Year Sale Email Example

Subject line: WHAT’S 30% OFF? 👀

This end-of-year sale campaign by MVMT is one of the most elegant Christmas emails on our list. Firstly, the brand infuses its Christmas sales email with high-quality Christmas newsletter images of discounted products. Also, the “30% OFF MARKDOWNS” is not a static image but a glowing gif to make the offer stand out.

Knowing that customers will want to see more of the 30% off products, the brand adds numerous product recommendations to showcase their watches and separate calls to action leading to the corresponding category page.

It’s worth noting that when you click on the CTA and get to the website, MVMT displays a newsletter sign-up form with a discount. That’s a clever little hack to convert those visitors.

20. Taylor Stitch’s Year In Review

Subject line: Our Year In Review — Save Up To 30% + $20 Credit Back

A year-end sale is the hottest post-Christmas email campaign you can share with your target audience. Like Taylor Stitch, you can offer an amazing discount to get your shoppers to buy their favorite goods before New Year. However, this isn’t the only thing you can do with your year-end email. Taylor Stitch’s is one of those hybrid Christmas email marketing examples that offer two things in one.

Besides the sale, the brand takes the time to provide information about its commitment and goals. This year-end-sale/year-in-review campaign is perfect for telling customers what you accomplished, showing them your milestones through a landing page.

6 Tips For Amazing Christmas For Converting Christmas Emails

Do you need a list of useful tips to craft similar Christmas email campaigns that no one can forget? We created it for you:

• Create a Christmas subject line that reflects your email content and add relevant emojis to make it more attractive.
• Enhance your email design with holiday visuals and GIFs, staying consistent with your brand guidelines.
• Utilize customer segmentation and personalization to target your emails to your audience’s preferences and needs.
• Create automated workflows to nudge your subscribers at critical times during the holiday season.
• Offer enticing incentives such as gifts and coupons to increase sales and conversions during holidays
• Ensure your email copy is crispy and concise and that CTAs are written in actionable language to get more clicks.

Get Your Holiday Email Marketing Ready

There’s nothing more to say than get to your email marketing platforms and start creating equally amazing Christmas campaigns to target your subscribers.

Before you go, double-check our amazing Christmas email marketing examples for an extra dose of Xmas inspiration. Use the little tips and tricks we discovered, and you’ll have a high-converting email sequence for all 12 Days of Christmas.

And if you need an extra helping hand, don’t forget to check our Christmas email marketing guide for more. From all of us, Happy (Holidays) Email Marketing!