How this brand sells out products on purpose (and prints money doing it)

Hey it's Max from The Inbox Newsletter.

This brand purposefully sells out their phone cases. Then brings them back for just 24 hours only.

This "Vault" strategy drives crazy revenue without training customers by creating massive urgency.

It's one of the smartest campaign strategies I've seen. Here's how it works and how to adapt it for your brand.

Key Takeaways:

• The Vault creates scarcity without fake urgency (products are actually discontinued)

• Event marketing beats discount marketing (customers jump for limited drops, not sales)

• Email sequence structure: Teaser → Launch → Urgency → Restock

• Works for any product type: fashion, supplements, accessories

• Psychology: Scarcity + nostalgia + FOMO = immediate action

What Is "The Vault"?

Velvet Caviar runs a "Vault" collection where they drop limited-edition phone cases, sell them out, then bring them back for 24-48 hours only.

The cases are marked with a "FROM THE VAULT" badge. To add to the urgency, they add countdown timers to their emails. So when customers see “24 hours only,” they know they mean it.

Here’s the full breakdown of their Vault campaigns.

Spoiler alert: these emails are a masterclass in marketing psychology.

The Email Sequence: The Structure of a Vault Campaign

Here's the sequence Velvet Caviar runs for every Vault drop:

Email 1 (2 days before): Teaser

• Building anticipation with “Coming Soon”

• Framing The Vault as something super exclusive and special

• Showcasing and frame the product as exclusive (“Collector’s Edition”)

• Preparing customers by telling them to be ready for a specific date

• Create scarcity by letting customers know it’s a limited drop

Email 2 (Day of launch): Launch

• “From the Vault” signals exclusivity

• “Available today only” creates urgency

• AOV push by highlighting matching accessories

• Product features section which shows this is more than just a flashy case. It has function too.

Email 3 (2 hours later): Reminder Back In Stock

• Piggy-back on the launch email with another reminder

• Double down on limited time and vault angles

• Purpose is less on introducing more info… but more on showing up again in people’s faces

Email 4 (4-6 hours later): Urgency Push Last Chance

• Countdown timer hammers massive urgency

• Since this is a limited drop, emailing multiple times on the same day doesn’t feel pushy

• Lifestyle shots showcasing product in action

• Final urgency push CTA

The Psychology Behind Why This Works

This isn’t your typical “20% off this week” sale most brands run.

This is a one-time, hyper-exclusive offer. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

Here are the psychological levers pulling the strings behind this campaign:

REAL Scarcity: These products are actually discontinued. When they bring them back, it's a genuine one-time opportunity.

Nostalgia: People who missed it the first time get a second chance. "I'm not missing this again."

FOMO: 24-hour windows create urgency without feeling fake. The clock is ticking. Either you buy or you miss out.

Event marketing, not discount marketing: This isn't a sale. It's a drop. Customers don't wait for a better deal. They jump when the Vault opens.

How to Adapt This for Your Brand

You don't need to sell phone cases to use the Vault strategy.

Fashion/Accessories: Retire colorways or designs at the end of each season. Bring them back as "Vault drops" once or twice a year.

Supplements: Launch limited-edition flavors, discontinue them, then bring them back for 48 hours based on customer demand.

Any Product: Create a "Vault" collection of discontinued or exclusive items. The key is actually discontinuing things so the re-release feels real.

The Vault works because the scarcity is legitimate. You're not running a fake countdown timer on a product that's always in stock. You're bringing back something people genuinely can't get anymore.

Final Thoughts

Stop training customers to wait for discounts. Train them to jump when you drop something limited.

The Vault strategy creates urgency without eroding margins. It turns product launches into events. And it builds a customer base that's conditioned to act fast instead of waiting for the next sale.

Velvet Caviar has built a multi-million dollar brand on this strategy. It works for phone cases. It'll work for your product too.

If you want help building event-driven campaigns that drive revenue without discounting, my team has generated $200M+ in email revenue for clients. Book a call here.

Email Inspiration Of The Day

Brand:
Sundays

Email Design:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w8hlZjrnyWicw8g7fS1YrxqBS989IPgY/view?usp=sharing

Notes:
Love the hero section creativity and pattern interrupt here!

Reply to this email if you have any questions or further content you want covered.

Cheers,

Max | Well Copy Email & SMS Marketing
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