Sending your customers an email on their birthday is a nice personal touch to your email marketing that strengthens the customer relationship. Having great birthday email subject lines is essential to ensure trust with your customers.
It’s also a great way to generate additional sales throughout the year without giving away too much margin all at once.
But sending birthday emails is only half the challenge. The other half is getting customers to open them.
That’s where subject lines come in.
When one-third of your email list decides whether to open an email or not based on its subject line, coming up with the right subject lines is vital to improving your open rates.
That’s why we’ve put together this list of 100 great birthday subject lines top brands have used in the past. Feel free to use them as inspiration for when you’re coming up with your own.
General birthday subject lines
These are some general examples of subject lines used in the past that just contain a simple birthday message.
- Happy birthday! We got you something… – BareMinerals
- Your Billabong birthday gift – Billabong
- Haaaaappy birthday to youuuuu – Boden
- Happy birthday! Enjoy this special treat. – Clinique
- Have the Best. Birthday. Ever. – Hulu
- Let’s celebrate your birthday! – Ipsy
- A Gift From Kérastase For Your Birthday! – Kérastase
- It’s your birthday… – Kiehl’s
- Your Exclusive Birthday Gift Is Waiting for You! – Kiehl’s
- We Heard It’s Your Birthday! – Kopari Beauty
- Happy Birthday! From your friends at Lazy Dog! – Lazy Dog
- It’s your birthday, you can buy what you want to! – Millers
- Happy Birthday MISSHA lover! – MISSHA
- Your birthday gift is inside – Neiman Marcus
- We’re suckers for a birthday party. – Nikon
- Your Birthday Just Got Even More Empowering. – Olay
- A half-birthday surprise for you – Outdoor Voices
- A birthday surprise from PUMA. – PUMA
- Happy Birthday! Enjoy your gift inside! – Shoe Carnival
- Make a chocoholic’s birthday wish come true – Simply Chocolate
- Happy birthday from Stitch Fix! – Stitch Fix
- happy happy happy birthday – Tarte
- Enjoy Your Free Birthday Charburger! – The Habit Burger Grill
- Your Birthday Is About to Get Next-Level – Urban Decay
- Yay!! Your Birthday Reward is Here! – Vince Camuto
- Your Birthday Gift Is Waiting! – Vineyard Vines
Personalized email subject lines
Personalizing your subject line with your customer’s name is a great way to make it stand out and boost your open rate.
So much so that subject lines that include the subscriber’s name achieve a 17% higher open rate on average.
And seeing as you already know when their birthday is, you probably know what your customer’s name is too, so why not include it in your subject line?
- Happy birthday {NAME}! We got you a little something to celebrate… – Current Elliott
- Wishing you a happy & active birthday, {NAME} – Fitbit
- Dessert is on us – Happy Birthday, {NAME}! – Islands Restaurants
- Happy Birthday {NAME}! Enjoy A Birthday Discount Code! – Jambu Footwear
- Happy birthday {NAME}! Ready to unwrap your gift? – Joie
- Happy Birthday, {NAME} – accept this gift from Lumosity! – Lumosity
- {NAME}, make this your BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER. – Reebok
- Don’t forget your birthday treat {NAME} – The Body Shop
- Happy Birthday, {NAME}! – Thorne
- Happy birthday — our gift to you, {NAME} – Tory Burch
- Happy birthday {NAME}, we have a surprise for you! – YOOX
Birthday email subject lines with emojis
Adding an emoji to your subject line is a great way to make it stand out in people’s inboxes and get your emails opened.
For birthday emails, the cake (?) and the party popper (?) emojis are popular choices. But you don’t need to limit yourself to just these. One idea to consider to differentiate your email campaign is to use a product representing your product or service.
- Happy Birthday, {NAME}! ? – Adidas
- {NAME}, Today’s Your Day! ? – Birchbox
- Need A Birthday Outfit? ? – boohoo
- Happy Birthday! ? ? – Cheap CPAP Supplies
- ? Wishing You One Bold Birthday… – Chico’s
- {NAME}, a birthday gift just for you! ? – Chili’s
- Our birthday gift to you is ready! ? – Chili’s
- ? Happy Birthday, {NAME}! ? – Colleen Rothschild Beauty
- Add your baby’s birthday for a discount! ? – Copper Pearl
- Happy Birthday! Enjoy $20 Off Today! ? – Daily Look
- ?Happy birthday to youuu – Fitbit
- ?Happy Birthday, {NAME}? – LongHorn Steakhouse
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIRGOS ? – Makeup Eraser
- {NAME} ? This birthday gift takes the cake! – Reitmans
- A gift for your birthday ? – Torrid
- Birthday gift guides as fresh as the ? – Uncommon Goods
- ? It’s your birthday, {NAME}! ? – Walgreens
Check out our guide on using emojis in subject lines here for more emoji usage tips and best practices.
Early birthday subject lines
You don’t necessarily need to automate your birthday campaigns to send on your customer’s actual birthday.
Instead, you can send it a few days in advance to get in ahead of others.
- 10 Days ‘Til Your Birthday?! – boohoo
- {NAME} It’s Almost Your B-Day. Here’s Your Gift – Hulu
- Your birthday is almost here – wish for the perfect gift – Pandora
- Happy (early) Birthday! – River Island (UK)
- Happy (Almost) Birthday – Smashbox Cosmetics
- {NAME}, It’s Almost Your Birthday! – Stitch Fix
Happy birthday month subject lines
Not only do you not need to send your birthday emails on your customer’s actual birthday, but there’s nothing stopping you from celebrating your customer’s birthday months as well. Just like the campaigns below have done.
- It’s your birthday month! We got you something… – bareMinerals
- Happy Birthday Month {NAME}! – Best Cigar Prices
- Hi {NAME}, A Very Happy Birthday Month to You – Birchbox
- Happy birthday month, {NAME}! – Fairytale Brownies
- Happy birthday! Party ALL month long! – Hollister Co.
- You’ll wish your birthday came every month – Shane Co.
- Your Birthday Month Ends Soon and So Does Your 10% Off – The Art of Shaving
- Hip-hip-hooray, it’s time to celebrate March birthdays! – Wolferman’s Bakery
Start sending Birthday Emails today with SmartrMail
Use SmartrMail to Automatically send your customers Birthday Emails
Examples mentioning a special birthday offer
Including an offer in your email campaign is a great way to make your customers truly feel special on their birthday.
And if you decide to do this, you’ll also want to mention it in your subject line to help boost open rates. Just like the examples below have done.
- ? Happy Birthday – here’s 15% off! – American Eagle Outfitters
- Happy Half Birthday, {NAME}! Take an EXTRA 15% off – Ashley Stewart
- Happy (Early) Birthday! 20% Off Inside ? – Bliss
- Today Only: Free shipping for {NAME}’s birthday – Cuddle + Kind
- Here’s $20 off for your birthday. – Dooney & Bourke
- {NAME}, claim your free birthday gift + free shipping! – ELF Cosmetics
- {NAME}, Happy Birthday! Enjoy $5 off! – Giordano’s Pizza
- Go ahead, open your gift ? – Happy Socks
- Happy Birthday! Get 10% OFF xo – House of CB London
- Happy Birthday {NAME}! Our Gift To You: 15% Off Your Next Purchase – HUGO BOSS
- ? $25 Gift In Celebration Of Your Birthday! – Kidpik
- Enjoy $10 off for your birthday – Kikki.K
- Happy birthday! Enjoy 10% off your next MacKenzie-Childs purchase – MacKenzie Childs
- Happy Birthday from ME+EM | Don’t forget your 15% off code – ME+EM
- Your Birthday Gift Awaits ~ Save 20% ~ Treat Yourself Today – NorthStyle
Last chance style subject lines
If a customer doesn’t take up your birthday offer, sending them a ‘last chance’ style reminder with an urgent call to action in the subject line can often push them across the line.
- Don’t forget your birthday present – Banana Republic Factory
- {NAME}, Don’t Forget Your B-day Gift ? – Birchbox
- ? Don’t miss your FREE Birthday Set! – Coco and Eve
- Your birthday gift expires soon! – Disney
- There is still time to enjoy your exclusive birthday offer – Harrods
- There’s a Birthday Surprise Waiting for You – Don’t Miss It! – Lancôme
- Your birthday gift won’t last forever – Lands’ End
- Don’t miss out! Your birthday offer expires soon – Origins
- Don’t forget about your birthday treat on us! – Reitmans
- Happy Birthday | It’s not too late to celebrate… – Timex
Asking for a customer’s birthday
Of course, to send your customers an email on their special day, you first need to know when their birthday is.
If you don’t know this, one way to find out is simply by sending them an email and ask them when it is. If you opt for this strategy, you’ll want to give the email a subject line similar to the examples below.
- Happy birthday! Oh no. WAIT. – Boden
- Happy birthday, maybe? – Evite
- Sign up to receive a birthday treat. – Garnet Hill
- When’s Your Birthday? – Kendra Scott
- Happy Birthday, {NAME}? – Minnesota Timberwolves
- Want A Birthday Gift? – Splendid
The rest of your email campaign
Obviously, your subject line is only an (albeit important) part of your birthday campaign.
To ensure your campaign reaches its full potential, you’ll also need to think about the contents of your email.
Luckily, we’ve also put together a guide on birthday emails that covers everything you need to know from asking customers when their birthday is, what offers to include in your emails, to cultural sensitivities to be aware of.
It also contains plenty of email examples to inspire you when designing your own campaign.
Lastly, for more tips on writing subject lines, our guide on subject line best practices is also well worth visiting.
