10 successful 4th of July email & SMS marketing examples to revolutionize your revenue

In 2023, 87% of Americans celebrated the 4th of July.

That’s according to Statista, which also reports an average per-person spend of $93 for the holiday last year.

Of course, all over the country, people are celebrating Independence Day with a cookout. That means brands that sell consumer-packaged goods (CPG) have more marketing opportunities during this season.

But this is also the perfect holiday for brands that sell home and garden goods, sporting goods, and even apparel—who doesn’t want a new outfit for their Fourth of July party, parade, or trip?

If you want to take advantage of July 4th celebrations, start preparing your brand’s email and SMS messaging strategy no later than May.

Need some inspiration? Check out these examples of 4th of July marketing emails and text messages from 10 brands that are doing it well.

1. More Labs masters context with their product positioning

Subject line: Combat your 4th of July hangover! 🍻🍷🍹

More Labs demonstrates a clear understanding of context and positioning with this Fourth of July email. For those who partied too hard at their cookout, the brand offers the perfect hangover cure. Their July 4th email includes images that evoke the summer festivities, with their products nestled in the sand.

Brand tip: While More Labs didn’t necessarily design their supplements with July 4th in mind, they adapted their messaging for the holiday and seized on the perfect contextual opportunity for revenue. The header image weaves subtle fireworks into the background and all the text is either red, white, or blue—very fitting for a July 4th email.

2. Kirna Zabête packages July 4th as a holiday color mood board

Subject line: Monday Moodboard: 4th of July

Apparel brand Kirna Zabête uses this July 4th email to package their products as an Independence Day mood board that highlights holiday-related products.

The mood board makes it easy for people to visualize how multiple products can complement each other within the context of the holiday, which has the potential to increase average order value when someone converts on the email.

Brand tip: If your brand sells products that thematically relate to July 4th, curate them in a way that encourages subscribers to buy them together so they’re “complete.”

3. ThreeMain keeps their July 4th SMS short and customer-centric

SMS character count: 209

Most people only subscribe to 2-3 brands via SMS—which means your real estate on a subscriber’s phone is incredibly valuable. Three Main, a brand that sells non-toxic, planet-friendly cleaning products, puts that principle into action in this message ahead of Independence Day.

This text doesn’t waste any time, making a subscriber more likely to feel that the brand respects their attention and loyalty. With just one sentence, the brand gets right to the benefits for the subscriber:

• The amount of money they’ll save
• The amount they need to spend
• The code they need to use
• The link they need to shop

Brand tip: Use your SMS channel to share your most valuable, time-sensitive, and interesting offers, and keep those messages brief.

4. NOGU uses July 4th to move seasonal products

SMS character count: 240

Early July means summer is in full swing in all 50 US states, making it a prime time for ecommerce brands to focus on seasonal designs. NOGU, a Canadian jewelry brand, takes advantage of the timing of the US holiday to promote a big sale.

While the brand admits they’re looking to move along a set of inventory that may go out of style, their subscribers will likely be excited to get first access to these big discounts.

Brand tip: See if you can link an upcoming holiday to what’s going on with your inventory. If you have too much on hand and are willing to offer a discount, you might be able to move more product by tying it to whatever holiday is coming up.

5. High Beauty links their July 4th strategy to the weather

Subject line: The Truth Behind These Common Skincare Myths

People who take their skincare routines seriously and live in places with more than one season tend to switch up their routines according to the weather. Nearly everybody uses more skincare products in summer—namely, sunscreen.

High Beauty, a vegan skincare collection, knows their audience wants the latest information on skincare, and that this content might be even more popular in summer. In this email, the brand connects all of the above to their upcoming 4th of July sale, offering a discount.

Brand tip: Think about an upcoming holiday like July 4th in terms of more than just what it means symbolically. What’s happening weather-wise this time of year? What might that have to do with your products and how they can deliver value to your subscribers? And how can you tie it all together in one readable email?

6. TheMagic5 is proud of their Made in America products

Subject line: The 4th of July sale is ON

THEMAGIC5 creates custom-fit swimming goggles based on a 3D scan of your face. Of course, early July is a great time to buy new goggles, and here, the brand showcases that they produce their goggles on US soil—a fact that matters to patriotic folks across demographics and political parties.

Brand tip: Consider including a fact about your manufacturing process that may matter to your subscribers. If it corresponds to the upcoming holiday, even better.

7. Corporate keeps it refreshingly direct

Subject line: July 4th Sale

You don’t necessarily need to connect your Fourth of July marketing campaign to the weather, or the time of year, or what’s happening in the world. The simple fact that you’re offering a discount is enough of a reason to alert your subscribers.

That’s exactly what Corporate, a sneaker and clothing shop, does with this email. The body copy is clear, telling the subscriber how much they’ll save and providing the link to shop, front and center.

The direct, simple approach paid off for Corporate: This email earned both a high open rate and a high click rate.

Brand tip: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. If you don’t have the time or resources to create a strategy that may be more complex, try a simple approach instead.

8. Quikflip creates urgency with elegant design and copy

Subject line:⏰ Don’t miss out on our July 4th Sale!

Quikflip, an outerwear brand that sells hoodies and jackets that convert into backpacks, makes a bold move with this email: They offer subscribers a 25% off discount, but establish a sense of urgency by using an alarm clock in the subject line and noting in the fine print that the sale ends on July 4 at midnight.

The emoji strategy paid off with a high open rate.

The email also features firework-like graphics and copy that connects the brand’s products to the concept of independence: “Quikflip celebrates independence every day! Don’t get caught carrying your hoodie when ours converts to a backpack.”

Brand tip: Shorten the amount of time your discount offer is available, and track your open and click rates to see if it moves your subscribers to purchase.

9. Wildling rewards their VIPs with an exclusive sale

Subject line: 10% Off + Free Shipping! Code: FIREWORKS

Wildling Beauty’s 4th of July email offers an exclusive sale for VIPs to thank them for their loyalty.

The discount—10%—is enough to make a difference when purchasing, and helps VIPs feel like they belong to an exclusive community. The email also offers free shipping through the end of the holiday.

You may notice that while the discount code is “FIREWORKS,” a nod to the holiday, the brand doesn’t use other typical Independence Day themes. And that’s okay. If thematic design and copy don’t feel authentic to your brand, don’t force it.

Brand tip: Use the holiday as an occasion to treat your most loyal customers and help build community. If red, white, and blue feels like a stretch for your brand, find more subtle ways to incorporate Fourth of July themes.

10. The Honest Company keeps the momentum going after July 4th

Subject line: HOURS LEFT: 20% off (almost) everything 😱

Preview text: Stock up on all your faves!

The Honest Company, Jessica Alba’s brand of non-toxic and hypoallergenic baby and beauty products, sent this email on the morning of July 5.

It’s a smart move—customers loyal enough to subscribe might want some extra time, especially during a holiday when so many are traveling and relaxing.

This email uses the subject line to spark urgency—there are only “hours left”—on a day when there’s a good chance the average subscriber is back at work, or at least back to their normal schedules and more likely to be checking email.

The design sparks that same sense of urgency—the clock is a gif, and it literally ticks as a regular clock would. Finally, The Honest Company includes CTA buttons not only to the sale they’re advertising, but also to their founder’s collection, all in one place.

Brand tip: Consider extending your sale beyond the actual holiday, and remember to track your results.