Black Friday is just four weeks away, and inboxes are about to get very crowded.
The stakes are high. And hereâs why we say that. Adobe reported that in 2025, US shoppers spent $44.2 billion online during Cyber Week; this includes the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday. Black Friday alone saw a record $11.8 billion spent! This year, Adobe expects Cyber Week to reach $47.5 billion, with Cyber Monday crossing $15 billion in a single day for the first time.
Thatâs why BFCM canât be a last-minute campaign: brands that plan ahead reach shoppers first.
At Email Mavlers, weâve helped 5000+ brands and agencies with pixel-perfect email templates and campaign management. In this post, weâll walk you through 10 Black Friday and Cyber Monday emails from brands that got it right, with ideas you can borrow for your own campaign.
Key BFCM 2026 dates
| Dates | What to send |
| Now â Nov 13 | Prep: clean your list, plan offers, design templates |
| Nov 16 â 25 | Teasers, waitlists and early access |
| Nov 27 (Black Friday) | Your main sale launch |
| Nov 28 â 29 | Weekend reminders |
| Nov 30 (Cyber Monday) | A fresh offer or new angle |
| Dec 1 onward | Last chance, extensions and thank-yous |
Email marketing takes a lot of work before you design Black Friday email campaigns. So, this first week of November should be about cleaning your list, grouping your subscribers, and planning a short series of emails rather than one big âSALEâ blast.
Stage 1: Build anticipation before the sale
These Black Friday email examples build curiosity, so people are watching when your sale goes live.
1. Yumwoof: A teaser served on a âmenuâ
Subject line: Whatâs on the Black Friday menu?
The brand: Yumwoof makes air-dried dog food with âButcher Qualityâ ingredients and talks about it like a chef talks about recipes.
What they did: They could have just revealed the deal in the Black Friday email, but Yumwoof did something different. They announced they are cooking up something good for Black Friday and asked subscribers to join a waitlist.
Why it works: The subject line and email match the brandâs kitchen theme, making the teaser feel natural. Curiosity about upcoming deals rises, and the waitlist shows Yumwoof who its most eager buyers are.
Borrow this idea: Write your teaser in your brandâs own language. A food brand talks about menus; a fitness brand might talk about warming up.
2. Atoms: The mystery box
Subject line: Atoms Black Friday Offer: 2 surprise pairs for $99
The brand: Atoms is a well-known brand of simple, comfortable everyday sneakers. They focus on thoughtful details like stretch laces you only tie once.
What they did: They offered shoppers two pairs of shoes worth $334. The catch? You donât know which pairs until they arrive. This Black Friday email example is a very smart move.Â
Why it works: The subject line puts the whole deal up front, clear and simple like the shoes themselves. Because Atoms keeps its designs minimal and versatile, a surprise pair feels like less of a gamble.
Borrow this idea: Bundle products into a surprise pack at a strong price.
Stage 2: Launch your sale clearly
When your sale goes live, clarity is essential. Your offer should be clear, prominent â something your readers see and understand within a second or two.
3. Aventon: The straightforward sale email
Subject line: Less Than a Week Left! Up to $500 OFF Select EbikesđČđ„
The brand: Aventon has a bold, energetic personality, and they focus on e-bikes for commutes, trails, and everyday adventures.
What they did: A simply designed email with the offer sitting centered in their bright brand yellow color, with bike pictures arranged around it.
Why it works: The emojis and exclamation mark in the subject line match the brandâs energy. The deadline creates urgency and nudges the reader to act. For a big purchase like an e-bike, highlighting the dollar savings makes it special.Â
Borrow this idea: If you donât want a lengthy email, just put your offer in the middle, make it big and conspicuous, and surround it with your product photos â this way you have enough space for showcasing products as well as the offer.
4. Cuisinart: More products, less space
Subject line: Last call for Cyber Monday deals
The brand: Cuisinart is a well-known kitchen appliance brand, with everything from food processors to coffee makers.
What they did: In Cuisinartâs Cyber Monday email campaign, a GIF cycles through several products in one spot, instead of listing them all in a long grid.
Why it works: A brand with a huge range has a real problem at BFCM: too many deals to show. The GIF solves it without endless scrolling. The short, direct subject line does exactly what a last-day email should.
Borrow this idea: Rotate your deals in one GIF.
5. Yellowbird: Small animations, big personality
Subject line: Cybird Monday đ„ 20% OFF
The brand: Yellowbird is a Texas hot sauce brand with a cheeky voice and a bird at the heart of its identity. Even its customer reviews section is called âThe word on the Bird.â
What they did: Small, playful animations draw the eye to its 20% off sale.
Why it works: âCybird Mondayâ turns a generic sale day into something only Yellowbird could say. The animations add a fun element to the email; theyâre not loud at all, just like the brand itself.
Borrow this idea: Give your sale a name that fits your brand- it could be serious, fun, or witty. Then add one small animation near the offer.
6. Brevo: A simple GIF discount counter and a personal touch
Subject line: Smiles, last day to claim 40% off
The brand: Brevo is an email and marketing platform for businesses. Its Black Friday email is a great showcase of what its customers can do and sets the right example.
What they did: They used subject line personalization â it uses the readerâs first name (here, âSmilesâ)? Brevo has won half the battle in the inbox itself. Inside, a discount GIF builds curiosity.Â
Why it works: First, seeing your name makes an email feel written for you, so the name in the subject line is a perfect start. Next, the ticking numbers in the GIF counter say âtime is running outâ at a glance. The strategy here is on-point.
Borrow this idea: Add the subscriberâs first name to your last-day subject line. If you donât have the in-house expertise for a live countdown timer or the bandwidth to code it, use a simple animated counter. Just make sure the deadline is real.
Stage 3: Create urgency (the honest way)
A countdown gives people a reason to act now.
7. Adornmonde: A live countdown with a story
Subject line: This is not a drill
The brand: Adornmonde is a jewelry brand that sells solid-gold earrings and piercing jewelry, which it calls âLazy Girl Jewelryâ, pieces you can sleep and shower in. The brand tone is a mix of chatty and a little cheeky.
What they did: This Cyber Monday email example from Adornmonde paired a live countdown timer with a really cool GIF of a woman reacting to the sale, showing her excitement and disbelief.
Why it works: The subject line is intriguing, but they could have added something about the sale for clarity. The thought bubbles of the girl in the image voice what the reader might be thinking, which feels far more fun than âHurry, sale ends soon!â The live counter, of course, plays the central role, generating a sense of urgency.
Borrow this idea: Pair your countdown with a character or reaction your audience relates to, and let the visual tell the story.
Stage 4: Keep the momentum going
By the weekend, subscribers have already seen your sale. Give them a new reason to look.
8. dbrand: Real reviews from social media
Subject line: This email contains 23 ________
The brand: dbrand makes skins, cases, and screen protectors for phones, laptops, and gaming devices. Youâll know itâs a total fun brand from its sarcastic, joke-about-everything voice and claims that robots run it. How cool!
What they did: After Black Friday, dbrand announced an extended sale. In the email, they added 23 social media posts from real customers whoâd bought during the sale.
Why it works: The blank in the subject line is absolutely impossible to ignore. Curiosity about what 23 is makes you open the email. And when you do, you wonât be disappointed if you are a customer of the brand, because inside, real customers do the selling. Itâs playful and confident, which is exactly dbrand.
Borrow this idea: Collect customer posts during the first few days of your sale, then feature them in your reminder or extension email.
9. Brooks Running: Play to win
Subject line: This is not a Black Friday email
The brand: Brooks makes running shoes and gear, with an upbeat, feel-good spirit built around its âRun Happyâ message.
What they did: Brooks invited subscribers to play a game for a chance to win an e-gift code, aimed at people whoâd rather not go shopping.
Why it works: As inboxes get crowded with Black Friday emails, a subject line that says itâs not one can grab attention. The email features a game; on winning, players get an e-gift code that brings them back to shop. Itâs a fun break from direct-sale monotony, and it fits the brandâs happy personality.
Borrow this idea: Add a simple spin-the-wheel, scratch card, or quiz with a small prize. Interactive emails can work wonders for your brand, especially during holidays and occasions.Â
Stage 5: Or do something completely different
Sometimes the boldest move is to skip the sale altogether.
10. Art of Play: No sale, just a note from the founder
Subject line: The Internet is Hell
The brand: Based in Brooklyn, Art of Play is a shop selling playing cards, puzzles, games, and curious objects, plus its own tiny magic theatre. Its newsletters are short, often funny, and worth reading.
What they did: On Black Friday, it sent a plain, text-only email signed by the founder. No discounts, no images. It clearly stated they werenât running a sale and encouraged readers to shop at local businesses instead.
Why it works: The subject line is a bit blunt and makes you stop mid-scroll. And because Art of Play is a small local shop itself, the message feels genuine, not like a gimmick.
Borrow this idea: If discounts donât fit your brand, send an honest note explaining why. Speak like a person, not a marketing team.
Quick checks before you hit send
- Check it on your phone. Most BFCM emails are opened on mobile.
- Keep GIFs light. Large files load slowly, and some email apps only show the first frame, so make it count.
- Test in dark mode. Logos and dark designs can disappear when colors flip.
- Use one main button. Every email should have one clear next step.
- Check every link and code. A broken Black Friday discount code is an expensive mistake.
Final thoughts
So is it the biggest discount that wins BFCM? Not really. As these 10 emails show, a little curiosity, honest urgency, real customer proof, or a personal touch can make your emails the ones people actually open.
We hope you are inspired to steal some ideas and create Black Friday and Cyber Monday emails that fit your brand.
Need BFCM email templates designed and ready in time? Email Mavlers has your back.Â