Top Email Design Tips for Movie Promotions

The upcoming Academy Awards ceremony has us thinking about big screens, red carpets, buckets of buttery popcorn, and good design, of course. When it comes to visual content, movies are arguably the most engaging, connective, and powerful. So, how do companies in the movie and video industries take what they know about the powerful medium of film and use that to communicate in email? Let's have a look at email design for movie promotions.

Where have all the videos gone?

We analyzed hundreds of emails from companies in the movie promotion and live-streaming industries, from AMC to Netflix to Fandango to Amazon and beyond. And while it's possible to embed video directly in email, not one of these companies is doing it — probably because most email clients still can't display embedded video content. Years ago, video was actually more widely supported by email clients, but as spam became a bigger concern, security tightened and video support diminished. Right now, only a limited set of clients support HTML5 video. So for now, most movie promotion companies are using alternatives in email design, like a thumbnail, image, or animated GIF that links to the video's URL.

Animated GIFs are mini movies

Just like movies, animated GIFs entertain. In email, where we're so used to static messaging, they're particularly eye-catching and engaging, bringing stories to life. Because GIFs are image files, they're also super simple and straightforward to use in email, and they've been proven to increase conversions — one GIF-based campaign increased email conversion by 103% and raised revenue 109%. One cable network kicked off an email with an animated GIF showing a teaser for a documentary, communicating the suspenseful, visually compelling features of the film in just a few seconds. Used this way, animated GIFs are like mini movie trailers. One fair warning: they can quickly become huge files, which can be slow to animate and eat up data plans on mobile, so keep an eye on file size.

Image grids offer visual previews

Emails for movie promotions are heavy on visual content. For image-driven email with little-to-no text content, arranging products on a grid is particularly effective, allowing you to showcase a lot of items in an organized, scannable way. When images don't require much descriptive text, a grid layout is a good option, especially with a primary piece of content at the top followed by secondary content immediately beneath, plus clean section breaks and headers using plain text rather than baking headers into images.

Single column layouts are mobile-friendly

We generally prefer a single column layout over a multiple-column one for email. Single column emails are generally easier to read (with a clear hierarchy and no sidebar distractions), better optimized for mobile viewing, and more focused on a single call-to-action, taking readers through each component of the message until there's a clear, obvious next step. On mobile, our instinct is to scroll, and an intuitive, sequential layout leads readers directly through each CTA.

Old school design sticks around

Despite the pitfalls of single-image emails and wariness of multiple columns, outdated design habits die hard for some movie promotion companies. Busy, complex headers, image-based "Buy Tickets" buttons, and dual-column layouts without hierarchy or flow are common road bumps, along with a lack of mobile responsiveness that makes buttons tough to tap. The single-image email can be tough to avoid, but it's worth simplifying, focusing, and prioritizing mobile viewing for on-the-go reading.

That's a wrap!

Email design for movie promotions runs from single-image promotions of a single film, to embedded GIFs that give subscribers a true sneak peek, to simple grid layouts showing off lots of movie options. Here's what we can learn:

• Don't embed video content in email, at least not yet. Use a screen grab, thumbnail, or animated GIF to link to your video's landing page, with a play button to help readers understand they can click to see more.
• Animated GIFs can be like mini-movies, a great alternative to embedding actual movie files. Check your file size and test to make sure most subscribers receive your email.
• A grid layout is a great option for displaying image-based content. Keep a focused CTA at the top, then provide options.
• Single-column layouts are great for mobile, where readers are inclined to scroll. Break up images with plain text and bulletproof CTAs.
• Avoid the single-image email, even though it's tempting for a single movie promotion. HTML background colors provide a ton of flexibility in improving your design, and they always render.