January 14, 2008 : The $100 Email
From: Restoration HardwareSubject Line: Don’t Skip This Email. It’s Worth $100 (Really, Truly). Gift Expires Monday.
Date: Saturday, January 12, 2008
I applaud Restoration Hardware for thinking hard about how to use the subject line, body copy and design layout to make an ordinary offer feel extraordinary. Sure, it calls to mind the envelopes from Publisher's Clearing House I hopefully tore open as a child, but it's different and it works. In particular, I like how the subject line attributes a cash value to the email itself: "It’s Worth $100 (Really, Truly)." I'm also responding to the Gift Certificate device; it makes a standard offer - 25% off a $400 purchase - feel like a special, exclusive present.
