Usually, there’s a lot riding on your email campaigns- driving engagement and interaction, increasing sales, building brand awareness, strengthening customer relationships, recovering lost sales, re-engaging dormant customers, and the like. Once a year, however, a day pops up, about a fortnight’s measure from the ominous Ides of March, that allows brands and email marketers to let their hair down a bit and have a blast with their campaigns. What else could we be talking about but April Fools’ Day, of course!
April 1 of every year is as good a date as any for brands to charm their subscribers with their wit and humor. In case you were wondering, yes, it is perfectly alright to pull a prank or two as well, so long you don’t overstep any boundaries. But, as all jesters worth their salt will tell you, cracking a smile on someone’s face is perhaps the most difficult of asks there is. Struggling to muster ideas for your April Fool emails? Don’t worry; we got you. Today, we showcase an array of stunning April Fools’ Day email ideas that will get your creative juices working over time! Excited, already? Read on!
Ninjakitchen
Subject line: Last chance to save up to 35%no joke!
It doesn’t matter if it’s April Fools’, Ninjakitchen means business with its offerings, something that it makes clear with its headline itself (all while preserving the sentiment of the day via the clever wordplay).
On the design front, there’s a lot to admire here. Firstly, there’s the beautiful single-column layout (a mobile-first approach), which is not just easy on the eyes but also makes navigating the email so convenient. High-quality pictures of the products have been used to ensure they remain the hero of this email. The text-to-image ratio is ideal, which keeps the template visually engrossing and uncluttered at the same time. This is something that is very important to make your email newsletter templates stand out. The neatness is further reinforced by the generous use of whitespace in the template too. The color of the CTA buttons has been chosen mindfully to make them contrast sharply against the background, thereby making them highly noticeable.
dalci
Subject line: ICYMI: APRIL FOOL’S DAY SALE
Letting your products shine through in your hero section is a ploy that will forever have our stamp of approval. And if your product is as tempting as dalci’s, you have all the more reason to do it. This email is quick to clarify that it’s not a prank, a sensible move given that subscribers tend to be generally skeptical of emails they receive on April Fools’ Day (a skepticism, well-founded, of course, courtesy of the historical behavior of brands on this day). The copy is crisp, to-the-point and puts special emphasis on the most critical nugget of information- the offer code. We also quite like the fact that this code features at the very top of the email, too, making sure that it’s the first thing the reader notices upon opening the email. The manner in which the product USPs are highlighted is quite innovative, and one would presume, rather successful, too, at holding the viewer’s attention. The bottom of the email contains all the important links, including the navigation menus, social media buttons, and the unsubscribe link.
Cake Maternity
Subject line: Motherhood’s no joke, mama!
If your brand has a formal posturing and a reputation for participating in dialogues of gravity, you can’t be faulted for thinking twice before designing an April Fools campaign. But here’s the thing, you don’t really have to trivialize any aspect of your ideology to fit the bill, you can always deftly marry your ethos to the occasion, just as Cake Maternity has done over here. Easily one of the best April Fools emails out there, the copy here does a masterful job of both acknowledging the occasion as well as furthering the brand’s mission statement.
Talking about the design, minimalism forms the hallmark of this template. Every element has ample breathing space around it, increasing the visual allure of the email. At the bottom of the email, the social media buttons, the Unsubscribe link, and the business address are neatly mentioned.
Pet Creations Art
Subject line: We’re closing down…
Pet Creations Art’s email here is a classic example of an April Fools Prank email. After all, what’s a better way of guaranteeing your entry into the pantheon of best April Fools marketing campaigns than by executing a prank successfully? If the headline, bolded resoundingly, isn’t convincing enough, surely you won’t have the heart to second guess the sad puppy eyes that follow next? Well, so far, you’re playing nicely into Pet Creations Art’s hands, for the very next line unmasks their prank, much to the relief of their loyal customers. One of the best parts of this email template is the clear mention of the number of payment options that the brand supports. The fact that they are listed right below the CTA button is even better. Along with the unsubscribe link and social media buttons, the email footer also contains an email address for patrons to contact the brand.
Arber
Subject line: What NOT To Do When Gardening
Want to craft a newsletter around April Fools? You’d do well to borrow a trick or two from this email by Arber. Look how cleverly they have managed to tie in their brand offerings with the occasion at hand, spawning a comprehensive and informative newsletter for their readers in the process. Amidst the sea of dubious content (composed on purpose, make no mistake) that will be hitting subscribers’ inboxes on this day, an email like this presents itself as a gust of fresh air. Even though the template is a little heavy on text, it doesn’t come across as visually demanding because the text blocks are aptly punctuated with images- this is a tip that all agencies offering email template design services will give you. The important links are accompanied by illustrations serving as context clues, a nice touch, in our opinion.
ublins
Subject line: Cheer for April Fools Day
ublins’ April Fools’ email steals the show with its mesmerizing hero section; there’s no way you come across it and not feel encouraged to scroll further, right? Even the CTA button in that section is worth admiring- both the phrase and the design are absolutely spot-on. We are quite fond of the unfussy manner in which the products have been displayed. Only the crucial details have been divulged: product name, image, and the special offer price. In some of the listings, models can be seen donning the glasses; this helps in establishing a personal connect with the subscribers. The email footer informs the receiver how they opted into the communication and contains both the update preferences and unsubscribe links.
Three Ships Beauty
Subject line: No secrets.
Championing earnestness on April Fools’ Day might not seem the conventional route, but that might eventually help you stand out from the crowd. Wondering how you can go about it? This email from Three Ships Beauty has all the answers you’re looking for. The information flow in this email is impeccable. The first thing that the reader is introduced to the is the brand mission. Next, how these values are incorporated into the brand’s products are highlighted. Now, armed with the information from the previous two sections, the reader is presented with a glossary and encouraged to go on a self-exploratory journey. The fact that the template layout is single-column, accentuates the appeal of this information flow. At the bottom of the email, unsubscribe and view online links have been provided. Additionally, this email has one of the most impactful April fools email subject lines you’ll come across.
Knife Aid
Subject line: How bout them self-cutting tomatoes?
Knife Aid’s April Fools’ email is a brilliant example of a brand wholly committing to its prank. From the captivating GIF in the hero section, to the engrossing copy that follows it, everything comes together beautifully to pull the wool over the readers’ eyes. The email also presents a masterclass in writing a CTA- brief, contextually relevant, and curiosity-inciting at the same time. Note how besides pitching their “special” April Fools’ product, they’ve also made an effort to call the subscriber’s attention to their usual services. For the customer’s convenience, the website URL and unsubscribe link have been added at the bottom of the email.
Boutique Rugs
Subject line: Only a Few Hours Left!
Quite a few brands launch special sales on April Fools’ Day. The question is, what can you do to generate interest regarding yours? The tactic Boutique Rugs have used over here is to add a countdown timer in the email to create a sense of urgency in the reader’s mind. In the hero section, the visuals of their products are accompanied by arbitrary geometric patterns, possibly in a bid to reduce the cognitive load. At the top of the email, the navigation menus and the view in browser link are easily spottable. Likewise, the social media buttons, unsubscribe link, and other important links at the bottom can be accessed with ease, too.
Health-Ade
Subject line: Were going TO THE MOON
The illustration in Health-Ade’s April Fools’ email is downright majestic; there’s no conflict of opinions about that for sure. We like how the animation of the headline sort of mimics that of the spaceship in the illustration. Might seem like a trivial touch, but goes a long way towards enhancing the reader’s user experience. The manner in which Health-Ade has invited its email subscribers to join its SMS marketing list is highly creative; we absolutely love it. In the footer, all the important links are compiled neatly, one below the other, for easy access.
Wrapping It Up
Feel your head brimming with ideas yet? We hope these inspirations were able to set you on the right course regarding your April Fools campaigns. Now all that remains is for you to utilize these learnings and implement them into your inimitable April Fools designs!
Rohan Kar
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