Memorial Day is on the horizon. The holiday that falls on the last of Monday of May –this year that’s May 28 – has its origins in the years following the Civil War and was originally known as Decoration Day. It became an official federal holiday in 1971.
Memorial Day was established to honor the American men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their country. We do that by participating in solemn ceremonies at cemeteries and veterans’ memorials, and by applauding the surviving veterans who march in the thousands of parades that take place across the country.
Email marketers wanting to leverage Memorial Day would be wise to keep in mind the holiday’s patriotic significance, advises Samantha Gordon at Brafton
“Memorial Day is first and foremost a day meant to honor the soldiers who’ve given their lives for their country,” she writes. “For many, it’s also come to represent the beginning of summer, which can make things tricky for marketers looking to post holiday-related content. There is a certain finesse that comes with creating and sharing Memorial Day content. One step in the wrong direction can lead to an audience enraged that you’ve demeaned the true meaning of the holiday.”
In other words, your Memorial Day success depends, at least in part, on how respectfully you treat the holiday in your messages. Fortunately, you can promote your products or services (or even gigantic sales) in advance of Memorial Day without devaluing the holiday’s patriotic significance, while at the same time taking advantage of its position as the kickoff to summer.
Below are five examples that manage that balance very well and deserve to be emulated.
Loft
This message eschews patriotism entirely (there’s nary at star or a stripe to be seen). And while its focus is on Memorial Day fun, it goes about its business in a very understated way. Although the copy stresses that the company’s holiday sale will make “everyone a happy camper,” there’s nothing boisterous happening in the campsite, which appears serene (and remarkably unpopulated). The message’s overall mood is of relaxation and tranquility, and its lack of even a trace of the shade of red or blue traditionally associated with the holiday helps differentiate it from the countless messages with which it will compete that will undoubtedly feature that traditional color scheme.