{"id":31539,"date":"2021-07-12T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-12T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/?p=31539"},"modified":"2025-12-23T15:51:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T20:51:23","slug":"singles-day-11-11-emails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/singles-day-11-11-emails","title":{"rendered":"Our Favorite Singles\u2019 Day Email Marketing Examples and Strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t
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Day and night. Summer and Winter. Valentine\u2019s Day and Singles\u2019 Day. Opposites give each other meaning and provide email marketers with opportunities to experiment and have fun. While Black Friday tends to dominate the end-of-year email sales spotlight in some countries, there\u2019s another holiday to try on for size\u2014Singles\u2019 Day.<\/p>\n

What is Singles\u2019 Day?<\/h2>\n

Singles\u2019 Day is a shopping holiday for single people to treat themselves<\/a>\u2014sort of like an \u201canti-Valentine\u2019s Day.\u201d Depending on where you live, you\u2019re either well aware of Singles\u2019 Day or scratching your head right about now.<\/p>\n

For many, Singles\u2019 Day is a new frontier. For China, though, it\u2019s the biggest shopping holiday of the year<\/a>. In 2020, Alibaba sold $74 billion worth of merchandise on Singles\u2019 Day, up from an already impressive $38 billion in 2019.<\/p>\n

\"chart
Image via Statista<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Singles\u2019 Day was created in the 1990s by some Chinese university students, and it always falls on November 11th. The 11\/11 date is fittingly full of 1s to represent all the solo fliers out there. Interestingly, the UK celebrates Singles\u2019 Day<\/a> on March 11th.<\/p>\n

8 Singles\u2019 Day email examples<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re new to 11.11 email marketing, you may be a little unsure about how to mix sales campaigns with relationship status. Luckily, there are plenty of places to look for inspiration<\/a>. Here are eight of our favorite examples.<\/p>\n

1. Uniqlo embraces cozy time at home<\/h3>\n

Since November 11th falls just as the northern hemisphere is heading into Winter, it\u2019s a great time to appreciate cozy time at home. Uniqlo used their 2020 Singles\u2019 Day campaign to promote all of their cold-weather essentials, from sweaters to thermals and more. If you look closely, you\u2019ll notice all of the lifestyle photos feature single people.<\/p>\n

\"Uniqlo<\/a>
See the full email<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Bootay Bag wants everyone to treat themselves<\/h3>\n

If we had to pick one phrase to sum up Singles\u2019 Day marketing campaigns, it would be \u201ctreat yourself.\u201d Bootay Bag encourages everyone\u2014single or not\u2014to take the day to indulge. The company also chose to promote a subscription, not just a one-time sale, to hopefully use the Singles\u2019 Day momentum to increase retention for the rest of the year.<\/p>\n

\"Bootay
Image via Milled<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Basso leans into friendship<\/h3>\n

Basso uses Singles\u2019 Day to focus on the other important relationships in our lives\u2014friendships. Their Singles\u2019 Day shoe sale campaign focuses on embracing your individuality and \u201ctexts from your bestie.\u201d To lean further into the \u201ctexts from your friend\u201d angle, Basso includes reviews alongside the on-sale styles.<\/p>\n

\"basso
Image via Milled<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. First Aid empowers customers<\/h3>\n

Just because Singles\u2019 Day is an \u201canti-Valentine\u2019s Day\u201d doesn\u2019t mean brands can\u2019t use hearts and love. First Aid starts their email off with a bold \u201cHappy Singles\u2019 Day, Fabulous\u201d and then prompts customers to use the code \u201cSELF LOVE\u201d to save $11 on an order of $50 or more. The theme of using the number 11\/11 or 11.11 pops up time and time again in Singles\u2019 Day emails.<\/p>\n

\"First
Image via Milled<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Herbivore runs a limited-time sale<\/h3>\n

If you want to make your 11\/11 campaign succinct, lean into a one day only event like Herbivore did in 2020. The beauty brand offered 20% off their entire site for one day of \u201cmuch-needed self-care,\u201d To further add to the urgency, Herbivore included \u201ctoday only\u201d in the subject line.<\/p>\n\"herbivore\n

6. Bite Beauty uses dating humor<\/h3>\n

In 2020, Bite Beauty went beyond slapping a discount on their products for Singles\u2019 Day. They reimagined product bundles as speed dating candidates. Using humor to relate to single people\u2019s experiences makes the email feel more relevant and memorable.<\/p>\n

\"bite
Image via Milled<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. Quiksilver appreciates not having to share the single life<\/h3>\n

Quiksilver thinks being single has its perks. Namely\u2014not having to share your favorite tee shirts. The company\u2019s Singles\u2019 Day marketing campaign offered up two shirts for $25, which means you get one for you and another one for\u2026 you.<\/p>\n

\"quiksilver
Image via Milled<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8. Greetabl reminds subscribers to \u201csend love\u201d<\/h3>\n

If you aren\u2019t sure how much the \u201csingle life\u201d will resonate with your audience, you can also do what Greetabl did and use the day as a way to prompt people to reach out to those they care about. There are plenty of important relationships in a person\u2019s life that you can call attention to on Singles\u2019 Day.<\/p>\n

\"greetabl
Image via Milled<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How to plan your 11.11 campaign<\/h2>\n

An opportunity to use Singles\u2019 Day to drive sales could be enough to pique the interest of your leaders. But you want to ensure you think strategically before adding more work to your team\u2019s plate (and more messages in your customers\u2019 inboxes). Here\u2019s how to make the most of your 11.11 email marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n

Make sure it\u2019s a fit for your brand and audience<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll notice as you browse Singles\u2019 Day email examples that consumer products dominate the scene. Promotions focused on self-love, self-care, and by-yourself-time make more sense for some products than others. You\u2019ll need to assess if it makes sense for your brand to acknowledge 11\/11. For example, a Singles\u2019 Day email from a team management tool doesn\u2019t make much sense.<\/p>\n

Your email has to strike a balance that feels relevant to a broader audience. It\u2019s also essential to make sure the campaign (and messaging) is appropriate for everyone.<\/p>\n

\"tweet
Tweet from Gabe Gayhart<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Getting diverse opinions is always useful, but making sure the tone is right is especially impactful on a topic as potentially sensitive as relationships.<\/p>\n

Choose your promotion carefully<\/h3>\n

Once you think your brand or audience as a whole is a good fit for Singles\u2019 Day, you need to pick your promotion. Think about items that embody the \u201ctreat yourself\u201d mood or can be positioned as perfect for time spent alone. Clothes, wellness, and beauty products are obvious choices, but you aren\u2019t limited. You can also offer discounts on items or experiences that are typically for two or more people.<\/p>\n

\"tweet
Tweet from Elise James<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you have pricing or discounts that typically benefit couples, you can offer the savings up to solo customers.<\/p>\n

Be kind in your messaging\u2014or empowering<\/h3>\n

Whenever you want to bring up your subscribers\u2019 personal lives, tread lightly. Use your Singles\u2019 Day messaging to empower and uplift, not \u201cboohoo, I\u2019m lonely.\u201d Consider how you can acknowledge everyone\u2019s individuality and journey.<\/p>\n

\"tweet
Tweet from Allison Gringberg-Funes<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Being single isn\u2019t a person\u2019s sole identity\u2014how can you celebrate people as individuals on November 11th?<\/p>\n

Consider your other seasonal campaigns<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019ve seen our guide about when to start planning your holiday email campaigns<\/a>, you\u2019ll realize just how many end-of-year events you can recognize. Before you get too enthusiastic about Singles\u2019 Day, look at what other campaigns you want to do to make sure you aren\u2019t swamping subscribers with promotions back to back.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note that November 11th is also Veterans Day in the United States<\/a>. Your company will have to decide which of these holidays to reference in their email depending on your audience.<\/p>\n

Get a head start on planning and testing your Singles\u2019 Day emails<\/h2>\n

If you want to get your Singles\u2019 Day email campaign just right<\/i>, it\u2019s time to start your work now.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re outside of China, you have an opportunity to reach your customers this year before 11\/11 messaging becomes mainstream globally.<\/p>\n

We also recommend starting your holiday email planning<\/a> a few months in advance, and July is the perfect time to kick off Singles\u2019 Day planning. If this holiday isn\u2019t a fit for your brand, we have guides to other end-of-year email campaigns in the works.<\/p>\n

For more holiday email inspiration and best practices, go to the next article in our blog series.<\/p>\n

Up next: Black Friday \/ Cyber Monday emails \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n

Or check out all of our holiday-related blog posts:<\/p>\n