Email Ad Ideation

Generate compelling email advertising concepts with subject lines, body copy, CTAs, and HTML previews. Email offers the most creative freedom of all channels - use it to tell your full story.

Integration with Multi-Channel Skill

This skill can be used standalone or delegated from multi-channel-ad-ideation.

Standalone usage: User directly invokes "Generate email ad concepts for..."

Delegated usage: Multi-channel skill invokes this skill after creative direction is selected:

• Multi-channel passes: Creative direction, brief, segment, brand guidelines
• This skill executes: Phase 1 (text concepts) and/or Phase 2 (HTML previews)
• User can iterate within this skill or return to multi-channel orchestrator

When delegated, expect this context:

• Creative Direction: Selected direction name and description
• Creative Brief: Messaging, goals, tone, benefits
• Target Segment: Audience demographics and motivations
• Brand Guidelines: Path to brand.md (optional)
• Number of Concepts: Usually 3-5

Use this context to inform all email concept generation and ensure alignment with the chosen creative direction.

Using Brand Logo

When brand guidelines include a logo file, you can embed it in email HTML previews for brand consistency.

How to provide logo:

• Direct parameter: "Create email ads using logo at /path/to/logo.png"
• Via brand guidelines: "Create email ads using brand guidelines at /path/to/brand.md" (if guidelines include logo path)
• Multi-channel delegation: Logo path is automatically passed from multi-channel skill

Logo embedding workflow:

1. User provides logo path when requesting email concepts or during HTML preview phase
2. Read logo file using the Read tool when generating HTML preview (Phase 2)
3. Convert to base64: Encode logo as data URI: data:image/png;base64,{encoded_string}
4. Embed in email header: Include logo in HTML <img> tag with inline styling
5. Logo appears in all HTML previews automatically

Logo specifications:

• Format: PNG with transparent background preferred
• Size: Maximum 200px width for email headers, maintain aspect ratio
• File size: Keep under 100KB for email client compatibility
• Placement: Typically centered in email header with brand background color

Example usage:

User: "Create email ad for hiking boot launch using brand guidelines and logo at /path/to/outdoor-supply-co-logo.png"

Phase 1: Generate text concepts (no logo needed yet)
Phase 2: When generating HTML preview:
  1. Read logo file
  2. Convert to base64
  3. Embed in header: <img src="data:image/png;base64,..." alt="Brand Logo" style="max-width: 180px;" />

For detailed logo implementation in HTML templates, see references/html-preview-templates.md.

Dual Logo Variants (Automatic Selection)

For optimal logo visibility on different background colors, brand guidelines may specify two logo variants:

• Dark logo (e.g., black-over-white.png) for light backgrounds
• Light logo (e.g., white-over-black.png) for dark backgrounds

The skill automatically selects the appropriate variant based on header background color.

How to provide dual logos:

• Via brand guidelines: "Create email ads using brand guidelines at /path/to/brand.md"
  • Guidelines specify both logo file paths
  • Skill reads both and auto-selects based on background
• Direct parameters: "Create email ads using logo-dark at /path/dark.png and logo-light at /path/light.png"

Automatic selection algorithm:

import base64

# Logo paths from brand guidelines
LOGO_DARK_PATH = "/path/to/logo-black-over-white.png"  # For light backgrounds
LOGO_LIGHT_PATH = "/path/to/logo-white-over-black.png"  # For dark backgrounds

# Header background color from brand guidelines
HEADER_BG_COLOR = "#1B3022"  # Old Growth (dark)

# Calculate luminance of background
def hex_to_rgb(hex_color):
    hex_color = hex_color.lstrip('#')
    return tuple(int(hex_color[i:i+2], 16) for i in (0, 2, 4))

def calculate_luminance(rgb):
    """WCAG relative luminance formula"""
    r, g, b = rgb
    return 0.299 * r + 0.587 * g + 0.114 * b

bg_rgb = hex_to_rgb(HEADER_BG_COLOR)
bg_luminance = calculate_luminance(bg_rgb)

# Select logo based on background brightness
if bg_luminance < 128:
    # Dark background - use light logo
    logo_path = LOGO_LIGHT_PATH
    print(f"Dark background detected (luminance: {bg_luminance:.1f}). Using light logo.")
else:
    # Light background - use dark logo
    logo_path = LOGO_DARK_PATH
    print(f"Light background detected (luminance: {bg_luminance:.1f}). Using dark logo.")

# Read and encode selected logo
with open(logo_path, "rb") as f:
    logo_base64 = base64.b64encode(f.read()).decode('utf-8')

Example:

• Old Growth header (#1B3022): luminance 38.5 → Dark → Use white-over-black.png
• Raw Canvas header (#F5F2ED): luminance 242.3 → Light → Use black-over-white.png

Email Ad Best Practices

The Email Advantage

• Rich content format - Most space to tell your story (150-300 words)
• Visual flexibility - Headers, images, buttons, layouts
• Segmentation-friendly - Easy to personalize and target
• Trackable - Opens, clicks, conversions all measurable

Key Success Factors

1. Subject line - Drives opens (40-60 characters)
2. Preview text - Complements subject line (35-55 characters)
3. Headline - Reinforces value proposition
4. Body copy - Explains benefits, builds desire
5. CTA - Single, clear call-to-action
6. Mobile-first - 60%+ opens on mobile devices

Output Format

Phase 1: Text Concept Format (Initial Generation)

Reference Files:

• Card template structure: ../references/card-templates.md
• HTML preview templates: ../references/html-preview-templates.md
• Complete examples: examples.md

Generate 3-5 email concepts using collapsed card format from ../references/card-templates.md:

Format requirements - Collapsed Card Format:

• All concepts start collapsed (user clicks to expand for details)
• Summary shows concept name (24px/800 font) + key message tagline
• Do NOT include character counts in output
• Output HTML directly (not wrapped in ```html fences) so it renders as visual cards

Card Template Structure (see ../references/card-templates.md for complete markup):

• Use <details> element with enhanced summary styling
• Concept name: 24px/800 weight for visual hierarchy
• Quality badge in top-right (color-coded: green for excellent, amber for strong, blue for good)
• Ad copy section with: Subject Line, Preview Text, Headline, Body Copy, CTA Button
• Nested collapsible Visual Concept section with color swatches, layout, typography, imagery
• No character counts shown to user (validated internally)

Phase 2: HTML Preview Format (After Confirmation)

Required workflow: Every time you generate HTML for email, write the HTML to a file and call mcp__tdx-studio__open_file to open the preview. Complete both the file writing and preview opening steps automatically.

ONLY generate HTML previews AFTER user confirms text concepts with phrases like:

• "These look good, show me the HTML"
• "Let's see the previews"
• "Generate HTML for these"

HTML Generation and Preview Workflow (complete all steps):

1. Read ../references/html-preview-templates.md
2. Generate HTML email template with inline CSS and actual content from confirmed concepts
3. Use the Write tool to save HTML to file: email-preview-{timestamp}.html in working directory (use YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS format for timestamp)
4. Immediately call mcp__tdx-studio__open_file with the absolute file path to open preview in artifact panel
5. Display HTML code block (optional, for reference)

Important workflow requirement: After generating HTML for email, always complete steps 3 and 4 automatically. Write the HTML to a file and immediately open it with mcp__tdx-studio__open_file. This ensures the user sees the preview without needing to ask for it.

Example:

### Concept: [Concept Name] - HTML Preview

[Generated HTML email template]

Preview automatically opened in artifact panel via mcp__tdx-studio__open_file

For complete Phase 1 and Phase 2 example workflows, see examples.md.

When to Generate HTML

Generate HTML when: User confirms text concepts, says "show me the HTML", ready for visual mockups

Do NOT generate HTML when: First concept generation, still exploring, hasn't confirmed concepts, iterating on copy

Subject Line Strategies

1. Curiosity-Driven

Creates intrigue without revealing everything.

• Example: "The secret to [benefit] is finally here"
• When to use: Brand awareness, new product launches

2. Urgency-Driven

Creates time pressure to drive immediate action.

• Example: "Last 6 hours: Your 40% discount expires tonight"
• When to use: Flash sales, limited offers, event registrations

3. Benefit-Driven

Directly states the value proposition.

• Example: "Save $500 on [product] this week"
• When to use: Promotions, feature announcements, upgrades

4. Personalization-Driven

Uses recipient data to increase relevance.

• Example: "{{first_name}}, your exclusive offer inside"
• When to use: B2B, account-based marketing, loyalty programs

5. Social Proof-Driven

Leverages credibility and FOMO.

• Example: "Join 50,000+ marketers using [product]"
• When to use: Trust-building, competitive positioning

Body Copy Structure

Opening (First 50 words)

• Hook: Reinforce the subject line promise
• Relevance: Show you understand their pain point
• Value prop: State the benefit clearly
• Example: "Running out of time to hit Q1 targets? 67% of sales teams struggle with pipeline visibility. That's why we built [product]."

Middle (100-150 words)

• Explain the solution: How it works, key features
• Benefits over features: "So you can [outcome]" not "It has [feature]"
• Social proof: Testimonials, stats, logos
• Example: "[Product] gives you real-time pipeline visibility. See which deals are at risk, where reps spend time, and auto-updated forecasts. Result? Customers close 23% more deals. 'We went from chaos to clarity in 2 days.' - Sarah Chen, VP Sales"

Closing (50 words)

• Clear CTA: One action, benefit-focused
• Remove friction: "No credit card required", "5-minute setup"
• Create urgency (if appropriate): Limited time, scarcity
• Example: "Start free trial today - no credit card. 5-minute setup. P.S. Offer ends Friday."

CTA Button Best Practices

Button Text:

• Action-oriented verbs: "Get", "Start", "Claim", "Download"
• Benefit-focused: "Get My Free Trial" > "Submit"
• Short and specific: 2-5 words ideal

Strong CTA Examples: "Get Started Free", "Claim My 40% Off", "Download Now", "See Pricing", "Book Demo"

Weak CTAs to Avoid: "Click Here", "Submit", "Learn More" (too vague)

Design Guidelines: High contrast color, 44px+ tall for mobile, above the fold + at end, surrounded by whitespace

Visual Layout Approaches

Header Hero: Colored header with headline + body copy + CTA. Best for product launches, announcements.

Image-First: Large hero image + headline + body + CTA. Best for visual products, e-commerce.

Text-Heavy: Small header + multiple copy sections + CTA. Best for B2B, thought leadership.

Two-Column: Header + image/copy side-by-side + CTA. Best for product comparisons.

For complete HTML preview templates with inline CSS, see ../references/html-preview-templates.md.

Quick Example

Concept: SaaS Product Launch (Urgency-Driven)

Ad Copy:

• Subject Line: 48 hours left: Lock in founder pricing
• Preview Text: Join 2,000+ teams who've already switched
• Headline: Your Last Chance to Save $3,600 on Pipeline Pro
• Body Copy: We're closing founder pricing in 48 hours - and we won't offer it again. After Friday at midnight, our annual plan jumps from $99/mo to $399/mo. That's $3,600 in savings you'll lose if you wait. What you get: Real-time pipeline visibility, AI-powered deal risk alerts, and automated forecasting. "We closed 23% more deals in Q1." - Sarah Chen, VP Sales at TechCorp
• CTA Button: Lock in Founder Pricing →

Visual Concept:

• Layout: Header hero with gradient (purple to violet)
• Colors: #667eea → #764ba2 (header gradient), #ff6b35 (CTA button)
• Imagery: Abstract tech pattern in header background
• Typography: Bold 32px headline, 16px body text, 18px CTA button

For complete examples with full card markup and HTML previews, see examples.md.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Subject lines over 60 characters - Gets cut off on mobile Vague CTAs - "Learn More" or "Click Here" don't drive action Multiple CTAs - Confuses recipients, reduces conversion Image-only emails - Breaks when images don't load Too much text - Over 300 words loses attention No mobile optimization - 60%+ opens are on mobile Missing unsubscribe link - Violates CAN-SPAM, hurts deliverability

Do this instead: Test subject lines, use 1 clear CTA, optimize for mobile, keep under 300 words, always include unsubscribe