A swipe file is a record of your top-performing campaigns that you return to for learnings and ideas. It was this concept that inspired us to create the Email Swipe File on Pinterest, where we share the emails and landing pages that excite and impress us. In The Best of the Email Swipe File, we highlight the 20 examples from the past year that we love most and put them in the context of five trends that are having a major impact on email design: Mobile-Friendly, Personalization, Triggered Sophistication, Editorial Voice, and Inspired Fundamentals. Learn more about these trends, see which emails and landing pages we loved best, and check out the ideas we most hope you’ll steal, test and make your own. Get inspired!

1. The Best of the
Email
Swipe
File
2013

2. A swipe file is a record of your top-performing campaigns that you return
to for learnings and ideas. It was this concept that inspired us to create the
Email Swipe File on Pinterest, where we share the emails and landing pages
that excite and impress us. In this report, we highlight the 20 examples from
the pinboard that we most hope you’ll steal, test, and make your own.
Explore bonus Swipe File content online →
The Best of the
Email
Swipe
File
Kristina Huffman
Design Practice Lead
ExactTarget
@ETDesign
The wide screens of desktops are being rapidly replaced by more modest
tablet screens and challengingly small smartphone screens, and the
pixel-precision of mice is being replaced by fingers on touchscreens.
This transition is having a dramatic effect on email design and ushering
in a variety of new tactics.
In the era of email engagement, greater relevancy has become imperative.
Personalization is one of the key ways that marketers can make their
messages more personally relevant to their subscribers.
Triggered emails are among the most successful emails you’ll ever send.
Their outsized ROI has inspired some marketers to explore ways to make
them ever better—with longer campaigns, smarter content, and better triggers.
Content marketing is having a major influence on product marketers, who are
realizing that advice, tips, and customer inclusion create more engaging emails
with fewer discounts.
While marketers are constantly gaining new tools to make their emails more
effective, they shouldn’t forget the fundamental design tactics that have continued
to be effective for years.
On their own, the examples on the following pages are inspiring
and thought-provoking. However, together they represent five trends
that define where great email marketing design is headed:
Mobile-Friendly
Personalization
Triggered Sophistication
Editorial Voice
Inspired Fundamentals

3. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File4 5
Kickstarter
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
January 8, 2013
Subject Line:
The Best of Kickstarter 2012
View the Kickstarter email on Pinterest →
View similar pins:
The email is super simple and super straightforward.
With a headline, three sentences, and a three-
character call-to-action, the email provokes interest
and propels the subscriber to the rich, slideshow
landing page.
- Chris Studabaker, Regional Manager
Meetup →Tumblr →
Mobile-Friendly

4. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File6 7
Mobile-Friendly
TOMS Shoes
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
April 12, 2013
Subject Line:
New Ballet Flats free shipping on all orders!
View the TOMS email on Pinterest →
View similar pins: Starwood →
The really interesting thing about TOMS’ use of
responsive design in this email is that the hero image
is animated only in the narrow screen version, with
the shoes changing as the feet push back and forth.
They are serving up a mobile-sized gif instead of
cramming a desktop-sized gif onto a mobile screen,
keeping load time as quick as possible.
- Kristina Huffman, Design Practice Lead
REI → UGG →

5. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File8 9
Moosejaw
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
January 7, 2013
Subject Line:
It worked for Obama...
View the Moosejaw email on Pinterest →
View similar pins:
A catchy, intriguing, topical subject line introduces
a mobile-friendly, plain-text email that’s well-suited
to convey the concise message. Both this email and
the text-heavy emails of the campaign season are
reminders that plain text can still be very effective,
particularly in the age of mobile.
- Laura Earley, Associate Designer
Icelandic Tourism Board →
Mobile-Friendly

6. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File10 11
Designed in nice screen-sized chunks with large
images and big buttons, this “mobile aware”
email is perfect for tablets, but still functional on
smartphones. Unlike many brands, this UK retailer
also made their navigation bars at the top and
bottom of their email mobile-friendly.
- Abul Kashim Siddique, Senior Design Consultant
Reiss
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
April 14, 2013
Subject Line:
Textured Summer Knits + London Lives Video
View the Reiss email on Pinterest →
Mobile-Friendly

7. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File12 13
Personalization
Jetsetter
Type:
Preference center
View the Jetsetter preference center on Pinterest →
View similar pins:
Jetsetter’s preference center collects subscriber
preferences for ‘Destinations’, ‘Activities’, and ‘Scenes’,
all of which are vital to creating highly targeted
travel offers. Their preference center also addresses
three of the most common reasons that subscribers
opt out­—too many emails, irrelevant emails,
and change of address.
- Andrea Smith
Design Lead, Content Marketing Research
Fab.com →

8. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File14 15
Fitbit
Type:
Notification
Send Date:
April 23, 2013
Subject Line:
Your Weekly Progress Report in Fitbit!
View the Fitbit email on Pinterest →
View similar pins: LinkedIn →
Through their wireless trackers, scales, and mobile
tools, Fitbit collects a lot of information about
their users’ activities, diet, and sleep. To keep your
progress top of mind, Fitbit sends you a summary of
your stats from the past week. They also email you
notifications when you earn badges for reaching
certain milestones.
- Hannah Kleyn, Design Consultant
Personalization

9. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File16 17
Lowe’s
Type:
Progressive profiling email
Send Date:
March 13, 2013
Subject Line:
Version 1: Personalize your savings this spring
Version 2: A Quick Question to Customize Your Emails
View the Lowe’s email on Pinterest →
Looking to gather data to power some segmented
seasonal messaging, Lowe’s sent this tablet-friendly
progressive profiling email asking subscribers about
their plans for the spring. The home improvement
retailergeo-targetedtheemailtoareaswherespring had
arrived and also ran a subject line A/B test to better
understand what would compel the most subscribers
to provide more information about themselves.
- Amanda Monroe, Associate Designer
Personalization

10. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File18 19
Personalization
IVCi
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
Q2 2013
Subject Line:
IVCi conversation
View the IVCi email on Pinterest →
While most emails work best as HTML emails,
we’ve found that drip emails are the most successful
when they’re in a rich text format, which makes
them appear as though they’re a one-to-one
communication between a sales rep and a prospect.
This email from IVCi is short, conversational,
and includes a personalized signature to enhance
the impression that the email is coming directly
from a sales rep.
- Mathew Sweezey, Marketing Evangelist

11. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File20 21
Triggered Sophistication
Zulily
Type:
Welcome email series
Subject Lines:
Welcome 1: Get shopping credit! Invite your pals to join zulily too
Welcome 2: Go ahead ... play favorites
Welcome 3: Anytime. Anywhere. Take zulily with you.
Welcome 4: Calling all social butterflies
Welcome 5: Smart shopping is your superpower
View the Zulily series on Pinterest →
View similar pins: Crate Barrel →Target →
With the vast majority of marketers still sending
a single welcome email, Zulily is well ahead of the
curve with this five-email welcome series that seeks
a closer relationship with new subscribers by asking
for referrals, asking about their favorite brands,
and promoting their mobile app and social presence.
- Andrea Smith
Design Lead, Content Marketing Research
Welcome 1
Welcome 2
Welcome 3
Welcome 4
Welcome 5

12. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File22 23
Not only does this email use responsive design
to target Foursquare’s highly mobile users,
it is triggered by check-in patterns that involve
airports and locations outside of my normal
stomping grounds.
- Kristina Huffman, Design Practice Lead
Foursquare
Type:
Welcome home triggered email
Send Date:
March 2013
Subject Line:
Welcome back from your trip! How was it?
View the Foursquare email on Pinterest →
Triggered Sophistication

13. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File24 25
Crutchfield
Type:
Browse abandonment email
Send Date:
November 2012
Subject Line:
Digital SLR Cameras: Our top picks
View the Crutchfield email on Pinterest →
This browse abandonment email tries to get at the
reason why you didn’t purchase in the same way that
a good store associate would. It features the product
you browsed, but then also suggests a new arrival,
featured price drop, top-seller, and customer favorite
in case you were looking for the newest product,
the best deal, or social validation.
- Chad White, Principal of Marketing Research
Triggered Sophistication

14. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File26 27
This email does a great job of drawing you in.
The subject line makes you wonder what the top
tweet was, and the email makes you wonder which of
the topics shown was the top tweet, all with the goal
of enticing you to click through.
- Chris Studabaker, Regional Manager
Twitter
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
December 20, 2012
Subject Line:
See the most popular Tweet of 2012
View the Twitter campaign on Pinterest →
View similar pins:
Barnes Noble
Editorial Voice

15. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File28 29
More marketers are taking a “content first” approach
to selling. This J. Crew email does an excellent job of
leading with advice on etiquette and style to build
trust and to give their subscribers the confidence
to move forward with purchases.
- Mike Diekhoff, Design Consultant
J.Crew
Type:
Gender-segmented email
Send Date:
July 1, 2012
Subject Line:
Female Version: My favorite summer whites
Male Version: Shoes are required. Socks are not.
View the J.Crew emails on Pinterest →
View similar pins:
Editorial Voice
NFL Shop →Neiman Marcus →

16. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File30 31
Pandora
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
April 12, 2013
Subject Line:
Thanks to You: 200 Million Strong
View the Pandora email on Pinterest →
View similar pins:
Infographics were the biggest new trend in
B2B marketing last year. This year we’re seeing
infographics make their mark on B2C marketing,
as in this Pandora email, which includes interesting
figures on their growth.
- Chris Studabaker, Regional Manager
Editorial Voice
Barnes Noble →JetBlue →

17. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File32 33
Levi’s
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
April 9, 2013
Subject Line:
Denim Die-Hards‫‏‬
View the Levi’s campaign on Pinterest →
Partnering with fashion website Refinery29 to get
their interpretation of 501 jeans for the photo gallery
presentation in this email is just the beginning of
this social-driven campaign. Subscribers are asked,
“What’s your interpretation?” and encouraged
to upload photos of themselves styling 501s,
and ultimately asked to vote on a Pinterest-inspired
landing page to determine which finalist is the winner.
- Tana Babcock, Design Consultant
Editorial Voice

18. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File34 35
Havaianas Australia
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
April 18, 2013
Subject Line:
Disney for BIG Kids!
View the Havaianas Australia email on Pinterest →
View similar pins:
This Australian sandal-maker did a great job
of recognizing a wonderful opportunity to use
animation in a delightful way, making clever use of
the Cheshire Cat’s penchant for mostly disappearing.
- Lindsey O’Donnell, Design Consultant
Inspired Fundamentals
Home Depot → Bed Bath Beyond →
Animation

19. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File36 37
Jack Spade
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
March 21, 2013
Subject Line:
Watch Out! $98 Graphic Watches Are In
View the Jack Spade email on Pinterest →
View similar pins: Jonathan Adler →Sephora →
Clean simplicity is the new sweet spot for email
design and this email delivers by keeping the
headline and call-to-action above the fold and using
a mix of illustration and product shots to intrigue
and get subscribers scrolling.
- Anna Meier, Design Consultant
Inspired Fundamentals

20. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File38 39
CB2
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
December 1, 2012
Subject Line:
get her this
View the CB2 email on Pinterest →
View similar pins:
Gift guides are a major selling tool during the holiday
season. CB2 takes this concept and turns it into
a fun, interactive decision tree that all starts with
rating the gift-recipient on a scale of 1 to 10. It’s hard
to resist following every path to its recommended gift.
- Ryan Alvis, Design Consultant
Inspired Fundamentals
Canadian Tourism → Tiffany Co. →

21. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File40 41
Anthropologie
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
March 15, 2013
Subject Line:
Denim on the rise | Free shipping
View the Anthropologie email on Pinterest →
View similar pins:
This email proves the adage that a picture’s worth
a thousand words by making it super easy to see
at a glance the difference between Anthropologie’s
different denim styles. For good measure, they also
include some words, offering advice on what to wear
with each style.
- Chad White, Principal of Marketing Research
Inspired Fundamentals
The White House →Lands’ End →

22. pinterest.com/exacttarget/email-swipe-file • 20132013 • The Best of the Email Swipe File42 43
Bendon Lingerie
Type:
Promotional email
Send Date:
May 8, 2013
Subject Line:
Something extra for you: buy any 2 items, get the 3rd free.
View the Bendon Lingerie email on Pinterest →
View similar pins:
Rather than seeing image blocking as an obstacle,
this Australian lingerie retailer saw it as an
opportunity to use a mosaic of color blocked table
grids to send a simple heart-shaped message.
While many marketers use mosaics to emulate the
images-on creative, Bendon Lingerie chose not to
be limited by that.
- Kirk Barlow, Senior Deliverability Marketing Consultant
Inspired Fundamentals
Orbitz →Mothercare →
Images off
Images on

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