Why Study Real Email Examples?
Theory is nice. Data is better. But nothing beats studying real campaigns that generated real revenue. Each example below includes the actual subject line, email structure, performance metrics, and the psychological principles that made it work.
Pro tip: Use GetResponse's AI email builder to recreate any of these examples in seconds. Just describe the email you want, and the AI generates a branded, responsive version you can edit and send.
Welcome Email Examples
Example 1: Allbirds Welcome Email
68%
Open Rate
24%
Click Rate
$8.20
Revenue Per Email
Subject line:
"Welcome to the flock"
What makes it work:
- - Brand voice: Playful and on-brand ("flock" for a bird-named company)
- - Single CTA: One clear "Shop Now" button, no distractions
- - Product imagery: Large, beautiful product photos that showcase the shoes
- - Social proof: "Join 1M+ happy customers" builds instant trust
- - Free shipping mention: Removes a key purchase barrier immediately
Lesson:
Your welcome email should feel like a warm greeting, not a sales pitch. Allbirds focuses on brand identity and making the first purchase frictionless.
Example 2: Brooklinen Welcome Email
72%
Open Rate
28%
Click Rate
$12.50
Revenue Per Email
Subject line:
"You're in. Now here's $25 off."
What makes it work:
- - Immediate incentive: $25 off in the subject line drives opens
- - Urgency: "Expires in 14 days" creates a deadline
- - Bestsellers: Shows top-rated products to guide first purchase
- - Lifestyle imagery: Photos of real bedrooms, not just product shots
- - Clear CTA: "Shop Bestsellers" tells them exactly what to do
Lesson:
Offering a welcome discount in the subject line dramatically increases open rates. Brooklinen pairs the discount with social proof (bestsellers) to guide the first purchase decision.
Example 3: Morning Brew Welcome Email
81%
Open Rate
42%
Click Rate
N/A
Newsletter (ad revenue)
Subject line:
"Welcome to the Brew! Here's what to expect."
What makes it work:
- - Expectation setting: Tells subscribers exactly what they will get and when
- - Personality: Funny, casual tone that matches the newsletter
- - Sample content: Includes a mini version of the newsletter so they can see the value
- - Referral CTA: "Invite friends, get free stuff" turns welcome into growth
- - No sales pitch: Pure value, no product to sell (ad-supported model)
Lesson:
For newsletters, your welcome email should deliver immediate value and set expectations. Morning Brew's 81% open rate shows that expectation-setting works.
Abandoned Cart Email Examples
Example 4: Chubbies Abandoned Cart
52%
Open Rate
26%
Click Rate
$45K
Revenue (monthly)
Subject line:
"Your cart is feeling lonely..."
What makes it work:
- - Humor: "Your cart is feeling lonely" is funny and non-pushy
- - Product image: Shows the exact item left in the cart
- - Social proof: "12,000 guys bought these this week"
- - One-click checkout: Direct link to cart with items pre-loaded
- - No discount: First email is a gentle reminder, not a discount
Lesson:
Your first abandoned cart email should be a friendly reminder, not a discount. Humor and personality drive higher engagement than "Here's 10% off" as the first touch.
Example 5: ASOS Abandoned Cart with Discount
48%
Open Rate
31%
Click Rate
$78K
Revenue (monthly)
Subject line:
"Still thinking it over? Here's 10% off to help"
What makes it work:
- - Empathy: "Still thinking it over" acknowledges the customer's hesitation
- - Discount as help: Frames the discount as assistance, not desperation
- - Scarcity: "Items in your cart are selling fast"
- - Clear CTA: "Complete your order" with pre-loaded cart
- - Second email: Sent 24 hours after the first (no-discount) reminder
Lesson:
Use a 2-email abandoned cart sequence: first a friendly reminder (no discount), then a discount email 24 hours later. This captures both impulse buyers and hesitant shoppers.
Promotion Email Examples
Example 8: Glossier Black Friday Sale
64%
Open Rate
35%
Click Rate
$340K
Revenue (campaign)
Subject line:
"Our biggest sale of the year starts NOW"
What makes it work:
- - Urgency: "Starts NOW" creates immediate action
- - Exclusivity: "Biggest sale of the year" implies this is the best deal
- - Visual hierarchy: Sale details front and center, products below
- - Limited time: "48 hours only" creates a hard deadline
- - Product showcase: Bestsellers featured with sale prices visible
Lesson:
For major sales, lead with urgency and exclusivity. Glossier's "biggest sale of the year" framing makes subscribers feel they cannot afford to miss it.
Example 9: Airbnb Experience Launch
55%
Open Rate
29%
Click Rate
12K
New bookings
Subject line:
"Not just stays — try something new in [City]"
What makes it work:
- - Personalization: Uses subscriber's city to make it relevant
- - Curiosity: "Not just stays" hints at something new
- - Visual storytelling: Beautiful photos of real experiences
- - Local focus: Shows experiences in the subscriber's area
- - Low commitment: "Browse experiences" is a soft CTA
Lesson:
Geo-personalization dramatically increases relevance. Airbnb's city-specific subject line makes the email feel personal rather than mass-mailed.
Re-Engagement Email Examples
Example 10: Spotify Year-End Re-Engagement
74%
Open Rate
38%
Click Rate
15%
Reactivation Rate
Subject line:
"Your 2025 Wrapped is here"
What makes it work:
- - Personalization: Based on the user's own listening data
- - FOMO: Everyone shares their Wrapped on social media
- - Visual design: Bright, colorful, shareable graphics
- - Nostalgia: Reminds users of songs and artists they loved
- - Social sharing: Built-in sharing to Instagram and Twitter
Lesson:
Data-driven personalization is the most powerful re-engagement tool. Spotify's Wrapped works because it is uniquely about the user, not about Spotify.
Example 11: Warby Parker "We Miss You"
41%
Open Rate
19%
Click Rate
8%
Reactivation Rate
Subject line:
"We've missed you, [First Name]"
What makes it work:
- - Personal greeting: Uses first name in subject line
- - New arrivals: Shows products they have not seen yet
- - Free home try-on: Reminds them of the key differentiator
- - Low pressure: "Come see what's new" is a soft CTA
- - Clean design: Minimal text, large product photos
Lesson:
Re-engagement emails should remind subscribers what they are missing, not beg them to come back. Warby Parker shows new products and reminds them of the unique value proposition.
Post-Purchase Email Example
Example 12: Patagonia Post-Purchase Review Request
62%
Open Rate
27%
Click Rate
3.2x
Review Conversion
Subject line:
"How's your new [Product Name]?"
What makes it work:
- - Timing: Sent 14 days after delivery (enough time to use the product)
- - Casual tone: "How's your new..." feels like a friend asking
- - Product-specific: References the exact item purchased
- - Easy review process: One-click link to leave a review
- - No incentive: Does not pay for reviews (maintains authenticity)
- - Cross-sell: Includes "You might also like" section at the bottom
Lesson:
Post-purchase emails should feel like customer service, not marketing. Patagonia's casual, product-specific approach generates 3.2x more reviews than generic "Rate your purchase" emails.
7 Key Lessons from These Examples
1. Personality beats polish
The highest-performing emails (Morning Brew at 81%, Chubbies at 52%) have strong brand personality. Funny, opinionated, and conversational emails outperform polished corporate templates.
2. One CTA per email
Every top-performing email has a single, clear call-to-action. Multiple CTAs split attention and reduce click rates. Pick one action and make it obvious.
3. Personalization drives engagement
Spotify's Wrapped (74% open rate) and Airbnb's geo-targeted emails (55% open rate) prove that personalization based on user data dramatically outperforms generic campaigns.
4. Timing is everything
Patagonia sends review requests 14 days after delivery — long enough to use the product, short enough to remember the experience. Abandoned cart emails work best at 2-4 hours and 24 hours after abandonment.
5. Social proof reduces friction
Allbirds ("1M+ happy customers"), Chubbies ("12,000 guys bought these"), and Brooklinen (bestsellers) all use social proof to make the purchase decision easier.
6. First email = no discount
For abandoned carts, the first email should be a friendly reminder without a discount. Discounts come in the second email, 24 hours later. This captures impulse buyers without training customers to wait for discounts.
7. Consistency builds trust
The Hustle's 49% open rate comes from delivering the same format every day. Subscribers open because they know what to expect. Changing your format constantly kills trust and open rates.
Want to Recreate These Campaigns?
GetResponse's AI email builder and 200+ templates let you recreate any of these examples in minutes. Plus automation sequences for welcome, abandoned cart, and re-engagement.
Try GetResponse Free for 14 DaysFAQ
What is a good email open rate?+
The average open rate across industries is 21.5%. Above 30% is good, above 40% is excellent, and above 50% is exceptional. The examples in this article range from 41% to 81%, which are well above average. Welcome emails and abandoned cart emails typically have the highest open rates (45-80%), while promotional emails tend to be lower (15-25%).
What is a good email click rate?+
The average click rate is 2.3% across industries. Above 5% is good, above 10% is excellent, and above 20% is exceptional. Abandoned cart emails have the highest click rates (20-35%) because the intent to purchase is already there. Newsletter click rates of 15-25% (like Morning Brew and The Hustle) are excellent for content emails.
How do I measure email marketing success?+
Track these 5 metrics: (1) Open rate — measures subject line effectiveness. (2) Click rate — measures content and CTA effectiveness. (3) Conversion rate — measures how many clicks lead to purchases. (4) Revenue per email — total revenue divided by emails sent. (5) Unsubscribe rate — should stay under 0.5% per campaign. Use a platform like GetResponse to track all of these automatically.