How Kiehl's - EN does email campaigns that drive clicks
1. PSA: Flash Sale Ends Soon ⏲️
Objective
To drive immediate purchases by creating urgency around a limited-time 30% off flash sale on select Kiehl’s favorites, while reinforcing brand loyalty through exclusive perks and value-added services.
Why this works
The email leverages urgency with a bold 'FLASH SALE 30% OFF' headline paired with a time-sensitive banner, effectively prompting quick decisions without overwhelming the reader with complex messaging.
How to implement
By featuring high-impact visuals of popular products like the Clearly Corrective serum and Rare Earth mask, the campaign taps into existing customer preferences while subtly guiding them toward top performers.
Pro Tip
Add a countdown timer beneath the 'LIMITED TIME ONLY!' banner to visually reinforce urgency and reduce the cognitive load of calculating how much time remains. • Reposition the 'SHOP NOW' CTA button to be more centrally aligned with the product imagery, improving visual flow and reducing the chance users miss the primary action due to scattered layout.
2. 💜 Back To School Means Back To Skincare 💜
Objective
This email aims to drive back-to-school skincare purchases by offering a 25% sitewide discount and a free 4-piece gift with $135+ orders, while encouraging membership sign-ups to boost loyalty and repeat engagement.
Why this works
The email brilliantly ties the back-to-school season to skincare routines, creating emotional resonance by positioning self-care as part of academic readiness, a clever seasonal pivot that feels both timely and personal.
How to implement
Layering multiple incentives, a percentage discount, a high-value free gift, and bonus loyalty points, creates a compelling value stack that reduces purchase hesitation and encourages higher cart values without overwhelming the reader.
Pro Tip
Add a countdown timer under the 25% off offer to create urgency, since the promotion expires September 14, this would visually reinforce the limited-time nature and encourage faster conversions. • Include a short customer testimonial or review snippet near the 'Top Trending Products' section to build social proof and validate product popularity, especially since the products are shown without supporting user feedback.
3. 📣Advent Calendar is HERE!
Objective
This email aims to drive immediate purchases of Kiehl’s limited-edition Advent Calendar by emphasizing its exclusivity, high perceived value, and urgency before it sells out. It also seeks to grow their SMS subscriber list by teasing a future major deal.
Why this works
The email brilliantly leverages scarcity and social proof by announcing the Advent Calendar is ‘HERE’ and urging customers to ‘GET IT BEFORE IT SELLS OUT,’ which triggers FOMO and accelerates decision-making among holiday shoppers.
How to implement
By prominently displaying ‘58% SAVINGS’ and ‘$297 VALUE’ next to the $125 price, the campaign transforms a luxury purchase into a rational, high-return investment, a psychological nudge that justifies indulgence during the holidays.
Pro Tip
Add a countdown timer beneath the ‘SHOP NOW’ button to visually reinforce urgency and create real-time pressure, which could increase conversion rates for time-sensitive holiday shoppers. • Include a short customer testimonial or star rating near the product image to build trust and reduce perceived risk, especially since the calendar is a premium, multi-item purchase with no individual reviews visible.
4. 📢 FINAL HOURS for our Presidents Day Buy 1, Get 1 FREE sale!
Objective
This email aims to drive immediate purchases by creating urgency around a limited-time Presidents Day promotion offering Buy One, Get One Free on select bestsellers, while reinforcing brand loyalty through exclusive perks and product highlights.
Why this works
The email masterfully combines patriotic visual cues with a time-sensitive offer, leveraging national holidays to create emotional resonance and urgency without sacrificing brand elegance or clarity.
How to implement
Each product tile includes a clear 'BUY 1 GET 1 FREE' badge and pricing context, reducing friction by immediately communicating value and eliminating the need for users to calculate savings themselves.
Pro Tip
Add a dynamic countdown timer in the hero section to visually reinforce the 'FINAL HOURS' urgency and encourage immediate action before the offer expires. • Include a short customer testimonial or star rating beneath 1–2 top-performing products to build social proof and reduce perceived risk for first-time buyers.
5. 🎉 Live Now! 25% Off Friends & Family Sale
Objective
This email aims to drive immediate sales by promoting Kiehl’s limited-time Friends & Family Sale with 25% off across online and in-store purchases, while also incentivizing higher cart values through a free 3-piece gift on orders over $125.
Why this works
The email brilliantly combines urgency and exclusivity by front-loading the 25% off sale with a clear end date and emphasizing it’s for ‘Friends & Family’, a psychological trigger that makes recipients feel personally invited to a privileged event.
How to implement
By showcasing bestsellers with bold strikethrough pricing and visual icons like lab beakers and cartoon scientists, Kiehl’s reinforces its apothecary heritage while making discounts feel scientifically validated and trustworthy to skincare-savvy buyers.
Pro Tip
Add a dynamic countdown timer beneath the ‘Ends: 3/26’ text in the hero section to visually reinforce urgency and encourage immediate action rather than passive browsing. • Reposition the ‘Healthy Skin Tricks’ education section higher in the email, perhaps after the hero, to build trust and authority before pushing product offers, this could reduce perceived sales pressure and increase engagement.
6. 25% OFF Back To School Skincare Favorites!
Objective
To drive immediate sales by promoting a 25% sitewide discount on popular skincare products, while encouraging new and existing customers to join the loyalty program for added rewards and exclusive perks.
Why this works
The email brilliantly ties a seasonal theme, back-to-school, to skincare, making the promotion feel timely and emotionally relevant to students, parents, and anyone refreshing their routine for a new chapter.
How to implement
By featuring best-selling products with clear discount tags and direct 'Shop Now' CTAs under each, the email reduces decision fatigue and creates a frictionless path from interest to purchase without overwhelming the reader.
Pro Tip
Add a countdown timer under the main offer to create urgency, since the promotion ends September 14, this would visually reinforce the limited-time nature and encourage faster conversions. • Reposition the 'Travel Ready Routine' cross-sell section higher in the email, ideally after the hero, to capture attention before product grid fatigue sets in, this high-value bundle deserves more visual prominence.
7. Try Our New Acne Product!
Objective
This email aims to drive immediate purchases of Kiehl’s new acne-clearing product bundle by positioning it as a complete, easy-to-follow skincare solution for all skin types, including sensitive skin, while emphasizing its exclusive value and clinical efficacy.
Why this works
The email brilliantly frames the new acne solution not as a single product but as a complete, step-by-step routine, making it feel more comprehensive and trustworthy for customers seeking real results rather than just another serum or cream.
How to implement
By visually demonstrating each step with diverse models and clear application instructions, the campaign reduces customer hesitation and builds confidence that the routine is simple, effective, and suitable for all skin types, including sensitive and male skin.
Pro Tip
Add a small testimonial or clinical result stat (e.g., '92% saw clearer skin in 2 weeks') near the hero section to strengthen social proof and reduce skepticism around a new product launch. • Include a subtle countdown timer or 'Limited Stock' indicator near the CTA to amplify urgency, especially since the offer is labeled 'exclusive', this would better leverage the psychological trigger already implied.
8. 🎀Meet Our 2023 Advent Calendar🎀
Objective
This email aims to drive immediate purchases of Kiehl’s 2023 Advent Calendar by highlighting its limited availability, high perceived value, and exclusive product collection, while also building anticipation for upcoming deals through SMS sign-ups.
Why this works
The email masterfully creates urgency by pairing a bold headline with a scarcity-driven subheading, 'Get it before it sells out!', which primes the reader to act immediately rather than browse casually.
How to implement
By visually displaying the full product lineup and overlaying a clear value proposition, '58% savings, $297 value', the email transforms a seasonal product into a rational, high-return purchase decision for gifters and self-treaters alike.
Pro Tip
Add a countdown timer or stock indicator near the 'SHOP NOW' button to amplify urgency, since the current 'get it before it sells out' message lacks real-time social proof or scarcity cues to push hesitant buyers over the edge. • Include a short testimonial or user-generated photo of someone unboxing or using the calendar to build social validation, the current design relies heavily on product visuals but misses the emotional proof that drives gifting decisions.
9. Last Chance For FREE 3-Piece Gift!
Objective
This email aims to drive immediate purchases by creating urgency around a limited-time free gift offer tied to a $75+ spend, while reinforcing brand loyalty through rewards program promotion and showcasing bestsellers to guide customer selection.
Why this works
The email brilliantly leverages urgency with a time-bound free gift offer, making the $75+ spend feel like a smart investment rather than a threshold, which psychologically lowers resistance to spending.
How to implement
By visually anchoring the gift’s $25 value next to the actual products, Kiehl’s transforms a promotional perk into a tangible, desirable reward that customers can immediately visualize owning and using.
Pro Tip
Add a countdown timer near the hero section to visually reinforce the 'Last Chance' urgency and create real-time pressure to act before the July 5 deadline. • Include a short testimonial or social proof snippet near the product grid to validate the bestsellers’ popularity and build trust for customers hesitant to choose.
10. LAST CHANCE! Take 25% Off Before Mother's Day⏰
Objective
This email aims to drive last-minute Mother’s Day purchases by creating urgency with a 25% sitewide discount, while highlighting bestsellers and gifting deadlines to convert hesitant shoppers before the holiday.
Why this works
The email brilliantly leverages time-sensitive urgency by pairing 'LAST CHANCE!' with a Mother’s Day deadline, making the discount feel exclusive and immediate rather than generic, which significantly boosts conversion intent.
How to implement
By showcasing only bestsellers with clear discount badges and individual 'SHOP NOW' buttons, the campaign reduces decision fatigue and guides shoppers directly to high-intent products, increasing the likelihood of immediate purchase.
Pro Tip
Add a countdown timer beneath the hero headline to visually reinforce urgency, the current 'LAST CHANCE!' text lacks dynamic pressure, and a timer would increase perceived scarcity and drive faster clicks. • Include a short testimonial or social proof near the product grid (e.g., 'Loved by 10K+ moms this week') to build trust and reduce hesitation, especially since the offer targets gift-givers who may be unfamiliar with the products.