Arriving bright and early at Tumbalong Park for day one of SXSW Sydney, Marketing was treated to an exclusive first look at Intuit Mailchimp’s newest Aussie activation, following the immense success of its inaugural flagship event earlier this year. In what was an immersive journey into the heart of email’s cultural relevance, the exhibition leaned into the bold claims that email is perhaps a thing of the past. Spoiler alert: it isn’t dead. Not even close.

In true Mailchimp style, this activation wasn’t quite your standard ‘event booth’. Designed in partnership with local creative powerhouse Studio Messa, the ‘Email is D̶e̶a̶d̶’ installation transformed the humble inbox into a life-sized sensory playground that enabled attendees to experience the sights, sounds and even smell of email. And although describing the scent is difficult, let’s just say it was surprisingly floral and woody.

Email is quite literally bigger than ever

In a bite-sized version of the brand’s fully-fledged exhibition originally hosted in London, visitors entered a journey that explored email’s evolution from the 1970s to its AI-enhanced future. From the amusing reminder emails of overdue payments and heartwarming messages from loved ones, to world-changing innovations like the initial idea for Airbnb, attendees were reminded of just how deeply ingrained email is within all of our lives. 

Freddie’s ‘email personality machine’ even scanned your unique communication style to predict your inbox persona. My emails apparently ‘pedal positivity into the inbox’ which I feel is pretty accurate – but you’ll have to check with my team to confirm that!

And because there’s always more fun to be had with Mailchimp, turning around the final corner of the exhibition gave visitors the opportunity to send a message to their future selves – because if anyone can prove that email will never die, it’s probably Mailchimp.

A love letter to Aussie emailers

Australia loves email and the numbers don’t lie. Our local engagement rates are double the global average, our open rates are world-leading and we’re Mailchimp’s fourth largest market globally.

Mailchimp ANZ regional director Anthony Capano said: “despite being around for decades, email marketing remains an extremely valuable channel locally, where it works better than in any other region, even with the rise of other marketing channels like social media.”

“Email is anything but mundane – it’s a deeply personal, universally connecting force that has shaped our world for decades,” says Mailchimp chief marketing officer Michelle Taite. “With this experience, we invite visitors to explore the eternal influence of the inbox and join us in celebrating email’s past, present, and AI-powered future.”

Creative director of Mailchimp’s in-house creative team Wink Trey Wadsworth reflected on the importance of adapting global campaigns for local audiences. “By weaving in local cultural nuances, we’ve made sure this experience connects deeply with the Australian audience, where email marketing continues to thrive,” he said.

You might be wondering how the team managed to find the perfect yellow paint, in which Wadsworth said lots and lots and lots of testing.

A bold year for a bold brand

It’s been a big year for Mailchimp Down Under. Despite serving its ANZ customer base for more than 20 years, this year the brand launched its first-ever on-the-ground Aussie team – designed to support the local market. 

In what kicked off with the inaugural flagship FROM: HERE, TO: THERE conference earlier this year, to smaller more intimate partner events and now SXSW Sydney’s Email is D̶e̶a̶d̶, Mailchimp has quite fittingly brought its ‘A-game’ to Australia.

What Mailchimp really seems to understand with these ‘cheeky’ style activations is to not ‘sell the product’. While yes, Mailchimp is the number one email marketing and automations company, delivering value, fun and empowering marketers is always front of mind – the team openly confesses they are ‘customer obsessed.’

So, email isn’t dead?

Mailchimp’s immersive world inside the inbox suggests that not only is email alive – it’s thriving. If email is a relic, it’s one we’re keeping. Forever.

See you in your inbox soon, marketers.