Just in case you didn’t get the memo: Pants are out. I found it inconceivable and hilarious that I recieved these two strikingly similar emails in the same month. Both feature an animated GIF of a man dropping his pants to reveal his underwear. It’s sure to grab anyone’s attention and maybe even cause a little chuckle – I’ll give them that!
I’ll break down the pros and cons for each email, but I have one suggestion that applies to both. In each, the animated GIF is used to show a multitude of products. For AEO, 5 boxers are shown; in Moosejaw, 3 pants cycle through. I would suggest adding images of these products below the GIF. This will allow the subscriber to 1) get a better view of the product, 2) let them see it for a longer amount of time, and 3) will also provide a link to each product.
From: American Eagle Outfitters
Date: 10/05/15
Subject Line: Pants off, sale on.
See the animated email
PROS
- Large clear image and headline. It’s eye grabbing and straight forward.
- The way the links are integrated over the hero image is a nice touch. It’s a nice way of bringing everything together into one solid message.
- Cute preheader. “More AEO underwear = less laundry…#winning”
CONS
- 4 Meg GIF = Slow loading time
From: Moosejaw.com
Date: 10/15/15
Subject Line: Keep Your Pants On | Free $10 for Taking a Survey
See the animated email
PROS
- 700K GIF = Quick loading time
- For those that read the copy, it’s hilariously well written. Here’s a snippet: “Let’s face it, nobody likes wearing pants. As a matter of fact, I’m not wearing any right now. Ever wonder why some people are jerks in the morning? It’s because they had to put on pants.”
CONS
- Not very scannable copy. I love the humor, but titles or bolded text could help get the point across quicker for those that don’t have time to read.
- No flow. Everything is full width and stacked. Not ideal.
- Lack of hierarchy. The first two messages are related, but the third isn’t. It feels out of place. I suggest treating it more like a secondary message by making it smaller, or removing it entirely.
