Black Friday is the ultimate day for sales and profit across all retail sectors. While it once meant long lines and in-store rushes, today the biggest battles are fought online, with purchases just a few clicks away.
Every company strives to capture attention and loyalty during this peak season. The most effective digital tool for achieving this remains the email campaign.
In this blog post, we give you 99 effective ideas for Black Friday email subject lines.
Black Friday: What NOT to Do
Bad Examples: Too Generic to Be Noticed
These subjects are so general they get lost in the inbox noise and are easily skipped:
- MegaMarket: Black Friday! Discounts up to 70% Off!
- The Giant Store: Black Friday at The Giant Store!
- Fresh Brew Co.: Black Friday is here! 25% OFF everything! Don’t miss your chance!
- HomeGoods Hub: The Biggest Sale of the Year is Starting!
- ShoeTique: Black Friday is close (Tomorrow/Soon)!
- The Phone Co.: Were you waiting for Black Friday? It’s here!
- DealGrab: Don’t miss your chance to get $50 on ANYTHING!
- TrendSetter: The Event of the Year! Black Friday! Black Discounts!
- M.A.C: 30% Off, Black Friday Has Already Started!
- Pawtopia: Shhh, Black Friday has arrived…
- HomeGoods Hub: Black Friday is in Full Swing!
- FreshEats: Black Friday Continues!
- LuxeLingerie: Exclusive Black Friday Sale is Now Live!
- StyleStop: Last Chance! Black Friday Finale at StyleStop!
- SleepWell Store: Final Call to Catch the Biggest Sale of the Year!
Generic and boilerplate email subjects no longer work, especially when virtually every company sends a campaign during this period.
Confusing Examples: Unclear and Worthless
These are ANTI-examples. Some words or details confuse the recipient, which negatively affects conversions:
- Black Friday: Up to 30% off selected SKUs (The term ‘SKUs’ is not customer-friendly)
- BLACK FRIDAY — up to 50% OFF! Plus an additional 10% off all items! (It’s confusing what the final discount percentage will be)
- It’s here. Up to 50% off on some items (Double negativity: “up to” and “some” items)
- Last Day of the Early Black Friday Pre-Sale (Too complex or dense to process quickly)
If your goal is high conversion, do not make your subscribers decode or guess your offer.
Winning Examples
Warm-up / Pre-Sale (Ramp-up)
There’s no need to wait for November 28th to launch your campaign.
Black Friday traditionally takes place on the fourth Friday of November. In 2025, the sale starts on November 28th.
Send out announcements 1–5 days before the sale starts. This time allows you to familiarize your subscribers with products/services, terms, and prices, “warming up” your audience before the official launch.
- We’re Announcing the Black Friday Rehearsal!
- Prep Your Cart for Black Friday!
- Pre-Black Friday Sale at LaMode! The Main Sale of the Year Has Started!
- The Final Run-Through Before Black Friday
- The Discounts Are Coming…
- Check Your Clock | The Black Friday Countdown Starts Now
Get to the Point (Straight to the Offer)
One of the most important aspects of email marketing is respecting your subscribers. Respect their time by clearly outlining the core offer in the subject line.
- 50% OFF Bestsellers + 25% OFF EVERYTHING! Black Friday & Saturday at The Body Shop!
- Black Friday! Up to 30% off your favorite LEGO sets from Nov 24–27.
- FREE Shipping + 20% Off + Free Gift = Black Friday
- Black Friday: 550 items at 55% off
- Black Friday: 30% off items in the black-style collection
- Black Friday at GlobalDeals: Tablet for 5 Cents!
- 4 Days of 50% OFF on 400 Items! Black Friday Launch! Be the First to Shop!
- Last Day of the BLACK-BLACK Friday! Honest discounts up to 90% and a Luxury Candle for $4.99
- Simple Math: Get Two Programs for the Price of One
- Courses starting at $4.99. This is Black Friday, folks!
- BLACK FRIDAY! 20% off Clothing and 30% off Shoes + Free Delivery. Online Only!
- Brand-1 -35%, Brand-2 -80%, Brand-3 -70% + Daily Deals!
- 100 Frying Pans for $10 — Black Friday continues!
- 60% OFF Annual PRO Access
Intrigue (The Mystery Hook)
Intrigue positively influences open rates. Evaluate if this communication style suits your audience, and if so, create a genuinely interesting mystery.
Tip: We recommend using this style only for your most loyal subscribers, who instantly recognize your brand. Otherwise, your email may remain unopened.
- BLACK FRIDAY! Find Out What We’ve Cooked Up For You!
- Something Huge Is Coming…
- Black Friday is a Big Hoax
- (First Name), Time to Panic
- If you’re dreading seeing your relatives…
- Emergency! Save the Octopus! (A humorous, company-specific emergency)
- The Black Box is here! Hurry to claim it.
- Secret Sale — How much will you save?
- Black Friday: Sharing our most precious items!
- How many Fridays did you count this month?
- Tonight at Midnight
- For those waiting in line
Honesty (Earning Trust)
People trust sales and discounts less, believing them to be marketing tricks. If your offer is truly exclusive to Black Friday, make that clear in the subject line.
- Honest Black Friday: 28% OFF EVERYTHING! Nov. 28th Only
- Honest Black Friday Has Begun. 3 Days Left
- Honest Discounts up to 70% on 400+ books! Black Friday
- 30% OFF Everything! Real Discounts this Black Friday
Be the Winner (Early Access)
Everyone loves to know or receive things first. Try tapping into this desire in your subject line.
- Black Friday. Get access to explosive 80% OFF discounts earlier than everyone else
- Start your Black Friday before anyone else
- You’re First – Black Friday! Early Access!
- 3 Ways to Win Black Friday
- Be the first: See our Black Friday offers now
- Black Friday Discounts. Find out before anyone else!
Creative & Unusual Subjects
These are titles that stand out due to a bold, provocative, or humorous approach. If your target audience is receptive to creativity, use bold themes. Just ensure the subject matches the email content.
- The Ultimate Black Friday Heist!!
- Up to 20% off during White Wednesday! Switch to the bright side!
- You can’t have too many shoes… at up to 50% off
- The dishes can wait. It’s Black Friday Time
- $1 and you’re in a streaming binge-session
- BLACK FRIDAY gets a splash of bright prints
- Our Prices are SCARY Good at GlowUp Cosmetics! Black Friday!
- Everyone’s gone crazy with this Black Friday, and so have I…
- [SALE] Starting Today! Red Hot Prices on Black Friday! ★
- We’re Giving Away 100 Free Pizzas!
- 7 Black Fridays in One Week — The Shopping Event of the Year
- Get your paws on Petplan’s Black Friday discounts
- The “Blackest” emails for Black Friday
- Learn something new during our biggest sale ever
- Just this weekend: Please, don’t buy anything (Contradictory appeal)
- Gifts for those who love to cook (or just eat)
Discounts & Gifts
Huge discounts are the main feature of Black Friday. If you also offer a gift to every customer, the probability of purchase increases. Free shipping is one of the most popular and accessible gifts. Try offering your own valuable gift, such as an extended warranty, a gift coupon, a certificate, or a chance to win something.
- Black Friday: 20% OFF + Free Shipping
- Save up to $150 + Get a Rovus Mop for $0.01. Black Friday!
- Last 24 Hours! 80% OFF and a Free Gift
- Black Friday is Live! Lowest Prices of the Year & a Chance to Win a Year of Shopping!
- Black Friday Magic: 30% OFF and a Free Bag
- Black Friday Deal: Free Gift with ANY Purchase
- Black Friday Bonus: Give gifts, get gifts
Black Friday’s Over, Hello Saturday! (The Extension)
Don’t let your sales end on Friday. Offer those who haven’t completed their order a chance to finalize it on Saturday. This allows you to sell products that subscribers showed interest in but didn’t manage to buy on Friday.
- BLACK Friday is over, but RED Friday is in full swing!
- Our Black Friday continues
- The Day After Black Friday?! Up to 60% OFF!
- For those who missed Black Friday!
- Black Friday’s Over, but Deals Up to 70% Remain
- Black… Saturday!
- One More Black Friday!
- By Popular Demand! Black Friday is extended!
Black Friday is not just one day of sales, but a complete communication strategy. The main takeaway from this list is that there is no universally “correct” subject line. Success lies in the diversity of approaches: use intrigue for loyal audiences, be maximally specific with new customers, and don’t shy away from creative experiments.
Most importantly, you must A/B test your hypotheses and analyze the results. Use these 99 ideas as a starting point to craft unique offers that will help you stand out from the inbox clutter and achieve record sales during the biggest sale event of the fall.