👉 Can teaser emails work to win back customers? Yep.
👉 Can teaser emails help recover carts? Yep.
How? That’s exactly what we are here to answer. Here are the 15 best teaser email examples from eCommerce Stores (+ some best practices):
1. Nood uses email copy to build up a tease
2. Dedcool offers a mystery gift
3. Oh Deer sends a tease cart abandonment email
4. Office Depot teases a mystery discount in their newsletter
5. Tropic sends a tease re-engagement email
6. Boohoo leverages design to create a teaser email
7. Fender creates a tease quiz
8. Spicelogy hypes up a limited-edition product launch
9. Nugget creates an Easter Egg hunt
10. Look Fantastic teases a surprise birthday gift
11. Tula creates a mysterious email
12. Dreamland Baby teases refunds
13. Sunglass Hut reminds to prep wishlists
14. Sun Bum leverages reverse psychology
15. Oats Overnight ‘accidentally’ sends a team email
But, first 👇
What’s a teaser email
A teaser email is created to excite people for the amazing offer/news/product you’ve cooked up. It’s the exact opposite of a calm before the storm.
Traditionally, teaser emails leverage a blend of surprise, curiosity, and gamification. How? They sometimes have as little information as possible. But, just enough, so people want to know more (although, there are exceptions).
Sometimes sent in a drip of 3 to 4 emails, teaser emails come in these types:
Types of teaser email campaigns
- Product launch teaser emails
- Sale announcement teaser emails
- Abandonment teaser emails (includes cart and browse abandonment)
- Re-engagement email
- Triggered teaser emails
- Newsletter teaser emails
15 Best Teaser Email Examples for eCommerce Stores
1. Nood uses creative copy to build up a tease
Subject Line: I’ve got a question for you…
Preview Text: Ever stood in front of your closet with…
💡 Best practices for creating a teaser email using only email copy
✅ Use your subject line to tease a solution to a problem that your audience shares
This basically means you have to create a hook – Nood does this by posing a core problem that almost all women share – clothes that really ‘fit’ as they should. Dive deep into your mission statement and tease the problem.
✅ Share why and how you or your product are equipped to solve the problem
All you have to do is use storytelling and make your product the hero – if need be, use social proof, but don’t give it all away – check how Nood does this.
✅ Don’t be afraid to make your CTA as clear as it can be – with subtle directional cues
Note how Nood writes its CTA’s for exactly what it wants subscribers to do – check their best-selling collection – and try their recommended product.
✅ Follow up with a plain text email format for those who didn’t open your first teaser email
Ask if they need personalized support – and, use intelligent font formatting to aid subscribers in scanning your email.
Also Read: eCommerce Email Copywriting: 20 Game-Changing Tips
2. Dedcool offers a mystery gift
Subject Line: About that free stuff…
Preview Text: Last day to claim a mystery gift
💡 Best practices for creating a teaser gift email
✅ Create your mystery gift teaser email like a flash sale email flow
This means sending 4 emails at maximum – the first to announce, the second to continue the hype, the third to end the campaign, and the last email to create a last chance.
✅ Provide subscribers a sneak peek of the gift on offer
Note how Dedcool does exactly this – by showing an animated GIF of the products.
✅ Loop in recommendations, for shoppers to shop from
Offer at most 3 products – or provide an item that’s going out of stock like the example does.
✅ Leave additional incentives in your email footer to remind subscribers of your brand benefits
For example, BNPL payment, referral incentives, etc.
✅ Make sure that your website reflects the mystery gift in the subscriber’s cart
This ensures that your website keeps up the tease – however, we recommend showing the value of the gift. This will make subscribers not want to miss out (a classic loss aversion technique).
Also Read: How To Drive Impulse Buying In eCommerce - 14 Brilliant Ideas
3. Oh Deer teases in their cart abandonment email
Subject Line: Exclusive Offer Inside! Don't Miss Out!
Preview Text: Your cart's waiting for you with an exclusive discount!
💡 Best practices for creating a teaser cart abandonment email
✅ Send 3 emails at max – the first announces a tease – the second shows – the third closes the cart
✅ Experiment with multiple offers – ‘We’ve added a mystery item to your cart’ or ‘Is this cart yours’
✅ Show your cart summary – but with some blurred images and amounts
✅ Set up some micro-conversions – leave extra incentives like “set 3 reminders…next order”
Also Read: 40 Abandoned Cart Email Examples that Actually Win Back Lost Customers
4. Office Depot teases a mystery discount in their newsletter
Subject Line: Shhh...Reveal Secret Offer 👀 + More Coupons To Save
Preview Text: Office Depot® {name}, get our top deals to maximize your savings
💡 Best practices for creating a teaser newsletter
✅ Experiment with different visuals while offering a mystery discount – like a ‘tap to reveal’ discount
✅ Personalize the discount based on order and browsing history – like offering more loyalty points to repeat purchasers and ‘$X off for non-converting subscribers’
✅ Make sure the T&C is abundantly clear – ‘cause it’s always best to avoid creating vague offers
✅ Consider leaving GIF snippets of videos from your socials to create a tease – like showing a recipe from a surprise brand collaboration – or a routine from an influencer
✅ Showcase the brand’s footsteps towards a cause – but, blur out the impact to make users click and reveal
Also Read: eCommerce Newsletter: 20 Ways To Stand Out And Actually Drive Sales
5. Tropic sends a tease re-engagement email
Subject Line: Beauty Lover, a treat in your next order 🎁
Preview Text: Can we tempt you? 😍
💡 Best practices for creating a teaser email for re-engagement
✅ Experiment with a countdown timer to increase the urgency of the campaign
Send at least 2 emails – one to announce the offer with the countdown – and the next one to announce there’s an hour left before the clock runs out.
✅ Test different variations of your copy
For example, you could show the discount levels on offer – or if you’re offering a gift, show the monetary value of the gift on offer.
✅ Consider looping in a ‘free refill’ for subscribers who’ve purchased a particular product
Also, you can offer a ‘free gift’ from a slow-selling product, in case you don’t do refills. This makes sure you’re personalizing with order history.
✅ Segment your teaser offers based on engagement
For example, if your 1st and 2nd emails get opened but no engagement, change the offer to a ‘build your own bundle with 2 mystery gifts for free.’ – or, offer an optional limited-time upgrade to your ‘VIP’ program, in exchange for purchasing a down-sell bundle.
✅ Identify non-openers/non-engagers and send them a final email within 24 hours of the second email
Ask non-openers if they would still like a discount or if they want to manage their preferences. For non-engagers, tell them they missed out on an offer (along with what they missed out on). Make sure the final email isn’t too spaced out.
Also Read: Re-engagement Email Examples That (Actually) Win Back Subscribers
6. Boohoo leverages design to create a teaser email
Subject Line: Email Exclusive Inside 💌
Preview Text: Keep scrolling to reveal your deal 📱
💡 Ideas for creating a teaser email using email design
✅ Use a spin the wheel – leave an offer on each quadrant
Make sure the highest reward quadrant slows down for a while to make the subscriber feel that’s what they’ll win
✅ Use blurred photos with different levels of pixelation
This makes sure subscribers almost can guess, but not till they’ve seen it all
✅ Create concept art with the product – or hide the product in plain sight
Like a ketchup bottle hidden in a photo of Batman vs Superman fighting.
✅ Use a casino-style design where the subscriber has to match 3 of something
It can be your brand logo – or a silhouette of the mystery product/discount. You can also offer ‘pick a card for a reward or discount.’
Also Read: eCommerce Email Design: 25 Beautiful Examples (& Why They Drive Sales)
7. Fender creates a tease quiz
Subject Line: Artist Trivia: Test Your Knowledge
Preview Text: Name the musicians who inspired these unique Artist Signature models.
💡 Best practices for creating a quiz teaser email
✅ Use a quiz teaser email for pre-product launch as well as post-product launch campaigns
For pre-product launches, try offering a reward like ‘early access’ for correct answers. For post-product launch, offer a giveaway as the example does.
✅ Use weekly quizzes on trivia questions related to your product
Like ‘facts about coffee’ – offer mystery discounts/products and create a leaderboard with weekly winners – this helps to drive engagement within your email subscribers.
✅ Add a UTM tracking code to your links in your teaser campaign
Doing this lets you track whether your emails perform – while also helping you create a custom audience for a retargeting social media teaser campaign.
✅ Use this quiz teaser email format for upcoming live streams
Reveal hints like “guess the guests'' – and as the date approaches, reveal more details. Use incentives like “get invited to the live event” and use it to get a live audience.
Also Read: The Best Quiz Funnel Examples for your eCommerce Store
8. Spiceology hypes up a limited-edition product launch
Subject Line: Something Delicious is Coming Tomorrow
Preview Text: And there's only 150 jars available.
💡 Best practices for creating a product launch teaser email
✅ Start a product teaser flow with a silhouette of a product – gradually reveal the product with each email
✅ Make sure you're adding in urgency builder elements – like the quantity that will be manufactured
✅ Run a ‘guess the price’ angle for the product launch – and, end with a pre-order
✅ Consider using animated WEBP images – this ensures you’re cutting down on email size (which helps make the email more mobile-friendly)
Also Read: 10 product launch email examples that drove massive sales (+ templates)
9. Nugget teases a hunt
💡 Best practices for creating a teaser email to create a contest
✅ A contest teaser email should have only two emails in the main flow – one to announce and another to end the campaign
✅ Tease parts of your hunt across other types of emails – adding these parts in your other emails help build the hype up for your teaser email campaign
✅ Apply this teaser email tactic for other seasonal events – like an ‘Easter Egg Hunt’ or ‘Find The Hotdog’ on National Hot Dog Day
✅ Create a custom landing page for this entire teaser campaign – during your launch and make sure to update it as your campaign progresses
Also Read: 15 amazing drip email campaigns that actually drive sales
10. Look Fantastic teases a surprise birthday gift
Subject Line: Last Chance To Reveal Your Saving 🎉
Preview Text: Click through to redeem...
💡 Best practices for creating triggered teaser emails
✅ Make sure you always include an incentive to click through – like a ‘golden ticket’ or a ‘surprise upgrade’ – note how the hero image does this
✅ Make sure the discount on offer is big enough – this will help trigger the windfall gain effect (a sudden discount that leads to impulse buying)
✅ Lead subscribers to a landing page that asks them to enter their email address to unlock their discount – ensure the landing page shows some visuals like a casino-style slot machine or a loading screen that reveals a discount
✅ Begin your anniversary teaser email flow around 7 to 8 pm before the birthdate – send once on the birthday – and the last one, on the day after the birth date
✅ Create triggered teaser email format for brand events – like a purchase anniversary, year in review, and live streams with guests
Also Read: 15 High-converting examples of automated emails
11. Tula creates a mysterious email
Subject Line: Mystery Mail is back...
Preview Text: Check out what's included in this LIMITED event!
💡 Best practices for creating a teaser email like Tula
✅ Build a solid story first to ensure that you’re building the buzz for your teaser campaigns – for example, the concept of mystery email itself is the story here
✅ Create a social media post that gives a hint about your mystery email – create a hashtag like “#tulamysterymail” for the campaign
✅ Send only one email to maintain the exclusivity – retarget non-engaging subscribers within your other emails with copy like “Found our secret designs yet? Hint: check our older emails”
✅ Offer previews of mystery bundles with the pricing – show different pricing levels, with silhouettes of boxes or blur out the photos of products in the bundle
✅ Put the most affordable value to the leftmost side – doing this helps users feel they’ve discovered the best possible value at the first go – and almost 80% of web users anchor on the left side first
Also Read: 17 Proven Ideas to Improve Email Marketing Conversion Rate (+ Examples)
12. Dreamland Baby teases refunds
Subject Line: 2X Points + Surprise Refunds!
Preview Text: Tax Day special inside!
💡 Best practices for creating a teaser email for policy updates
✅ Highlight what you’re changing, but don’t exactly show how
For example, “Our return policy isn’t gonna be the same” can be your subject, and “hint: it’s tied to your order no. XXX”, as your preview text.
✅ Send a prior teaser email with a hint, 24 hours before the update
Once they open, let shoppers know more details of your upcoming update – like “you’ll be getting more warranty coverage on these products: XXXXX, XXXX, XXXX – all will be revealed in XX:XX:XX.”
✅ End the flow quickly with your second email
Use the teaser email subject line style – and let shoppers in on the value.
Also Read: How to Use Targeted Email Marketing to Drive More Sales (eCommerce)
13. Sunglass Hut reminds to prep a wishlist
Subject Line: Get Ready, our Members Only event is around the corner.
Preview Text: Start creating your sunglasses wishlist now.
💡 Best practices for creating a teaser email for sales events
✅ Send sneak peeks to non-VIP members – use a subject line like “there may be a V.I.P. discount in this email” – “you’ll probably not want to skip this email”
✅ This teaser email example can also be useful for:
- Extending a sale
- Announcing back-in-stock products
- Live stream or in-store events
Also Read: 25 Tips to Increase Sales Through Email Marketing (+ Amazing Examples)
14. Sun Bum leverages reverse psychology
Subject Line: In It to Win It
Preview Text: You're gonna want our exclusive sun care kit.
💡 Best practices for creating a teaser email with reverse psychology
✅ The first step is to establish a mystery
Note how the subject line talks about winning – but the preview text feels like a line out of a sales book. This makes subscribers think “Um ... what?” – which leads to opens.
✅ The next step is creating FOMO through irresistible value
Sun Bum offers a bundle that can’t be bought but is super useful. The powerful visuals and the one-off nature of the products make the bundle a ‘want’ item.
✅ Make sure you’re including an action that users will be taken aback by
For example, if you sell clothes, you can ask users to upload a picture of themselves with their funniest t-shirt and send it to you via DM. This way, you get the research and giveaway good stuff (while building loyal fans).
✅ Lastly, it all ends with a display of integrity
Note how Sun Bum says they don’t care if users don’t buy from them – but subtly reminds “just use sunscreen” – this builds the demand.
Also Read: 20 behavioral targeting ideas for 2024 (+ some inspiration)
15. Oats Overnight ‘accidentally’ sends a team email
Subject Line: Re: Re: Re: [INTERNAL] new product
💡 Best practices for creating a teaser email like Oats Overnight
✅ Make your subject line mirror a corporate email – note the “Re: Re: Re” (may scare the living lights out of some – but will definitely drive opens)
✅ Follow up with a ‘sorry’ – write something like, “We made a mistake – but, if you want insider access, sign up to our exclusive internal mailing list”
✅ Try this tactic only once, every year – this will help preserve the effectiveness of this teaser email tactic
Also Read: Email A/B Testing: Elements to Test + Mistakes to Avoid
[BONUS] 4 Essential Teaser Email Templates
1. Post Purchase Teaser Email Template
Target Audience: Recent customers who made a purchase
Subject Line: You deserve a reward! 🎁
Preview Text: A little return gift for you…
Body:
Hey [Customer Name],
We noticed you recently treated yourself to something special, and we think you deserve a little something extra.
Here’s a gift we’ve saved, just for you 👇
<Unlock your return gift>
As microcopy below the CTA: Is it a discount? Samples on every order? 10X loyalty points?
Remember: Use microcopy to add specificity to the value on offer – but don’t give away the full plot.
Also Read: 17 Unconventional Post-Purchase Emails (+ How to copy them)
2. Welcome Teaser Email Template
Target Audience: All kinds of shoppers
Subject Line: {Name}, we pay for your first purchase
Preview Text: if you can find the 🐱👤
Body:
Hi [Customer Name],
You give us the ninja cats > 🐱👤
We give away the first order for free.
Here’s why: these ninja cats have been giving away discounts – illegally.
But, we can’t find them – only subscribers like you can.
<Catch The Ninja Cats – Make Your First Order Free>
Hint: We’ve heard they usually show up during checkout. 😼
As microcopy: * this offer will end once all cats are caught
Remember: Including a gamification element will help build a buzz. For example, you can lead subscribers to a spin-the-wheel game of “catch or spare the cat” – subscribers will have to spin the wheel and if they land on ‘catch the cat’, they will get their first order for free.
The best part is you can use winners to post photos of their prizes on social media – and build a solid teaser campaign.
Also Read: 40 Discount Email Templates (& Examples) for eCommerce Stores
3. New Product Launch Teaser Email Template
Target Audience: Existing customers
Subject Line: Something EGG is coming... 👀
Preview Text: Get Ready to scramble..
Image: A shadow of a product or a cryptic image
Body:
Hey [Customer Name],
No egg stands a chance.
Eggcellence Dropping Soon In {Countdown Timer}.
<Join the waiting arena>
Remember: Lead to a landing page, where you ask users to drop in their email addresses for joining the launch event – this will let you curate a list of your most active brand loyalists.
Also Read: How To Improve Email Marketing "Click-to-Open" Rate in eCommerce
4. Anniversary Teaser Email Template
Target Audience: Existing customers
Subject Line: Our anniversary? You're getting the gifts! 🎂
Preview Text: you get…
Body:
Hey [Customer Name],
Can you believe it's been [number] years since we started this amazing journey together? We're turning [number]! To celebrate, we've got some incredible surprises in store for you.
<{Name}, here’s your gift from us>
Re-order for Flat $XX
[Replenishment/Browsing History Item 1] [Replenishment/Browsing History Item 2] [Replenishment/Browsing History Item 3]
<Re-Order Now>
As microcopy: valid till XX.XX
Remember: Personalizing your triggered emails can help create the Barnum effect – making people believe that the offer is indeed for them. For example, we’re not only using names but also the browsing or purchasing history.
Also Read: 20 email personalization templates (examples from great brands)
Ready to create your own teaser emails?
Teaser emails can be a part of helping you create a serious revenue stream from your emails.
However, most eCommerce stores don’t even explore the full scope of email marketing.
Ask them about the importance of email marketing, and you'll hear: “we don’t really have a major strategy,” “we mostly use generic templates,” or “we just send emails to people on our list.”
BUT AT THE SAME TIME:
There are stores out there that drive 30%+ of their revenue from email marketing.
Engage can help you do the same – Book a free demo.
We’ll show you:
- workflows we can create for your store,
- proven ways to drive 30% or more $$ from email alone, and
successful templates and strategies from your industry (and others).
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