Inbox icons, subject line sorcerers, CTA kings – the results are in. The 2025 You Mailed It Awards by Everlytic have crowned their champs, with Old Mutual Rewards and Machine_ taking top honours in South Africa’s fiercest email showdown. And in true Mzansi style, Machine_ didn’t just pitch up – they came back for seconds, clinching their second win in a row.
As the country’s go-to email messaging platform, Everlytic launched these awards to give props where it’s due – to the marketers who hustle hard behind the scenes to make email the most effective channel in the game. It’s not just copy and paste – it’s copy with purpose, layout with flair, and strategy that lands.
Now three years in, You Mailed It continues to shine a spotlight on the brands and teams who treat the inbox like the prime real estate it is, and know how to build there. Two categories were up for grabs: Best Marketing Email and Best Internal Email – and every entry brought the heat.
Entries were judged by a panel of sharp-eyed pros in marketing, design, tech and comms: Leigh Crymble (BreadCrumbs Linguistics), Sara Dias de Deus (Torque Solutions), Sivu Matyila (Matte BLK), Hannes Esterhuizen (Sideways10Up), and Wilene van Greunen (Everlytic).
Best Marketing Email: Old Mutual Rewards
Old Mutual Rewards walked away with the win for their fresh, clean design and cleverly crafted CTAs. Judges loved the campaign’s punchy rhythm and strategic polish.
Sara Dias de Deus noted: "Old Mutual Rewards did well in blending creativity with strategy. The rhythmic intro they used added a fun, memorable touch that encouraged deeper engagement."
Old Mutual Rewards said: "This recognition is a true testament to the power of teamwork. Every winning email starts with a spark of creativity. It comes to life through collaborative effort – from brainstorming themes and crafting compelling copy, to designing eye-catching visuals and building a seamless user journey. We're proud of what we've built as a team, and we can't wait to keep creating more magic together."
Best Internal Email: Machine_
Machine_ did the double – taking home the title for Best Internal Email for their work with Sanlam Group, for the second year in a row. This time, they flipped the switch to dark mode in honour of Earth Hour, and lit up the scoreboard with a clever and meaningful campaign.
Judge Sara Dias de Deus said: "The email campaign was well thought out, clearly explained, and did a great job connecting with the internal audience. Machine_ used creative content like videos and games, and the results show that people were fully engaged."
Samantha Page, content officer at Machine_, shared: "When our team (Machine_ and the Sanlam Group) chose to switch to dark mode for our weekly internal mailer to raise awareness about Earth Hour, it was about more than just function. We wanted to show how small behavioural shifts can add up to meaningful sustainability gains. We're proud to be recognised for our commitment to environmental awareness and to see Machine's borderless creativity as content marketing specialists acknowledged and celebrated."
Everlytic is proud to wrap another punchy, high-impact edition of You Mailed It, and we’re not gatekeeping the good stuff. The judges’ feedback, lessons and top tips will be shared in upcoming blogs and case studies to help sharpen your next send.
Want to see what it takes to build a winning email? Explore insights from the helpful team at everlytic.com.
