Funny Email Examples that Prove Humor is a Winning Marketing Tactic

June 18, 2025

Right here’s a foolish advertising and marketing joke for you:

(Go forward, Slack it to your occasions supervisor. We’ll wait.)

Humorous emails will be dangerous as a result of humor doesn’t all the time translate the way in which the author intends. If you happen to ship that joke out to your e mail record, and also you promote clothes, health teaching, pet merchandise, or any variety of services and products that aren’t advertising and marketing, you’ll get numerous confused reactions. However to a bunch of entrepreneurs? Guffaws.

So, can we use humor strategically in e mail advertising and marketing? Or is it only a waste of time?

Nationwide Audio system Affiliation Corridor of Fame member Karyn Buxman doesn’t assume so. She has charted a profession as a self-proclaimed “neurohumorist.”

Would you like your prospects to belief you? Humor could assist. Buxman research humor intensively. She’s discovered that humor builds belief, partially as a result of it will increase optimistic mind exercise. As Buxman put it in certainly one of her dwell displays, there are two varieties of individuals on the earth:

Humor helps your advertising and marketing stand out. It will get extra consideration. It helps create a deeper and extra loyal connection along with your viewers. And likewise, work is tough sufficient — why not make it enjoyable? Right here’s how you need to use humor in your emails the fitting manner with some knee-slapping humorous e mail examples:

7 humorous e mail advertising and marketing examples you’ll be able to attempt in your subsequent marketing campaign

While you’re aiming for the humorous bone, timing issues, viewers issues, and naturally, having a humorousness issues, too. Let’s have a look at some particular methods you’ll be able to inject humor into your e mail advertising and marketing. 

1. Humorous e mail topic strains

The topic line is the place you seize consideration, so it’s arguably one of the best place to make use of humor. Actually Good Emails undoubtedly did that with a topic line that pushed the envelope and made us all do a double-take.

It’s arduous to not chuckle at a well-placed pun like this one. Now, the content material of the e-mail coated transport and order affirmation messages. So, it wasn’t only for the shock issue. Nevertheless it actually does stand out from others within the inbox.

Massachusetts-based oyster farm and restaurant Island Creek Oysters usually cracks jokes and puns of their weekly e-newsletter. This topic line, timed with an upcoming Nor’easter, performs on the storm necessities that promote out every time a storm is within the forecast:

Humor in topic strains may be a device to boost your email open rates. Save the punchline for the within of your message to entice your subscribers to open.

Even when it’s a groaner of a dad joke like that, you spark a way of curiosity within the subscriber. They should see the punchline for themself. Simply be sure you win them over after you get the open.

2. Artistic CTA buttons

Do away with “Submit.” Abandon “Study extra.” Ditch “Purchase now.” 

Creative email call-to-action (CTA) buttons are an important place to place some persona into your advertising and marketing. Plus, it’s extra enjoyable to click on on a button that has a humorous message — so long as the subscriber nonetheless understands the place the button will take them. CTA buttons don’t have to be “ha ha” humorous for them to face out. 

Phrasee will get a bit edgy with language and makes use of a popular culture reference in its CTA button, which inspires subscribers to guide a demo: “Guide me, Danno.”

When Electronic mail on Acid promoted Pathwire’s Nightmare at Email Camp occasion, we used a bit humorous storytelling within the copy and closed it out with a humorous CTA that harkens again to a well-liked film line — “we see useless emails.”

And sassy sauce model Fly by Jing all the time makes use of artistic CTAs for his or her promotional emails. This one has two to advertise a brand new dumpling line. As an alternative of a basic “store now,” they maintain the in-your-face design and branding with loud CTAs that say, “Feed me dumps” and “Dumpling lover for all times.” 

3. Love them or hate them — puns work

You may attempt to speak your self out of all of it you need, however ultimately, it’s inescapable: An excellent pun is humorous. All of us groan at them, however deep down, we secretly like them. 

This e mail from Paperless Publish invitations subscribers to “cease and scent the rosé” as a substitute of “roses” for this seasonal e mail:

JetBlue just lately added a brand new path to Amsterdam. Moderately than a daily announcement e mail, they used the topic line, “Look the place we’re Gogh-ing subsequent,” filling the e-mail with Amsterdam-related wordplay like “Sizzling ‘dam,” and “abroad the day.” 

Creating puns that match along with your services and products, that your subscribers will immediately perceive, is a surefire solution to lighten somebody’s day and deepen your viewers connection. It may be as easy or as foolish as you’d like. 

4. Inside jokes

Like good product-related puns, you may as well use inside jokes that solely your viewers will get to additional strengthen the belief inside your group. For B2B email marketing, {industry} humor suits into this class. So would train jokes for a health e mail record, or online game jokes on a gamer record. 

Turning viral memes into an industry- or company-specific joke is a good way to insert a bit relatable, {industry} humor into e mail advertising and marketing. For instance, you could possibly throw a meme like this into an e mail focusing on dental practices:

It doesn’t have to revolve round your {industry} to be humorous. This e mail takes the usual “Incessantly requested questions” e mail and flips it on its head, saying, “That is for you, Ellen from Brisbane.”

Generally, the fitting design can take conventional copy and make it extra playful. Like many welcome emails, this one from British Tennis begins with, “You’re in!” What makes it humorous is that it’s accompanied by a picture of a tennis shot that’s landed simply contained in the strains — one thing that may make tennis lovers (their audience) smile.

5. Humorous e mail designs

Generally, all it’s good to make somebody giggle is a superb picture, graphic, or meme. Right here’s a humorous e mail instance from Olive Backyard. The ridiculous quantity of scrolling required to get to the e-mail’s supply is intelligent and doubtless gave just a few hungry subscribers amusing.

Right here’s one other one from Perform of Magnificence that makes use of a humorous cat image. So long as it relates in any solution to your e mail’s content material, you’ll be able to’t actually go fallacious with a foolish animal-related picture. 

When and the way to ship humorous emails

Once more, in comedy, timing is all the things. The identical goes with e mail advertising and marketing. Relying in your model’s persona, you’ll be able to add humor into loads of forms of emails. Listed here are eight conditions the place humor could make an important impression:

1. Set the tone with humorous welcome emails

You probably have a unusual or foolish model, a bit humor in your welcome e mail may help set the tone in your subscriber relationship. It is a great place to be extra informal and alluring in your copywriting and design. In spite of everything, that is the very first e mail a subscriber will obtain from you, so it’s a clean slate. 

Right here’s an instance of a humorous welcome e mail from Magic Spoon. Folks shopping for cereal on-line aren’t anticipating 400 phrases from a welcome e mail. Magic Spoon retains it temporary, throws in a very good pun that additionally reminds them of a core product profit, and makes use of different enjoyable and upbeat language.

This e mail from Chipotle, that got here with the topic line “The perfect tasting e mail you’ll obtain,” is one other instance of a lighthearted however clear welcome e mail. Like most welcome emails, they embody a thanks and a promise of what sorts of emails the subscriber is prone to obtain. This one was for a Chipotle rewards program.

Underwear model Mack Weldon makes use of an important mixture of humor and sincerity. They begin with a sarcastic, “You don’t should learn this,” which naturally makes you need to maintain studying, and finishes with a honest thanks for subscribing and supporting their enterprise.

Check out Mailjet’s easy-to-use Email Editor for those who’re in search of extra welcome e mail inspiration.

2. Soften the blow for apology and oops emails

If you happen to’ve despatched out an e mail with a typo, incorrect hyperlink, or different oops, it’s a great time to poke enjoyable at your model and make it the butt of the joke. (In fact, these hardly ever occur to Electronic mail on Acid customers 😉)

That is the place you’ll be able to pull out self-deprecating humor that makes you appear extra relatable and reliable as a result of it exhibits you’re keen to giggle at your self. Moderately than faux a mistake didn’t occur, usually, it’s greatest to ship a correction — particularly for those who’re fixing an incorrect hyperlink or one other minor difficulty. Simply make certain you don’t downplay errors that frustrate prospects.

When MeUndies’ web site went down after a line of Star Wars briefs went viral, they took the chance to make enjoyable of themselves and crack just a few Star Wars jokes.

While you make a mistake in an e mail, it’s not the top of the world, even when it feels prefer it. In reality, apology emails are inclined to get extra engagement than common emails (chalk that one as much as schadenfreude.) This apology e mail from tour firm Devour Paris makes a lighthearted joke about their mistake and reiterates the proper dates shortly and clearly.

3. Stand out with deserted cart emails

Keep in mind, e mail advertising and marketing wants to face out. Deserted cart emails want to do that greater than nearly something as a result of a accomplished sale remains to be inside your grasp. That is your final likelihood to persuade a buyer to make a purchase order. Humor will be the component that suggestions somebody from saying, “Nah, I don’t want it,” to “You understand what, I do need this.”

So, discover a solution to make this e mail a bit extra artistic. Right here’s one from Food52 that makes use of a well-liked joke format on social media and humanizes the web cart. 

And one other one which makes gentle of the subscriber procrastinating on making a purchase order. 

Casper, the mattress firm, brings in a related joke for this deserted cart e mail.

4. Make them smile for birthday and anniversary emails

Recognizing somebody’s birthday, for sure forms of companies, exhibits you take note of your subscribers and need them to maintain coming again. Buyer anniversary emails do the identical and are an important likelihood to point out your appreciation and perhaps even give out loyalty rewards. These emails can all the time be enhanced with a touch of humor.

Wemo’s easy however lighthearted play on phrases retains the great vibes flowing. It’s not over-the-top hilarious, however the mixture of thoughtfulness and positivity serves as a solution to strengthen buyer relationships with out feeling salesy. 

Out of doors Voices provides a present not only for birthdays however for half-birthdays with a reduction delivered in a foolish and candy manner. Nobody expects a half-birthday reward, which makes this an important alternative for that coveted “shock and delight” second.

5. Heat them up for product and suggestions emails

You need prospects to be in a extremely good temper earlier than you ask them to go away a evaluation on a latest buy, proper? What higher manner than making them giggle?

Patagonia does it fairly properly with nothing however a bit lady and a funny-looking mustache! Generally, you don’t have to overthink including humor. If a picture like this makes you giggle, it would make your subscribers giggle, too.

Playing cards In opposition to Humanity is a gold customary for hilarious product updates in ecommerce. Typically timed round Black Friday, they ceaselessly launch merchandise that don’t exist, or ones designed to elicit amusing. This one satirizes Scandinavian minimalism: 

6. Ship a lighthearted e-newsletter

When humor is on the core of a model’s voice, humorous e mail newsletters are the proper time to place it on show. The award-winning and sometimes hilarious e-newsletter from Phrasee persistently delivers (they’ve bought jokes). Right here’s a pattern from a 2019 e mail that’s chock stuffed with Seinfeld references and GIFs.

This e mail from Chubbies is all one textual content thread between two hypothetical workplace employees about sending this week’s e-newsletter. It’s a really relatable and humorous learn for anybody in e mail advertising and marketing, however nonetheless will get the purpose throughout about their new corduroy shorts.

Keep in mind that with humor, you don’t need the jokes to be so humorous that subscribers keep in mind the jokes however neglect the corporate or the deal that was supplied. It is a main failure of many Tremendous Bowl commercials. Don’t sacrifice readability for comedy, particularly in a e-newsletter selling upcoming reductions, new merchandise, or in any other case serves the underside of the funnel.

7. Use laughter to encourage reactivation and re-engagement emails

Right here once more, getting consideration is essential. That is your try to re-engage subscribers who haven’t opened any emails for an prolonged time frame. Be humorous, and also you’re extra prone to catch them.

Right here’s an important reactivation e mail despatched out round Halloween, from Blue Apron. The picture is humorous, and the copy adheres to the identical theme and provides a reduction for coming again.

This re-engagement e mail from Airbnb, reintroduces the model and pulls you proper in from the topic line:

8. Add humor to promotional emails to shut the sale

For reductions and promotional emails, it’s all the time good to have a “cause” for it. If you need to use some humor to elucidate that cause, all the higher. Gross sales emails don’t should be boring!

Right here’s an instance of this from Everlane. There’s a bit little bit of sarcasm on this e mail selling a sale on summer season denim shorts.

Topic line: Your butt has summer season plans

Sarcasm will be misinterpret for those who don’t do it properly, particularly in writing. So use it sparingly and take a look at the e-mail on just a few coworkers to verify it’s coming throughout clearly. Or higher but, use the sarcasm emoji: 🙃 

While you use one thing like sarcasm, don’t be afraid to name it out or make it extra clear with a rolled eyes emoji, a line about reverse psychology, or perhaps a parenthetical clarifying that you just’re being sarcastic.

This St. Patrick’s Day themed e mail from Harry’s embeds a humorous video because the anchor for his or her marketing campaign promoting shaving forward of St. Patrick’s Day festivities. The e-mail leads with what feels like one thing critical about meals waste…till it devolves right into a joke about mustaches:

Not-so-good occasions for humorous e mail advertising and marketing

Whereas humor will be a good way to construct a relationship along with your subscriber, stand out within the inbox, and produce a bit pleasure to folks’s days, there are just a few situations in your e mail campaigns when including humor doesn’t make sense. Typically, it is best to keep away from utilizing humor in these and related conditions:

• Transactional emails like receipts, transport notices, and password resets
• Customer support emails
• Delivering delicate information like a value improve, product recall, or somber holidays
• In response to critical firm or international occasions

In these conditions, subscribers simply need emails to be honest, sincere, and to the purpose. And if a buyer is pissed off, the very last thing they need is so that you can make gentle of it, which humor tends to do. They don’t need to giggle. They need options. 

Equally, it shouldn’t have to be stated, however it’s by no means okay to make a joke on the expense of a specific group of individuals. There’s completely no use case the place a joke about race, gender, sexuality, or incapacity will probably be humorous — and if something, it would trigger you to lose subscribers and harm your model’s popularity. If you happen to’re unsure if a specific joke may be offensive, it’s in all probability greatest to go away it out.

That stated, humor generally is a useful gizmo in your model. Carried out proper, humor is normally well worth the danger, as a result of it will get consideration, builds belief, and deepens connection. Begin small. Check out just a few jokes and puns and A/B take a look at humorous emails in opposition to humorless variations to learn the way they carry out along with your record. If you happen to get a elevate in engagement, you can begin sprinkling extra humorous emails into your technique.

Electronic mail testing: no laughing matter

Humorous emails are all properly and good, but when your e mail doesn’t get delivered, or has different errors in it that forestall engagement or trigger confusion, that’s sort of like taking too lengthy to ship the punchline. It would scale back engagement along with your emails.

Sinch Electronic mail on Acid exists that can assist you put your greatest e mail ahead — so all of your emails get delivered, they usually all look and work accurately, on each machine, for each subscriber. 

We are able to’t pre-test your jokes, however we will be certain that many different points of your e mail advertising and marketing are working as you supposed.