Few people would describe the last 18+ months as happy. Which makes Square Enix’s mission to spread happiness across the globe one unforgettable experience at a time is more important than ever.

For nearly 50 years, this entertainment industry juggernaut has helped people of all ages have more fun at home through infamous video game franchises like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts just to name a few. But recently, it was an unforgettable email experience that got our attention. And—more importantly—made Square Enix customers smile all over the world.

So, why is Square Enix’s interactive Endwalker experience our favorite email of September?

Email & video: a match made in marketing heaven

Today’s consumers are watching more online video content than ever—and that trend is growing with each passing day. And while the relationship between email and embedded video hasn’t always been a smooth one, tech limitations aren’t nearly as difficult to overcome as they were even a few years ago.

Now, in just a few clicks it’s possible to add videos to your email experience and enjoy benefits like:

• Boosted open and click rates
• Reduced unsubscribe rate
• Accelerated email revenue growth
• Increased audience engagement

In the case of Square Enix’s email, the brand took advantage of customer excitement for one of the company’s most highly anticipated video game expansion releases ever. Rather than simply announcing a release date and pre-order opportunities, it featured a full video trailer of its Endwalker content embedded into every recipient’s message to make this email a happy experience for every diehard Final Fantasy XIV fan.

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, we’d say starting an email with a cinematic trailer is a pretty unforgettable experience to deliver. Especially when they don’t even need to leave the interaction to view it! But that’s not even the best part…

Combining fun and fan service through interactive email elements

Today’s buyers are engaging more than they ever have with email. The problem for email marketers is that every company knows this, leaving shoppers to sift through hundreds of marketing messages every day—including more than half that are deleted without ever being opened.

To make your emails truly stand out, they need to deliver more than just a good deal or a clever product promotion. Today’s consumers crave fun, interactive email experiences that offer entertainment value. And our favorite part about Square Enix’s Endwalker email was just how seamlessly they combined so many interactive elements to make this experience truly unforgettable.

Following its 2021 Digital Fan Festival where several never-before-seen reveals were dropped, Square Enix tied the fun of this event into this email through an embedded survey to allow fans to show support for their favorite upcoming part of the Endwalker expansion.

By adding interactive images to each selection, Final Fantasy XIV fanatics had the ability to view each separate reveal in full detail before making their choice and viewing the global player base’s real-time responses.

That’s what we call fan service—and email marketing—done right. Thank you Square Enix for making everyone’s September a little more happy!