Branded Animated eCards for GMX, WEB.DE & mail.com – High-Impact Digital Campaigns

In today’s fast-paced digital world, even the simplest gesture — a birthday card, a thank-you note, or a seasonal greeting — can create powerful connections. For 1&1 Mail & Media Applications SE (GMX | WEB.DE | mail.com), I developed a large-scale series of branded animated eCards viewed by millions of users across Europe.

These animations combine concept-driven storytelling, custom illustration, and loopable motion design to amplify brand voice, encourage sharing, and increase user engagement across email portals and social channels.

Creative Direction: From Idea to Animation

Each card was designed from the ground up, starting with concept development and scriptwriting, followed by:

Custom character design – mascots, avatars, cartoon-style icons
Storyboarding & visual narrative – ensuring clarity and brand alignment
Hand-drawn illustration & animation – Adobe Creative Cloud, Clip Studio Paint
Cross-platform delivery – optimized for web, mobile, and internal comms

Unlike template-based generators, every eCard was individually illustrated and animated by hand, ensuring originality, cultural relevance, and brand resonance.

Use Cases: Where Animated eCards Make Impact

Holiday Campaigns – Christmas, New Year, Halloween greetings
Personal Milestones – birthdays, thank-you notes, get-well wishes
Internal Culture – employee recognition, team-building, company celebrations
Customer Engagement – branded content to strengthen loyalty
Corporate Events – animated invitations and announcements

Highlights from the GMX | WEB.DE | mail.com Collection

(These are short animated GIF clips from the full HD video quality cards – See videos on my YouTube Channel)

Animated GIF of a butler lifting a silver cloche – invitation eCard design for GMX, WEB.DE, and mail.com

Animated Butler Invitation eCard – Formal Greeting

A hand-drawn animated invitation eCard featuring a butler lifting a silver cloche. Created by Ian David Marsden for GMX, WEB.DE, and mail.com, this design adds a touch of humor and elegance to formal announcements and digital invitations.

Animated GIF of a cartoon dog looking guilty beside an empty cookie jar – apology eCard design

Animated Dog Apology eCard – Cookie Jar Illustration

A humorous apology eCard featuring a cartoon dog beside an empty cookie jar. This animated design by Ian David Marsden was created for GMX, WEB.DE, and mail.com, offering a charming way to say “Sorry.”

Animated Thank You eCard – Bear with Gingerbread Heart

A festive thank you card featuring a bear hugging a gingerbread heart with “Danke” written on it. Illustrated and animated by Ian David Marsden for GMX, WEB.DE, and mail.com to spread gratitude and joy.

Animated GIF of a boy and his dog in snowy winter with a giant bone gift – Christmas eCard illustration

Animated New Year eCard – Fireworks Celebration

A cheerful New Year’s eCard showing a smiling couple enjoying fireworks with champagne. This animated design by Ian David Marsden was created for GMX, WEB.DE, and mail.com to mark festive celebrations.

Animated GIF of a smiling couple with champagne under fireworks – New Year eCard design

Animated Christmas eCard – Dog with Giant Bone

An adorable Christmas card featuring a boy and his dog with a giant bone tied with a ribbon. Illustrated by Ian David Marsden, this animated eCard was designed for GMX, WEB.DE, and mail.com as part of their seasonal greetings.

Animated GIF of two birds hugging in a nest – thank you greeting card animation

Animated Thank You eCard – Birds Hugging

A sweet animated thank you eCard showing two birds hugging in a nest. This warm and emotional design was created by Ian David Marsden for GMX, WEB.DE, and mail.com.

Animated GIF of a colorful bird hatching from a spotted egg – birthday eCard animation

Animated Birthday eCard – Hatching Bird Surprise

A colorful animated birthday greeting featuring a bird hatching from a spotted egg. Designed by Ian David Marsden, this eCard was produced for GMX, WEB.DE, and mail.com to delight users on their special day.

Animated GIF of a bird perched on a thermometer above a sick man in bed – get well greeting card

Animated Get Well Soon eCard – Bird on Thermometer

A funny get well card showing a cartoon bird perched on a thermometer above a patient in bed. This animated eCard by Ian David Marsden was designed for GMX, WEB.DE, and mail.com to send cheerful recovery wishes.

Animated GIF of a cat sitting next to a broken vase of flowers – apology eCard illustration

Animated Apology eCard – Cat with Broken Vase

A lighthearted apology card featuring a wide-eyed cat beside a broken vase of flowers. Animated and illustrated by Ian David Marsden for GMX, WEB.DE, and mail.com as part of their branded eCard series.

Animated GIF of a skydiver character with “Gute Besserung” – get well eCard design

Animated Get Well Soon eCard – Skydiving Daredevil

A humorous animated get well card with a skydiving daredevil and the words “Gute Besserung.” Created by Ian David Marsden for GMX, WEB.DE, and mail.com, it combines energy and humor to send recovery wishes.

More animation and motion videos by Ian David Marsden

Why Animated eCards Work

Strengthen emotional connection between brand and user
Increase shareability across private and public channels
Provide culturally relevant, localized content for European or international markets
Add a touch of humor to otherwise dry or complicated subject matters

By blending editorial illustration quality with motion design expertise, I help brands transform simple messages into memorable brand touchpoints. Case studies

Work With Me

As an illustrator and cartoonist with 30+ years of international experience, I create custom animated content for agencies, corporations, and cultural institutions. If your brand needs high-quality animated eCards, explainer videos, or branded illustrations, let’s talk.

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