Birthday Email Examples & Ideas (Part 1): Inkey, M&S & Samsung
- Cara Wilson
- Aug 25
- 3 min read
This year, my inbox was flooded with birthday emails - some thoughtful, some purely transactional, and some… let’s just say underwhelming.
There were too many to cover in one go, so I’ve split them into two parts. In this first post, I’m looking at Inkey, M&S, and Samsung. They all use different approaches, each with lessons worth borrowing (and a few worth avoiding).
If your brand sends birthday campaigns, here’s what you can learn from how these big names do it.
1. Inkey: Loyalty points with a catch
Inkey (formally The Inkey List) sent me 200 loyalty points as a birthday gift. Nice idea in theory, but the execution left me scratching my head.
What worked ✔️
On-brand design, clean and minimal.
Dynamic content blocks personalised to my reward level and past purchases.
A “birthday gift” button that feels enticing.
What didn’t ✖️
Didn’t use my name or any real personal touch.
Redeeming points wasn’t intuitive - I wasn’t sure if they applied to my chosen product.
The email was almost entirely image-based (bad for accessibility and deliverability).
💡Lesson for marketers: Rewards should feel effortless to redeem. If a subscriber has to think too hard about whether their “gift” works, it’s not really a gift.
2. Marks & Spencer: Strategically belated?
This one stood out because it deliberately landed the day after my birthday. Smart move: it avoided the inbox traffic jam of same-day emails and extended the celebration.
What worked ✔️
Clear and concise message.
Free treat (simple to claim in-store).
Clever timing that made it feel more personal.
What didn’t ✖️
The offer only worked in-store, which excludes online shoppers like me.
The treat expired before I could realistically claim it.
💡Lesson for marketers: Timing can be just as powerful as the offer itself. A belated treat might actually get more cut-through than the standard same-day “Happy Birthday.”
3. Samsung: good offer, flat delivery
Samsung offered me 15% off. I’ve bought several of their products in recent years from other retailers who could offer me a better deal but this discount makes them much more competitive. The problem? The email didn’t live up to the brand.
What worked ✔️
A solid 15% discount, which could genuinely sway a purchase.
Relevant for someone who might be in-market for tech.
What didn’t ✖️
I felt the design was lacklustre - it didn't really align with Samsung's slick and innovative brand personality
No messaging around why I should buy direct from Samsung (when resellers often offer better deals and warranties).
Felt generic
💡Lesson for marketers: Even if the incentive is strong, poor creative makes it feel less valuable. Big brands especially need their emails to reflect the quality of their products.
Wrapping up Birthday Emails Part 1
From loyalty points with confusing UX (Inkey), to a clever belated treat (M&S), to a strong discount with lacklustre delivery (Samsung), these three brands show just how varied birthday emails can be.
A few clear themes stood out:
Rewards only work if they’re simple to redeem.
Timing can make a brand stand out in a crowded inbox.
Even a generous offer loses impact if the design doesn’t match the brand.
And this is just the beginning. I had far too many birthday emails to squeeze into one post - so Part 2 will be out next week, with more examples (the good, the bad, and the baffling) and the lessons marketers can take from them.
Takeaways for Your Birthday Email Campaigns
If you want your brand’s birthday emails to delight rather than disappoint, keep it simple:
Make the offer genuinely valuable and easy to claim.
Add touches of personalisation beyond “Happy Birthday” - what do you know about your subscribers that you could use to make them feel special on their birthday?
Test different timings to see when engagement peaks.
Balance creative design with accessibility (don’t rely only on an email made purely of images).
A birthday email should feel like a celebration, not just another promotion. And if they don’t really fit your brand, or you can’t optimise them properly, you’re better off focusing on campaigns your subscribers will actually be grateful to receive.
