Blog/Email marketing/13 creative St. Patrick’s Day email marketing examples

Close out Q1 with a revenue spike: 13 creative St. Patrick’s Day email examples

Marissa PetterutiTiffany Regaudie
17min read
Email marketing
February 7, 2024
Image is split diagonally down the middle between a light sage background on the left and a darker sage background on the right. The copy on the image reads, "Creative St. Patrick's Day campaign examples," with the font changing from dark to light sage when it hits the diagonal divider line. On the right side of the image, in smaller black font, copy reads, "Close out Q1 with a revenue spike."
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St. Patrick’s Day saw a massive spike in celebration in 2023.

According to a recent survey of 1,600 US consumers, nearly half (44%) of Americans celebrated the holiday last year—a 30% spike compared to 2022.

For ecommerce brands, this represents a great opportunity to close out Q1 with a pot of gold—or a nice revenue spike. Time to break out the holiday-themed email marketing campaigns.

Green beer. Green pizza. Shamrock earrings. Leprechaun merch. These are some of the typical themes you might see in email campaigns around St. Patrick’s Day. The thing is, we know you can do better with some creativity, segmentation, and a little inspiration.

If you know you can do better, too, but you’re not sure where to start, it’s your lucky day. Check out these 13 St. Patrick’s Day email examples as a jumping-off point.

1. Turned Yellow writes holiday copy that’s fun to read

Turned Yellow, creator of digital cartoon portraits, capitalizes on the holiday’s classic color in their subject line: “Wear Green and Turn Yellow.” This clever, silly move earned the brand a high open rate.

The copywriting here is just as clever, with fun trivia (fun fact: St. Patrick was born in Britain, even though he became the patron saint of Ireland), more wordplay, and a cheeky percentage off—17%.

Image shows a St. Patrick’s Day email from Turned Yellow, a brand that creates digital cartoon portraits. At the top of an email is a cartoon depicting 3 drunk men following a leprechaun down a street littered with green and white confetti, under a banner that reads, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day.” Underneath the image is a line of text that reads, “Sale ends TONIGHT at midnight PST.” The copy of the email then reads like a personal letter: it greets the subscriber by name, shares a few fun facts (like that St. Patrick was born in Britain, and that your odds of finding a four leaf clover are 1 in 10K), and encourages the reader to use the discount code “PATRICK17” at check-out to get 17% off. After a yellow CTA button that reads, “Get 17% off,” the email closes out with a signature from “Alex from Turned Yellow.”
Source: Turned Yellow

Pro tip: Note how your brand’s personality can intersect with St. Patrick’s Day, and make this intersection shine with copy that teaches and entertains. If you’re feeling nervous, you can always A/B test a fun version against a more conventional version.

2. Neff curates its product line for a green holiday

Headwear brand Neff sends this short, digestible email featuring a curated selection of all-green products for St. Patrick’s Day. If you want to shop at Neff for your St. Patrick’s Day apparel, there’s no question which items are best suited for the holiday.

The headline—“Our St. Patrick’s Day No Pinching Kit”—nods to St. Patrick’s Day folklore without straying from the brand’s normal tone.

Image shows a St. Patrick’s Day email from headwear brand Neff, with the headline, “Our St. Patrick’s Day No Pinching Kit” in green followed by product shots of several green and grey beanies, items of clothing, and watches.
Source: Neff

Pro tip: Curate your product line for the holiday while leaning into your brand voice.

3. Moon Magic adds some sparkle to a limited-time discount

Jewelry brand Moon Magic uses an entertaining gif to highlight jewelry subscribers might wear for a night (or day!) out on St. Paddy’s, whether they’re going to a parade or the dive bar next door.

To create a sense of urgency, Moon Magic ends their St. Patrick’s Day sale on March 18, the day after the holiday. Customers can only get that sparkly discount on green accessories during the lead-up to the holiday.

Image shows a St. Patrick’s Day email from jewelry brand Moon Magic, which reads, “Feeling lucky? Get $15 off any purchase of $50 or more” in mint font on a rose background, above a close-up product shot of two rings and a bracelet, arranged near some sparkly four-leaf clovers. The background color of the email switches from rose to mint halfway down, and the copy under the image reads, “We see some sparkle in your future! Shop now for $15 off any purchase of $50 or more using code: LUCKY15” in black. At the bottom of the email is a rose-colored CTA button that reads “SHOP NOW” in mint font, followed by a subtle deadline in black: “Sale Ends 3/18.”
Source: Moon Magic

Pro tip: Use the color green (and a gif) to add some holiday pizzazz to your emails, and include discounts or coupon codes for products that align best with the holiday.

4. West Coast Shaving tells a St. Patrick’s Day brand story

Underneath eye-catching St. Patrick’s Day illustrations, West Coast Shaving takes the opportunity to share a sub-brand’s background story with subscribers.

As carriers of one of the oldest brands in Great Britain, WCS can use the holiday to build some brand awareness about legacy, history, and a commitment to quality.

Image shows a St. Patrick’s Day email from West Coast Shaving, which reads, “You’ve got the luck of the Irish! Take 15% off all Kent products this St. Paddy’s Day only!” followed by a blue CTA button that reads, “SHOP KENT.” The email then shows 8 illustrations of heads wearing different St. Patrick’s Day hats and different styles of beards, followed by a paragraph of copy detailing the history of the Kent sub-brand. At the very bottom of the email is another CTA followed by details about the offer: “15% off will be applied automatically to any Kent Brand items made by clicking through this email. Offer expires 3/19.”
Source: West Coast Shaving

Pro tip: Especially if St. Patrick’s Day hasn’t been a big day for your brand in previous years, use it as an opportunity to build brand awareness. You may want to create a segment of people who interacted with your St. Patrick’s Day emails for a follow-up campaign, or to target next year.

5. Blue Layne Boutique doesn’t play to the holiday too hard

If green shamrocks and the luck o’ the Irish don’t feel authentic to your brand, don’t force it.

Women’s apparel brand Blue Layne Boutique earned a high click rate with this campaign, sent the day before St. Patrick’s Day.

So, how did they do it?

They put their subject line and preview text to work. The subject line reads, “St. Patty’s DAY SALE! starts @ MIDNIGHT 🌈CODE inside —>30% off SITE WIDE”. The preview text follows up with, “No exclusions! CLICK to shop our FAVs! Code VALID 3/17/22 12:00am EST.”

A limited-time, site wide 30% discount? People who are interested in the brand would click regardless of the holiday connection.

The email itself, however, contains very few references to the holiday. Aside from a green sweater and the discount code, the contents of the email could be relevant any time of year.

Image shows a St. Patrick��’s Day email from Blue Layne Boutique. The first thing readers see is a large banner proclaiming, “CLICK IMAGES TO SHOP!” followed by a photograph of a model wearing Blue Layne sunglasses. The next image shows two models wearing Blue Layne sweaters against a black background, headlined, “St. Patty’s Day Sale!” in white cursive at the top with the words “CODE: LUCKY DAY” overlaying the models in bright green. The email then continues with several other photos of models wearing Blue Layne clothing.
Source: Blue Layne Boutique

Pro tip: If your brand voice and style don’t align with the holiday, keep the association subtle.

6. Sivana gamifies St. Patrick’s Day with discount options

Nothing evokes luck quite like a slot machine. Sivana, a jewelry and clothing brand, evokes that same “get lucky” feeling with this St. Patrick’s Day email.

The email is interactive and invites subscribers to try their luck on a virtual slot machine. It’s an exciting way to get a discount, and an amazing way to boost click rate.

Image shows a St. Patrick’s Day email from jewelry and clothing brand Sivana, headlined, “St. Patrick’s Day Sale: Feeling lucky? A secret offer awaits. What will you get?” Beneath icons showing a present, a question mark, and a percentage, the email CTA button reads, “Reveal the deal.”
Source: Sivana

Pro tip: If you try this, we recommend creating a segment of people who clicked—these are people who like a gamble, and you may want to experiment with more gamification for this audience in the future.

7. HOMAGE creates a special product for the holiday

Apparel brand HOMAGE keeps it simple for St. Patrick’s Day, even though the brand developed a whole product just for the holiday.

By developing and promoting a singular St. Patrick’s Day t-shirt, HOMAGE aims to resolve a pain point for customers: that last-minute scramble to find something to wear to a St. Patrick’s Day gathering.

This ultra-simple, streamlined email makes the call to action (CTA) clear: “Don’t worry! Buy the perfect shirt right here.” And the quirky email copy is the cherry on top.

Image shows a St. Patrick’s Day email from apparel brand HOMAGE, headlined, “Your Lucky Charm” in font reminiscent of Lucky Charms cereal. On a bright green background, the email shows a photo of a green St. Patrick’s Day t-shirt that reads “This is me lucky shirt” within an outline of a four-leaf clover. Beneath the image of the t-shirt is the price ($20.16), “for a limited time only,” and the copy, “You don’t have to journey to the end of a rainbow to score gold this St. Patrick’s Day. Cut through the kisses, pinches and Celtic quips with a tee that tells it like it is.” Finally, the CTA button at the bottom of the email reads, “Get lucky.”
Source: HOMAGE

Pro tip: Understand what your audience wants, then create products specific to the holiday and the unique quirks of your customer base.

8. BarkShop prioritizes brand awareness over acquisition

Customer acquisition doesn’t have to be your only goal for St. Patrick’s Day. You can also use the holiday as a means to build more brand awareness. (Reminder: Email content can also be fun!)

BarkShop, the brand that creates “the best goodies for the coolest dogs,” uses St. Patrick’s Day as a chance to share entertaining content and show a lighthearted side of their brand. Their punny email copy appeals to dog owners who might’ve had a drink or two for the holiday.

Does the email push people to buy a product? No. But do you feel like there’s a genuine person behind the brand? Definitely.

Image shows the top of a St. Patrick’s Day email from BarkShop, titled “Dog people diaries” with an illustration of a dog sunk into a beanbag chair, reading. The headline of the email reads, “7 toys that are very funny when you’re drunk,” with a few paragraphs of a diary entry followed by a photo of the writer sitting on a basket of dog toys, smiling and holding a glass of beer.
Source: BarkShop
Image shows the end of the list of toys mentioned in the first image: 7th on the list is the “knitwear heggie,” with a close-up photo of the writer’s dog in profile, gazing at the stuffed hedgehog in question. Underneath the photo, the copy reads, “OK so this isn’t funny, but it’s actually so cute. Like I’m weeping. Also how good of a name is ‘Heggie’? OK I feel a little spinny; I have to go. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! XOXO, BarkShop.”
Source: BarkShop

Pro tip: Email isn’t always about acquisition. A well-crafted St. Patrick’s Day email can also foster a sense of connection between subscribers and your brand—ultimately driving long-term retention and loyalty.

9. Death Wish Coffee creates an Irish recipe

What’s the best way to make a coffee Irish? By adding Jameson, of course.

In this St. Patrick’s Day email, Death Wish Coffee includes a tasty recipe for Irish coffee. The brand might not sell the spirit themselves, but they use St. Patrick’s Day and an Irish-inspired beverage to promote their product in an innovative way.

Image shows a St. Patrick’s Day email from Death Wish Coffee. The email says “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” at the very top, followed by the headline, “The Best Death Wish Irish Coffee Recipe” and 3 stacked images of an overturned bottle of Jameson, someone pouring Jameson into a mug of coffee, and a glass goblet of Irish coffee. Beneath the photos are the recipe for the Irish coffee, including ingredients, directions, and a red CTA button that reads “Get full recipe here.”
Source: Death Wish Coffee

Pro tip: If a St. Patrick’s Day product line doesn’t make sense for your brand, you can still find creative ways to make your offerings feel Irish-inspired.

10. Hard to Kill Fitness offers a recovery plan for the holiday

Sometimes your products might align with a holiday in ways you never expected. Hard to Kill Fitness, a brand that provides online fitness programs, earned a high open rate with this subject line: “St Patrick’s 🍀 Celebrate With This Killer Workout…” No doubt their preview text, offering 15% off all workouts, helped as well.

The email copy makes a few references to St. Patrick’s Day and Irish culture—“Like the Irish, we go all in”—but the bulk of the email directs subscribers to two main places:

  1. The CTA button: well-placed, above the fold, and easy to see
  2. The workout the subject line promises will “counteract the celebrations”

This is a great example of a brand knowing their audience well. Work hard, play hard.

Image shows a St. Patrick’s Day email from Hard to Kill Fitness, which begins with a photo of a muscular man lifting weights. The photo has an illustration of a four-leaf clover in two corners and the words “LUCKY 15” written over it in white. Under the photo, the email copy reads, “Like the Irish we go all in. This St. Patrick’s Day we’re taking 15% off all training plans, helping you counteract the celebrations.” The green CTA button reads, “Get 15% off,” followed by the deadline for the deal: “Ends midnight Friday 19th.” The bottom of the email contains instructions for a St. Patrick’s Day workout.
Source: Hard to Kill Fitness

Pro tip: Consider how your products (and content) might be of use after the holiday, and strategize an email campaign accordingly.

11. Fenty Beauty leans on UGC to show, not tell

Fenty Beauty, Rihanna’s makeup brand, uses St. Patrick’s Day to highlight their only green lipstick shade—Midnight Wasabi.

But what’s so impressive about this email is that the content doesn’t just advertise the shade—it also shows you how to create an entire look around it with a video tutorial and related product recommendations.

And it doesn’t stop there. To show makeup enthusiasts just how great the shade looks on people IRL, Fenty also includes user-generated content (UGC) submitted by customers with the hashtag #MidnightWasabi at the bottom of the email.

Image shows a St. Patrick’s Day email from Fenty Beauty, headlined, “Wicked Lucky with Midnight Wasabi.” The top of the email contains a video tutorial, followed by a product promo with a smear of the lipstick being advertised and a black CTA button that reads, “NEED THIS.” The bottom of the email contains a section called “YOU WORE IT BEST,” with 4 images of customers wearing the lipstick underneath the hashtag “midnightwasabi” and a white CTA button that reads, “GET FEATURED.”
Source: Fenty

Pro tip: Collect UGC that pulls in unique products and promote it on social media and in email campaigns.

12. Twillory offers a special giveaway

As a brand known for men’s professional dress shirts, it’s not a tremendous surprise that Twillory doesn’t have a selection of bright green or shamrock apparel to advertise.

But that doesn’t stop them from getting in on the St. Patrick’s Day fun. Here, Twillory cleverly uses the holiday as an opportunity to offer customers a special giveaway: free bottle opener stays with any shirt order. Much like a freshly starched shirt, the email copy is clean and crisp, incentivizing customers to place an order.

Image shows a St. Patrick’s Day email from men’s apparel brand Twillory, which shows a product shot of the brand’s bottle opener stays arranged next to two four-leaf clovers, followed by a green CTA button that reads, “ST. PADDY’S GIVEAWAY!” and explainer copy: “FREE bottle opener stays with every shirt order.” In green underneath that, the email reads, “Straighter collars, stronger happy hours, one epic St. Patrick’s Day.” The email closes out with another, smaller CTA button in green, that reads, “SHOP NOW.”
Source: Twillory

Pro tip: Focusing on user behavior and the seasonality of your giveaway helps drum up more hype for the season—and increases user engagement.

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13. Timbuk2 creates an anti-holiday campaign

Luggage and bag brand Timbuk2’s St. Patrick’s Day email ironically acknowledges the holiday and uses it as an opportunity to showcase their green, albeit “not very festive shades of green,” products.

Timbuk2’s products are all purposefully built for utility, avoiding unnecessary frills and flare, so the grown-up approach to a notoriously silly holiday is very on-brand.

This St. Patrick’s day email is a creative example of how brands can stay true to themselves while also taking advantage of a seasonal shopping event.

Image shows a St. Patrick’s Day email from bag brand Timbuk2. The email opens with a large close-up product shot of one of the brand’s backpacks. Over the image, the headline reads, “Grow-up green: for being kinda in the spirit,” with a white CTA button that reads, “SHOP GREEN.” Beneath the image, the email copy says, “Not very festive shades of green for grown-ups. We’ve packed away our graphic leprechaun tees in favor of something a little more subtle. Shop our greenish bags and wear them all year round.”
Source: Timbuk2

Pro tip: Scrooge may not be pro-holiday, but he gets a lot of hype. Stand out by targeting the holiday in a contrarian way—go gray where most brands go green, for example.

Get tips and tricks for your holiday marketing all year long.
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Marissa Petteruti
Marissa Petteruti
Marissa Petteruti is the manager of Klaviyo's Academy team. She leads the creation of content that helps customers learn how to get the most of out Klaviyo. Prior to joining Klaviyo's Academy team, Marissa was the first member of Klaviyo's marketing team. She joined the company shortly after graduating from Brown University. In her free time, you can find Marissa experimenting to find the world’s greatest penne alla vodka recipe.
Tiffany Regaudie
Tiffany Regaudie
Tiffany is a writer and content consultant who specializes in marketing, health, and the attention economy. Before devoting herself to freelance writing full-time, she led content teams at various startups and nonprofits in Toronto, Canada.