Recently in Animation Category

August 21, 2011 10:08 AM

Doing More with Less

Posted by Lynn Baus
From: BananaRepublic.com
Subject Line: Thank You! Save 30% at 3 Great Brands Date
Sunday, August 21, 2011 8:24 AM

Clearly the August retail sales cycle is in full swing. My inbox is thick with end of season clearance sales, back to school promos and Labor Day previews. This little beauty from Banana Republic stood out from the crowd for a few simple reasons. One, the subject line starts with a thank you statement signaling that this offer might be more personalized than the rest. And, of course, the high percentage off rate didn't hurt either. Two, they've used a cute little heart as a guide to the offer highlights. Not only is it whimsical, but it's also working hard to walk me through the most important elements of the offer in a very intuitive and fun way. There were more cleverly written emails with splashier graphics to the top and bottom of this message but these simple techniques won me over.


Banana Republic Promo
















>> View Live Email

August 8, 2011 2:20 PM

Funimation

Posted by Lacey Clemmons
Mni Boden.jpgI'm really into the fun and functional way Mini Boden uses animation in this email. The kids move between two playful poses, mugging for the camera (you can check out their moves by mousing over the images on the landing page). The poses are really fun, and I love how they're captured in the snapshot-sized boxes. Putting them in those boxes makes the animation work within the larger photo shoot theme, rather than being an end unto itself. The white brick backdrop seems like the perfect choice, adding a hint of texture to the design without making it feel too cluttery. It totally inspired me to shop cute outfits for my nieces!

August 3, 2011 7:30 AM

Sale Away

Posted by Lynn Baus
From: Lands' End
Subject Line: Sale away: extra 20% off for two days only!
Date: Tuesday, August 2, 2011

I just couldn't resist this whimsical take on a standard sale promo format. This simple, but absolutely delightful animation, is sure to increase engagement.

080211_all_02.gif

August 2, 2011 8:16 AM

Video and Email: Adding Motion to Your Promotion

Posted by Lynn Baus
Video is a great way to communicate information quickly, and in an engaging way. But between the risk of ending up in the junk folder and the lack of playback support, sending actual video content in an email is a big best practice no-no. Here we have two proper approaches to tailoring video content for the email channel. One plays it safe, the other adds a bit more pizazz.

From: Burton Snowboards
Subject Line: Winter storm warning! Follow the storm...
Date: Monday, August 1, 2011

Thumbnail image for Burton-WinterStorm.jpg















>> View Live Email

Burton knew not to push the wrong format in the wrong channel. They've used the email to showcase video content, but haven't tried to push video to the email client. There's a clever interplay of photography, texture and typography that sets the stage for the landing page experience. But there's no motion. Nary an animated call-to-action or animated gif of the newscaster to capture the eye. For such a fun subject, it feels a little flat.

From: Bed Bath & Beyond
Subject Line: It took 116 years to get here.
Date: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 8:20 PM

Dyson-Blade.jpg





























>> View Live Email

Bed Bath & Beyond, however, created an animated gif preview of the video complete with playback indicator. They've also animated the headline to tie to the product feature. It not only draws the eye, but the gives the viewer more of why this product deserves further exploration. You may not be passionate about fans that don't buffet the air but you will probably notice the message.

So the takeaway from the Burton example is first, do no harm. When promoting video, use email as a preview channel--not a delivery channel. But as we see in the Bed Bath & Beyond sample, don't be afraid to bring the animation into the mix to grab viewers' attention. Even tell a bit of the story. Just because you shouldn't send video in email doesn't mean you can't use motion to get viewers excited.


July 26, 2011 12:07 PM

Take Mobile Animation for a Spin

Posted by Lynn Baus

From: Old Navy
Subject Line: Spin & Save: Get Ready to Win BIG + FREE Shipping Every Day
Date: Thursday, July 14, 2011


From the adorable JCREW popsicle email to the jazzy West Elm sparkler promo, animation is emerging as a major email creative trend this summer. I love Old Navy's take on the technique because they integrate the whole concept of a spinning wheel from the subject line right through to the graphics. It's also a stellar iPhone experience--if you're a righty, the animation is perfectly nestled underneath your thumb. Kudos on a well thought out application of motion graphics.


OldNavy_Spin_Mobile.jpg
Continue reading Take Mobile Animation for a Spin.
July 1, 2011 7:00 AM

Let's Talk Hair...and Animated Gifs!

Posted by Amy Stoffel
From: bumbleandbumble.com
Subject Line: Obsessed? We are...
Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2011

062811_BumbleAndBumble_b.jpg I'm a fan of animated gifs in emails--if done right. You don't want an animation to distract from a message, but you DO want it to grab your attention "just so." This bumbleandbumble.com email has the right amount of attention-grabbing movement for me. Each time one of the images squiggles, my eye moves to read the quote. I love the illustrations, especially the one in the middle - I mean, who doesn't want hair like that?!

I also love the simple layout of the products at the bottom so that I know what the bottle looks like (beyond the illustration), the cost, and and the ability to "shop" all in one nice little area.

I'm also a big viewer of emails on my iPhone, and I love that this one makes my device dance.


June 30, 2011 2:14 PM

Your Hero in a Cube

Posted by Amy Stoffel
www.reebok.com
0629_ReebokCom.jpg
I have to give a shout out to Reebok for their super slick way of incorporating four large hero messages all in one space.

A trend for awhile has been to add small thumbnails at the bottom of a hero image to allow for the company to promote multiple marketing messages in one small space. Then upon rolling over (and/or clicking) one of those thumbnails, you would see that message in the hero (Reebok actually does this on their interior "Shop" home page--sans the actual thumbnails--they use numbers). The cubes that they have created, spin once, horizontally and vertically, revealing the next message. You have to click on the cubes to make them move, which I think could be tricky for the mature users, but the young hipsters can figure it out--which I'm sure is their target audience anyway.

"Ok, that's cool Amy, but what does it look like on a mobile device?" Reebok was thinking here too. They send you right to the "Shop" home page - skipping the messaging you'd see on the traditional home page. All you wanted to do was shop anyway, right?

Two thumbs up Reebok, for thinking outside of the...cube.


June 29, 2011 4:00 PM

Fourth of July Fireworks Fun!

Posted by Lyla Reinero
From: Pottery Barn Kids
Subject Line: Last Day to Save 10% + Fourth of July Sale Starts Today!
Date: Tuesday, June 28, 2011

From: west elm
Subject Line: New markdowns! Up to 70% off
Date: Wednesday, June 29, 2011


The 4th of July presents the perfect opportunity to use animated GIFs in your email campaigns, and these two examples from Pottery Barn Kids and west elm do not disappoint! Particularly impressive is west elm's effort: it is only 4 frames and therefore quick-loading. The entire creative office at Responsys is completely mesmerized! To see the full emails click here for west elm and here for Pottery Barn Kids.


20110627_pbk.gif
20110629_westelm.gif

June 6, 2011 11:42 AM

Keep It Simple, Silly

Posted by Raleigh Briggs
From: J. Crew
Subject Line: SUMMER SALE starts right now
Date:Thursday, June 02, 2011

blog_j crew static.jpgTotally loving this simple, joyful little email from J. Crew. The colors and typeface are lovely and summery, but my favorite part is the Forward to a Friend treatment at the top. Such cute copy! Even if FTAF isn't the draw it used to be, it's great to see a copywriter giving it a little TLC.

blog_j crew animation.gifBonus cuteness: this adorable popsicle animation!
May 31, 2011 10:28 AM

Get Packing!

Posted by Kathryn Alva
From: Origins
Subject Line: Origins greats - for planes, trains and automobiles
Date: Saturday, May 28, 2011

0511_OriginsTravel.jpg It's official - summer travel season is upon us! And with travel comes one of my favorite things: packing (I know, I'm insane). I can't help that I see packing as a fun challenge to be won. Like Jenga, but with shoes and tank tops.

Back in the good old days I used to lug around my hugenormous suitcase (affectionately nicknamed "Texas" by my family), but now that most airlines have decided to tack on checked baggage fees for pack-everything-in-case-you-need-it people such as myself, I don't mess with Texas. I now fly exclusively with a totally free carry-on, which I suppose we could call "Delaware" instead. Though, I'm still a chronic overpacker, so before every trip I play my little game of how much I can get away with cramming into a suitcase the size of a desk drawer. There's nothing quite like the thrill of a successful *zip* after arranging everything inside just so.

0511_OriginsTravelAnimation.gifHowever, playing the cram-it-all-in-a-carry-on game means I also have to abide by the TSA's carry-on requirements, which means my giant bottle of SPF 80 goes on the no fly list. You'd think that since I'm such an eager packer I'd plan for the 3.4oz or less limitation on liquids, gels, and aerosols - but for some reason that predicament always seems to sneak up on me. Thankfully, this email from Origins (above) popped into my inbox to smartly remind me of their convenient TSA-approved set of mini products. The email is cleanly designed, the copy is thoughtful, it's well-timed to catch me before my summer adventures, and even includes a fun little animation to grab my attention (seen right). Not only does Origins get the TSA's approval, their emails definitely earn my stamp of approval, too.


May 26, 2011 10:46 AM

I "Like" You, The Limited!

Posted by Dana Vogt
From: The Limited
Subject Line: "Like" Us and Get Free Shipping! Today Online Only!
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Limited-Social.pngA huge pat on the back goes out to The Limited for this email's simple yet smart approach to social acquisition. Opening this email was delightful—the clean, open layout (three cheers for white space!) with a bold offer leaves no questions as to what the sender is asking me to do. I love how they've used speech bubbles as containers for the copy to help reinforce the "tell all your friends" message in a subtle way.

To top it all off, a totally clever animation at the bottom of the email "counts" how many people have liked the deal. As if the rest of the email wasn't enough to convince me to take action! Click the 120 below to check out the animated count:
052511_count_animation.gif


But wait—there's more! When you land on the Facebook page and click "Like" to get your free shipping code, the page refreshes with a headline that reads "We like you, too."
A very nice finishing touch.

Well done, The Limited!


December 27, 2010 11:54 AM

Scratch & Sell

Posted by Alex Madison
From: Chadwicks
Subject Line: Reveal Your Holiday Bonus Now!
Date: Thursday, December 23, 2010

This Chadwick's email is clever. The subscriber who clicks (or waits a few seconds...) gets an almost tactile experience of scratching off a card to reveal an offer. The only bummer is that the entire hero section is unclickable - you have to touch the "Shop Now" CTA at the bottom in order to reach their site, which likely cost them some click-throughs. See the animation here.

November 10, 2010 2:51 PM

I heart a little animation...

Posted by Darrah MacLean
When I'm feeling a little uninspired or simply want to procrastinate in my writing just a little bit longer, I like to get lost on the web. I find that it gives me fresh ideas and opens my mind to new ways of engaging people. In my web wanderings this week, I came across some fun and unexpected animations, proving once again that subtlety is truly an art. What have you found in your web wanderings? Do tell.

BURTON >>
Check out the little eyes by the search box and the video in the logo!

FREE PEOPLE >>
LOVE the dangling ornament.

BLOOMINGDALES >>
See what happens when you drag your mouse over the ornaments and the wrapped gifts!
August 25, 2010 11:24 AM

Here comes the sun!

Posted by Lisa Harmon

From: Hermès
Subject Line: Here comes the sun!
Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2010

I'd like to thank the fabulous Gary Bauman for bringing this adorable animation to our attention.
June 7, 2010 4:42 PM

From Camden Town to St. Marks Place

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: opening ceremony online
Subject Line: OCNN: Keds for OC Tribute London
Date: Tuesday, June 1, 2010 4:51 PM

Love OC's use of animation in this Keds message.
Ah, the colors of my youth...

Check out the newsletter in its entirety here >
December 17, 2009 10:37 AM

Snow Angels

Posted by Lisa Harmon


From: Email Experience Council
Subject Line: Happy Holidays From the eec & Smith-Harmon - 2 Gifts Inside
Date: Thursday, December 17, 2009

I try not to get high on my own supply, but check out this AWESOME horizontally-scrolling, animated email the team here at Smith-Harmon created in partnership with the Email Experience Council! Shoutout to Ali Swerdlow of the EEC, and to S-H team members Sara Zin and Raleigh Briggs for bringing holiday inspiration to the inbox!

Speaking on which, get inspired about email in the new year! Sign up for the EEC 2010 Email Evolution Conference >
Get $200 off when you use the code HOLI by December 31. I'll see you there!

December 14, 2009 9:37 PM

"Look mummy, there's an airplane up in the sky."

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: Mileage Plus
Subject Line: Happy Holidays from Mileage Plus
Date: Saturday, December 12, 2009

Always glad to see a holiday greeting, and always happy to find fun animated GIFs in the inbox like this one from United:
Look mummy, there's an airplane up in the sky > (Cue Pink Floyd Laser Light Show)
April 15, 2009 3:41 PM

Mini Delight

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: Johnnie Boden
Subject Line: New Mini Boden is in with 15% off plus FREE shipping
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2009

This Mini Boden email is a creative delight!
(1) Love the polka-dot background; great playful backdrop.
(2) The postcard treatment and travel illustrations add texture and depth, making this more than just another "buy this summer stuff" message.
(3) I am especially a fan of the fish and finger-point animations; what a novel way to add movement. The little fish really caught my attention in the preview pane :)!
See the animation here >
November 21, 2008 6:32 PM

Mistletoe Makeover

Posted by Darrah MacLean
From: Sephora
Subject Line: 1 box, 10 gifts.
Date: November 16, 2008

I L-O-V-E Sephora's version of last year's Elf Yourself. Talk about creative. From start to finish, it's a seamless experience that even the most tech-challenged girl can navigate with ease. Here's the skinny: After you've uploaded a pic of yourself, you go through a series of steps where you outline your eyes, mouth and face shape. Sounds complicated, but trust me, they've made it blonde-proof. (It's okay, I can say that because I'm a blonde.) Once you've finished with the outlining, the real magic begins. Within seconds, you have four fun and fabulous looks to choose from: Smokey Sugar Plum, Merry Berry, Santa's Little Temptress and O, Tannen-Babe. It's your face all glammed up in four festive ways, complete with eye shadow, mascara, gloss and more. All that's left is for you to add a personal message and send it on to your fellow glamour gals. You'll get a sweet little email that lets you know your Mistletoe Message has been sent, and best of all, the savvy team at Sephora includes a promotion code in the confirmation email for a free set of lashes or a sample size of Sephora Lip Attitude with any purchase. Simply brilliant.

Want to see my Mistletoe Makeover e-Card?
Check it out here.
November 21, 2008 2:50 PM

Blithesome Holiday

Posted by Alex Madison

From: Anthropologie
Subject Line: A holly jolly good time.
Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2008

I love how well Anthropologie has integrated their holiday messaging into their regular creative style. This email is so clearly holiday, but nothing about it is cliched or off-brand for Anthropologie. The subject line, the snowy cream color, the whimsical copy and the quirky candle animation are all so Anthropologie, and also all so refreshingly holiday.
November 5, 2008 2:19 PM

Prize Pie

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: Williams-Sonoma
Subject Line: Holiday Pie Baking: Favorite Tools
Date: November 5, 2008
BTW: See the animation here >

I love apple pie, and I love this Williams-Sonoma top nav Shipping/Countdown animation. Way to add visual interest while simultaneously messaging two timely promotions, all within the first few pixels of prime preview pane real estate. Well done! See the animation here >


November 2, 2007 9:57 AM

Instructional Animation

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: Lands' End
Subject Line: $10 off Outerwear: do you know where your coat is?
Date: Friday, November 2, 2007

Happy Friday! Woo hoo!

This definitely isn't my favorite creative ever - it's kind of a flat sea of blah muted blue - but I'm interested in how animation is employed to walk recipients through how to use a website feature. Check it out here. I do believe this is the first time I've seen an image rotate in tandem with words highlighted within a paragraph, effectively pairing copy points with associated visuals. Neat idea.


March 13, 2007 3:05 PM

Copy it!

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: Saks Fifth Avenue
Subject Line: Want It! Our Spring Trend Line-Up + FREE SHIPPING
Date: Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Saks' new "Want it!" campaign tagline is such a shameless rip-off of Barney's "Love it!" campaign from last year. It's just too similar not to blow the whistle on it. I do think they made fun use of the rotating GIF though - click here to see it.
March 7, 2007 9:11 PM

Refreshing

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: CB2
Subject Line: wait til you see this chair
Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2007

This campaign from CB2 is a breath of fresh air. It's simple, bright, seasonally-appropriate, and just plain happy. And the subtle butterfly animation makes the whole thing that much more "just so." There's a tangible sense of creative and marketing teams getting excited behind this one, and subscribers can feel that. You guys win the spring spirit award this week for sure.
January 15, 2007 9:28 PM

All Together Now

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: Restoration Hardware
Subject Line: Save 20% and Color Coordinate Your Bath
Date: Monday, January 15, 2007

Folks have been comfortably using the animated GIF to feature multiple colorways for some time now. While I generally see it done with a hero image, I believe this is the first time I've seen it happening with alt shots. It's a pretty effect. Will it sell more towels? Click here to see it.

In order to achieve this, Restoration Hardware has used image mapping, which we all know is an absolute no-no in email marketing due to email program incompatability. (Some email programs strip out image maps.) However, I don't believe RH did this out of laziness or ignorance. The problem is, if you put more than one rotating GIF image in a single campaign, it seems to be next-to-impossible to get them to rotate in unison. So one way of tackling that issue would be to save the separate images as a single rotating GIF, and tack on the image map to get them to link to their respective locations in most email browsers. I'd be curious to see, in this case, whether the trade-off was worth it.

I'm even more curious to know whether anyone has a solution to the multiple-rotating-GIFs-in-unison issue. Major props to anyone who can offer advice on that.

One last totally unrelated note on Restoration Hardware marketing in general: they're promoting "annual" sales way too often. Even if the last was lighting and the next is bath, they all blur into one "annual" category, and feel more like a year-long sale than special events.
January 8, 2007 11:32 PM

Making the Bed

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: west elm
Subject Line: Bold Neutrals: slip into a new bedroom for spring
Date: Tuesday, January 2, 2007

This is a nice use of a rotating GIF, even just on a purely visual level. Click here to see the animation.
June 19, 2006 6:31 PM

A Question of Perspective

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: The Land of Nod
Subject Line: Introducing Furniture Color Previews
Date: Thursday, June 15, 2006

The dynamic color swap is a great innovation in ecommerce, and I applaud Land of Nod for implementing a Furniture Preview Tool. Also, although it's a little jerky, they make great use of the rotating GIF here to illustrate this new functionality. However, this email suffers from a Land-of-Nod-centric perspective. Rather than touting their own amazing functionality, the copy should focus on how this functionality serves the customer. The text should highlight how easy and fun the customer's furniture shopping experience will be, not how impressed they'll be with the Land of Nod. Remember who you're selling to!

To view the animation, click here.
June 12, 2006 7:03 AM

Animated Announcement

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: CB2
Subject Line: Introducing the CB2 Gift Registry
Date: Monday, June 12, 2006

Building upon last week's novel usage of animation, CB2 brings us yet another delightful employment of the rotating GIF. While this works wonderfully as an announcement, I could see it working equally well for sale by category messaging. To view the animation, click here.
June 2, 2006 6:38 AM

Eye Catching

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: CB2
Subject Line: Now back in stock by popular demand
Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2006

What a novel, effective usage of the animated GIF! Here, CB2 uses animation to their advantage in two primary ways:
1) By rolling in the 12 restocked products one at a time, CB2 guides us to follow the progression, influencing us to actually look at each item individually.
2) Combined with the grey circular grid design, the animation diverts our attention from the fact that the products are a mish-mash, effectively avoiding the dreaded "garage sale" look.

To view the animation, click here.
May 9, 2006 8:46 PM

Using the Animated GIF

Posted by Lisa Harmon
From: Crate and Barrel
Subject Line: Custom Color Outdoor Collections
Date: Tuesday, April 25, 2006

From: Lands' End
Subject Line: Family Summer Fun Starts Here
Date: Tuesday, May 9, 2006

While the rotating GIF image image can be a fun, dynamic addition to any EDM, it is rare that the animation ultimately edifies the actual message. Here we have two examples in which the rotating GIF is used efficaciously.

Like Pottery Barn's April 17 Chesapeake Collection ourdoor furniture message, Crate and Barrel's "Custom Outdoor Collections" campaign engages shoppers in the furniture customization process using color swatches. Here, going one step further, Crate and Barrel applies the color options to the product using the rotating GIF. Unfortunately, we run into some image dithering here, a common scenario when saving photography in the GIF file format, however, the sacrifice is well worth it in this instance. On an unrelated note, I applaud the inclusion of four lower pricepoint "Coordinating Items" in addition to the furniture product, as full-price furniture is often a difficult sell via the EDM vehicle.
View the animation here >

Let's move on to the Land's End message. For the purpose of this discussion, let's ignore the jumbled lower half of the message and focus on the animated GIF. I truly admire the way they've synchronized their category names with correlating imagery. This could be a great way to do a New Season Intro message (for instance, What's New for Summer for "Boys", "Girls", etc.) or a Gift Finder campaign (Great Gifts for "Men", "Women", "Coworkers", "Kids", etc.)
View the animation here >

As internet bandwidth increases and email inbox capacity skyrockets, consider the animated GIF as a way to add another dimension to your next campaign.
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