Season’s Repeat-ings: cliche holiday copy to avoid.

We love to put things on repeat around the holidays, like Love Actually, and Micheal Buble’s Christmas album. But as brands begin to gear up for their holiday marketing campaigns, we prepare for inboxes full of the same copy we’ve seen year after year. If you're aiming to captivate and not just replicate, here are the phrases to steer clear of in your holiday copy, and some to try in their place.

HALLOWEEN

As spooky season descends, so do subject lines full of these scarily stale phrases.

Phrases to cut out:

• No tricks, just treats

• Scary good deals

• Spooktacular savings

• A monster sale

• Trick or treat yo self

Phrases to save lives (and emails):

• Don’t ghost these deals

• Creep it real with these prices

• Vamp up your stash

• Wipe the cobwebs off your wallet

• Deals to die for

• Killer savings

• Bloody good deals

THANKSGIVING

Sure, it’s a strictly American holiday. But for some reason, my Australian inbox still gets hit. Which means I have words to gripe about.

Tell these phrases to get stuffed:

• This year, we’re thankful for you

• Feast mode activated

• Give thanks (and then get an extra 50% off)

• You’ll be thankful for these savings

Serve some of these instead:

• X% OFF? Get stuffed

• Saucy deals, minus the cranberries

• Full plates, fuller carts

• Feast your eyes on these deals before the food coma hits

• Deals tastier than Grandma's turkey

BLACK FRIDAY

It's not technically a holiday, but as Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) continue to grow in popularity, so does the repetition of our comms around it. Unfortunately, because it's an event solely based on sales, all this copy is very similar.

Say goodbye to these same-same phrases:

• Black Friday starts NOW

• Black Friday is on

• The biggest sale of the year

• Black Friday frenzy

Add some narrative with:

• The Black Friday sale our boss said no to

• Break the internet (but not the bank) this Black Friday

• The sale so good our competitors are shopping it

• See the Black Friday deals stressing our accountant out

• We were told to do a 'modest' Black Friday. This is us, ignoring that pitch

• Cart til you can't

CHRISTMAS

These overused lines are as predictable as Nan’s fruitcake, but leave us feeling much less jolly. 

Pack these phrases away:

• Give the gift of (X) this Christmas 

• Christmas has come early 

• Merry Giftmas 

• 12 Days of Christmas Deals 

• Psst…we’re giving you an early Christmas present 

• Get them what they really want this Christmas 

• Have you been naughty or nice?

Light it up with these instead:

• Deck the hauls

• Chestnuts roasting, prices dropping

• Scrooge-approved sale prices

• We're rolling out the red (and green) carpet for you

• Even Santa's checking our deals twice

• Bypass the North Pole, the real magic is here

• Deals brighter than your Christmas lights

• Santa's secret? He shops with us

• Make them wish you were their Kris Kringle every year

NEW YEARS

Make your New Year's resolution to not use these tired phrases. Please.

Say goodbye to:

• New year, new (X)

• Make your resolution a reality 

• Out with the old 

• 3…2…1…

• Cheers to (X) 

• New year, same you

Welcome in these fresh phrases:

• Resolution #1: No more mediocre shopping

• Pop the bubbly for these New Year deals

• Grab these deals before the confetti settles

• Shop smart, celebrate hard

• 365 new days, 365 reasons to shop our way

Whilst these phrases are as comfortable as an ugly Christmas sweater, they’ve done their time. After all, in the realm of communications, 'safe' is just a polite way of saying 'boring'. Don’t be seen and skipped this holiday season, refresh your content and comms to something more clickable.  

Need some help with that? Let's chat.

Interested in sprucing up your emails or socials all year? Let's discuss retainers.