Interactive Email Design In Action: 3 Examples You Need To See

Be honest.  If you were your customers, would you open or ignore the emails you send them? How many marketing emails have you deleted without glancing at the subject line? Go ahead, confession is good for the soul – we’re all friends here.

If your answer makes you cringe (mine did), it’s time we marketers face the reality: our subscribers are drowning in uninspiring emails. Most deliver messages but not value. And sending another “exciting announcement” that’s exciting to no one will only make them give you a cold shoulder. 

With the average time spent reading an email dropped to just 9 seconds, catching the audience’s attention is tough. And nearly impossible with lazy email designs. 

Interactive email design is something that can give you a leg up here. 

While the industry is buzzing with email interactivity, we’ve encountered fear, excitement, hesitation, curiosity, and caution. There is also a common symptom that brands and marketers aren’t exactly sure how to best use interactive email layouts in their campaigns. 

Hence, we went foraging through inboxes and fished out five examples of brands that turn the humble email into an experience worth opening. We’ll dissect what makes them work, and you’ll walk away with practical takeaways you can steal (ahem, borrow) for your own campaigns.

3 of the Best Interactive Email Design Layouts You Can Copy

Do it in-house or partner with interactive email design services; interactive email templates bring web-like experiences to the email inbox. 

Interactive email designs have interactive elements added to them. Subscribers can interact with these elements using different gestures. Clicking, swiping, scratching, selecting, revealing more content et al. Such interactions compel them to do more than read. 

What sets interactive emails apart from static ones is that while static emails do have clickable elements, the rest of the interaction occurs on the landing page to which the link gets redirected. On the other hand, interactive email designs let interactions to occur in the emails. The user is not directed to another landing page before completing the interaction. 

Why bother with the complex coding that comes with email interactivity?

60% of email recipients are likely to engage with an interactive email. And over 50% of recipients enjoy interacting with stuff within the email. Plus, 45% of marketers swear that personalizing emails with interactive elements boosts their campaigns. 

The benefits are improved click-through rates, more engagement, better conversion, and higher sharing. For subscribers, interactive email layouts invite active participation rather than passive reading, forging a more authentic brand connection with them.  

Now let’s look at five brands that didn’t just dip their toes into interactivity—they cannonballed in.

Litmus’ Toast-Worthy Interactive Email Design: Hover and Click 

This one is interactive subtlety done well. Litmus, the email geek’s BFF, nailed it in this playful email for National Toast Day. And honestly, we are not surprised. After all, it’s Litmus. When readers hover over different types of toast, they get a little animated flair and real-time voting percentages.

What Makes This Interactive Email Design Click 

• Low-effort: Readers don’t have to do anything complicated. Just a hover, and they’re involved.
• Participation: Adding poll percentages makes this feel communal, like you are in the Toastverse.
• Emotion & delight: There’s humor, creativity, and a hint of weirdness. 
• Well-balanced layout: The visual grid keeps it tidy and snackable. 

Takeaways To Steal

• Encourage micro-interactions. Add hover reveals, emoji reactions, or instant voting to increase dwell time without adding friction.
• Let visuals talk. Interactive email layouts don’t always need full-blown coding. Sometimes, basic hover states are enough to engage..
• Don’t take yourself too seriously. Playfulness = relatability. 

Best for:

• Product launches. Hover to preview variations. 
• Seasonal/holiday promos. Playful quizzes, polls, or themed celebrations.
• Monthly newsletters. 

BBC’s Planet Earth III – Tap and Reveal 

This isn’t just an interactive email layout. It’s a whole masterclass on how to compel subscribers to interact with emails, animal lovers, or otherwise.

BBC’s promotional email for Planet Earth III serves not one but two interactive elements in a beautifully layered manner. 

First, there’s a carousel of animal icons you can tap to learn more about different habitats. Then there’s a stunning “Tap to Reveal” section that feels like peeling back the curtain on a secret jungle scene.

What Makes This Interactive Email Design Click 

• Clear but subtle instructions: The “Tap to reveal” and “Click the icons below” guides users on where to tap. Chad White says such nudges are super essential for subscribers who are not used to seeing such effects in emails. 
• Visual storytelling: The more you click, the more you are engrossed into the visuals. Each interaction reveals more of the story, deepening the user’s curiosity. Like a child. That’s gold for clicks and engagement. 
• Consistent color palette: The earthy greens and nature imagery set a cohesive visual tone that feels immersive and on-brand.
• Whitespace and spacing: The airiness of the interactive email layout creates a breathable and thriving ground for elements. The well-spaced design reduces cognitive load and makes the email scannable even before you interact.

Takeaways To Steal

• Layer interactivity smartly. If you want to use multiple interactive features, make sure they support each other. 
• Make it an experience. Unfold a moving story. You won’t have to push a product.

Best for:

• Event or product launches. Reveal details step-by-step to build anticipation. 
• Story-driven newsletters like brand storytelling or advocacy content. 
• Educational content. 

Comcast’s Game of Thrones Carousel: Cycling Through Images

This interactive email design sports an image carousel. Swippable, in-email image gallery displaying major Game of Thrones characters. It invites fans to cast a vote for who deserves to claim the Iron Throne. 

What Makes This Interactive Email Design Click 

• Let people interact, not just scroll: A carousel invites subscribers to engage instead of just consume.
• Space-saving: Packs multiple images into a single, compact space, keeping the email tidy and scroll-free.

Takeaways To Steal

• Encourage interaction. Let readers vote, choose, or explore. The more they flip through the images, the better they recall you.
• Mobile-Friendly. Carousels save vertical space, making them ideal for mobile readers who don’t want to scroll forever.

Best for:

• Product launches. Show off new arrivals, colors, styles, or features.
• Event lineups. Preview speakers, or sessions for a conference or festival.
• Customer stories: Bicycle through testimonials or case studies.

Interactive Email Design Is Not All Roses

It’s well-known that email service providers support different interactive elements differently. Perhaps that’s why designers break a sweat in the name of implementing interactivity. But with expert help, you can apply necessary fallbacks for clients that support the interactivity at hand. Agencies can even help you innovate in full-fledged interactivity. 

The best place to hop on your interactive email journey is the hover effect. You can apply to nearly every aspect of your email template. From text, links, images, to buttons. It will help you come out of your comfort zone and take a step towards creating powerful email experiences. 

READ MORE:

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