A catchy, yet descriptive subject line for your email or title for your SMS or push message can give your campaign a sizable boost. One way to stand out and be more relevant is to have a hook that’s connected to a holiday, season, or occasion—like the nearly 1,000 we highlight in our 2025 Content Calendar Assistant.
To inspire you, we’ve pulled together some of our favorite subject lines from 2024 that do just that. Here’s a month-by-month rundown of our faves.
JANUARY
From a Jan. 19 Action Rocket about Good Memory Day
EmailWeekly #456: What’s the funniest workplace memory you have?
The digital creative agency asked their email subscribers to share their funniest workplace memory by replying to their post on X.
From a Jan. 22 Joybird email about the winter months
👀 Looking for new ways to get cozy?
Knowing that most readers just put away their holiday decor and started thinking of other ways to warm up their homes for winter, the modern furniture retailer curated a few furniture items made for lounging and paired them with a special offer.
From a Jan. 23 Art.com email about Edouard Manet’s birthday
5 fun facts about Edouard Manet
Among those fun facts: Manet once challenged to a duel a man who wrote an insulting article about him.
From Jan. 24 Liquid I.V. email about the cold season
Liquid I.V., 1/24 – IMMUNE SUPPORT FLASH SALE 🍊
The electrolyte drink mix maker promotes limited-time savings to help customers through hibernation and cold seasons.
From a Jan. 30 Really Good Emails email about a trio of anniversaries
What happened on this day?
In this message, the email design archive company connects three musical events—KISS’s first performance, the recording of Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis, and the Beatles’ last live performance—to the idea of thanking your email marketing audience. While everyone knows Elvis was famous for saying, “Thank you very much,” apparently the Beatles and KISS also thanked their audiences after every show.
FEBRUARY
From a Feb. 11 BARK email about the Super Bowl
The only Super Bowl your dog cares about 👉
The pet supplies retailer leverages the big game to promote a free YETI Dog Bowl offer when you subscribe to their monthly service.
From a Feb. 23 Framebridge email about spring
You’re getting warmer…
Backing that subject line up with preview text that says, “Frame your wanderlust,” the framing shop delivers this perfectly timed email that seizes on the approach of spring and the emotions of planning future vacations and reminiscing about past vacations.
From a Feb. 24 BARK email about Valentine’s Day
Does your Valentine have stinky breath? 🐶😬
A much more provocative subject line by just about another other brand, the pet supplies retailer promotes plaque-fighting, breath-freshening dental chews in this message.
From a Feb. 29 Goldbelly email about Leap Day
🐸 29 HOURS! Leap Day BOGO SALE 🐸
Frog emoji and a 29-hour BOGO sale to celebrate Leap Day.
Related post: 29 Messaging Ideas for Your Leap Day Campaigns
MARCH
From a Mar. 21 IKEA email about World Water Day
3 ways to conserve water and live more sustainably
To mark World Water Day, IKEA shares “a few affordable, easy ways to conserve water at home,” including water-saving shower heads and aerated kitchen faucets.
From a Mar. 24 Crate & Barrel email about getting your patio ready for spring
4 secrets for the *perfect* outdoor space
As their customers start thinking about spring, the furniture and home goods retailer has advice on how to pick the right patio furniture and define your space. The subject line clearly performed well for them because they reused it for a May 4th campaign.
Related post: Ways that Subject Line Writing Has Changed
APRIL
From an Apr. 1 Zales email about Mother’s Day
Don’t Want Mother’s Day Emails?
Zales understands that Mother’s Day can be challenging for some of their customers who have lost loved ones. Rather than risk traumatizing or alienating these subscribers (who weren’t going to purchase anyway), the jewelry retailer empathetically offers them the opportunity to opt out of Mother’s Day messages.
Related post: The Evolving Use of Snooze in Email Marketing
From an Apr. 11 Omaha Steaks email about Malbec Day
Chad, Celebrate Malbec Day, 12 wines ONLY $99.99
The food retailer that’s known for its steaks uses Malbec Day to try to get their customers to buy in what might be a new product category for them.
From an Apr. 22 American Eagle email about Earth Day
Trade in a pair of jeans & get $10 off a new pair! 👖
The apparel retailer helps their customers donate or recycle their old jeans and get a discount on new ones. Also, instead of using their email subject line to highlight that this campaign is related to Earth Day, American Eagle changed their sender name to “AE Earth Day.”
Related post: Email from Name Extension Strategies that Differentiate Your Messages
MAY
From a May 9 IKEA email about back-to-college
⏰ Hurry! Exclusive 15% off for first 10,000 students! 🎓
The furniture and home goods retailer creates additional urgency and tighter targeting for their back-to-college sale by limiting the 15% to the first 10,000 verified part-time or full-time students.
From a May 23 Chubbies email about Pride Month
We LOVE Love
Pride month isn’t until June, but that’s kind of the point of this message. The apparel retailer avoids virtue signaling by pointing out that their Pride styles are available year-round. The message also talks about their support of Foundation 43 and directs folks to The Trevor Project.
JUNE
From a June 1 Aritzia email about summer apparel
Golden tennis just dropped. Thwack.
With some tennis-inspired athleticwear, Aritzia egged on Gen Z shoppers who were thinking about their summer wardrobe at the peak of a social media frenzy around the tennis movie Challengers.
From a June 2 Adidas email about Father’s Day gifts
Does Dad Have Drip?
To stand out in a sea of Father’s Day gift ideas, Adidas positions their gift guide as the go-to for dads with style.
From a June 5 ZoomCare email about Pride Month
Come as you are
In support of Pride Month, ZoomCare reasserts their commitment to providing safe, friendly, and compassionate healthcare for all.
From a June 6 Bitly email about National Donut Day
We found a donut in your account
To promote their QR code creation feature, Bitly sent a feature inactivity email pegged to National Donut Day to subscribers who had a “donut” (aka zero) for the number of QR codes created. Presumably, they also had a version for users who hadn’t created any short links.
JULY
From a July 1 Bass Pro Shops email about National Grilling Month
It’s National Grilling Month
Creative? Maybe not. But it’s simple and direct, which usually wins. Plus, the email contains exactly what you’d expect: grills, grilling sauces and seasonings, and outdoor furniture to sit back in while you’re grilling.
From a July 26 Chubbies email about the Summer Olympics
SPORTS WE THINK SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE SUMMER 2028 OLYMPICS
The SHOUTY subject line aside, this issue of Chubbies’ Weekender newsletter brings the usual fun and irreverence by proposing new Olympic events, such as pickleball, cornhole, H.O.R.S.E., and hog dog eating.
From a July 30 Goldbelly email about summer
The Hot 100 Foods of Summer!😎
Summer means the outdoors, get-togethers, and food. Regarding that last item, Goldbelly has some suggestions, including lobster rolls and a cake that looks like a giant cheese burger. While this subject line isn’t a direct repeat, it is a subtle riff on the subject line of their July 10 campaign: “The 100 BEST Foods of Summer 😎” If it works, find ways to reuse it.
AUGUST
From an Aug. 2 Fanatics.com email about the NFL pre-season
We’re Heading Back to Training Camp –> Official Style Available
Before the season starts, it’s pre-season. The sports apparel and gear retailer gets its subscribers excited about the start of the new season with pre-season styles. Even if a campaign like this is only modestly successful, it primes subscribers to be more receptive to future campaigns by building awareness about the impending start of the football season.
From an August 20 Adobe Acrobat email about back-to-college
Goodbye, disorganized life
Knowing that many people need help getting back into a routine after summer fun ends, Adobe reminds users to take advantage of features that can make life easier, such as helping with recipe planning and resume creation.
From an August 28 Roku email about heading back to college
Are you campus-ready?
As a new semester starts, Roku drives urgency with a “last chance” message for students that features dorm-room inspiration ranging from streaming devices to ambient lighting.
SEPTEMBER
From a Sept. 7 Big Lots email about National Tailgating Day
Use your coupon now for National Tailgating Day!
The closeout retailer promotes portable grills, folding chairs, and pop up gazebos on National Tailgating Day, which falls early in the NFL season, when excitement and optimism are highest.
From a Sept. 13 PBS email about fall TV
Couch Potatoes, Assemble! 📺
With a subject line that riffs on the famous movie line “Avengers, assemble!” this fall TV newsletter serves as a guide to upcoming premieres and election coverage.
From a Sept. 16 Stanley Steemer email about seasonal home maintenance
Dust off your ducts!
As families begin spending more time inside in the fall, Stanley Steemer reminds everyone to book a duct cleaning and keep their air quality at its best.
OCTOBER
From an Oct. 4 Williams Sonoma email about the holiday season
🌟 Baking spirits bright 🌟
We liked the pun in this subject line so much, it inspired the subject line for Oracle Digital Experience Agency’s season’s greeting email, which shares our favorite holiday cookie recipes and features interactive tabbed content and a fun seasonal animation. You can view it in our award-winning newsletter archive.
From an Oct. 19 Uncommon Goods email about Christmas
10 ways to count down to Christmas
October is a strong month for holiday goods, especially decor and other items you want well ahead of time. The imaginative and varied advent calendars Uncommon Goods promotes in this email fall into that category.
From an Oct. 31 Primary.com email about Halloween
🍬 One last treat: 30% OFF SITEWIDE final hours!
Knowing that other brands are mentioning holiday shopping in their subject lines, Primary uses last-chance urgency and the immediate contextual relevance of Halloween to win the open—then, the content within the email points out that the sitewide sale includes all of the winter holiday styles that are top-of-mind.
Related post: Get Inspiration from Our Holiday Subject Line Word Cloud
NOVEMBER
From a Nov. 4 Uncommon Goods email about the holiday season
10/10 gingerbread people recommend our gift guides
Riffing on the “X of 10 people recommend blank” saying, the gifts retailer delivers a surprising and seasonally on-point
From a Nov. 7 Forever 21 email about the release of the movie Wicked
NEW: Wicked Collection 🖤
Ahead of the highly anticipated Nov. 22 release of the movie, the women’s apparel retailer debuts Wicked-branded dresses, shoes, jerseys, t-shirts, and more, so everyone can have merch to wear to the opener.
From a Nov. 14 Wayfair email about Black Friday
📃✏️ Check it off your BLACK FRIDAY list ✅
Arriving 2 weeks before Black Friday (Nov. 29), this email demonstrates the increasing scope of the Black Friday brand. While our research shows that Black Friday mentions are most effective during the week before the day, mentions earlier in November can also be quite effective.
From a Nov. 30 Michaels email about Small Business Saturday
It’s Small Business Saturday 🎉 Celebrate with 30% off SITEWIDE + TODAY-ONLY saving on Home & Living ➡️
The crafts retailer uses the occasion to promote their marketplace for handmade products, MakerPlace by Michaels. The email shares a selection of handmade holiday gift picks from actress Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Related post: Holiday Email Subject Line Insights to Boost Your Campaign Results
DECEMBER
From a Dec. 5 REI email about Cyber Monday
More oops-I-missed-Cyber-Monday deals
It’s very common for brands to announce that they’ve extended their Cyber Monday sales, but those all feel brand-centric. This REI subject line announces the same thing, but puts a customer-centric spin on the message.
From a Dec. 20 YETI email about the New Year
Ring It In With Rambler® Barware & Free Bottles
Toasting the New Year with Champagne glasses? Not for YETI’s outdoors-loving customers. They want something tough and rugged.
From a Dec. 27, Allrecipes Dinner Tonight email about the end of the year
Our Most Popular Side Dish of 2024
Everyone loves a “Best of” list, whether you’re ranking products, vacation destinations, or side dishes.
Want to up your subject line game? Check out our 2025 Content Calendar Assistant and look for occasions that align with your brand. Then brainstorm campaigns that make that alignment fun, impactful, or meaningful.
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Need help with your email marketing campaigns? Oracle Digital Experience Agency has hundreds of marketing and communication experts ready to help Responsys, Eloqua, and other Oracle customers create stronger connections with their customers and employees—even if they’re not using an Oracle platform as the foundation of that experience. Our award-winning specialists can handle everything from creative and strategy to content planning and project management. For example, our full-service email marketing clients generate 24% higher open rates, 30% higher click rates, and 9% lower unsubscribe rates than Oracle Responsys customers who aren’t.
For help overcoming your challenges or seizing your opportunities, talk to your Oracle account manager, visit us online, or email us at OracleAgency_US@Oracle.com.
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