Oops!—or was it?

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Read time: 3 minutes 12 seconds

Last week, I got a strange email from the CEO of makeugc.ai.

I read the subject line and I felt like, oh! Looks like I just got cc’ed into an email I’m not supposed to see. I got curious and tapped in. 

Here’s what it said: 

Was it a mistake? 

I don’t think so.

Here’s what happened: Someone in the marketing team carefully orchestrated this email to grab my attention. And, it worked👀. 

But I’m not mad. I liked the neat little marketing idea.

So, let’s talk about the “Sent by mistake” marketing tactic and walk through some examples. 

Because Makeugc’s email is just one half of a two-part play, I’m seeing more brands run.

The Playbook

Step 1: Send an “accidental” email.

Step 2: Follow it up with an apology and a discount.

Small drama but done well, it works.

Examples

1. Gary Halbert seminar promo coupon, fixed but expiring soon

The email opens with a classic setup:

"We made a mistake and accidentally turned off the discount code..."

Then it pivots fast into urgency:

"We’ve turned the coupon back on, but not for long..."

And here’s the kicker:

"Starting tomorrow, we will be reducing the discount amount by 10% each day."

Translation?
“Oops… we messed up. But act now, or you’ll pay more every day.”

It’s a smart mix of manufactured mistake + real incentive. Whether or not the error was real doesn’t even matter. The story pulls you in, and the ticking clock pushes you to act.

2. Fab, the design-inspired e-commerce company, using the “sent by mistake” tactic with hilarious wordplay. 

You can see IYKYK (if you know, you know) style in action, making fun of the tactic and the offer plugged in seamlessly.

3. Newport news, using the “sent by mistake” tactic half-heartedly 

IMO, this is a poorly executed “sent by mistake” email bucket. (Maybe it wasn’t orchestrated, but I still find it a half-hearted effort.)

The email doesn't pinpoint what happened. It doesn’t show the brand’s embarrassment, the lady’s image doesn’t land well with the subject line. It doesn’t relate to a reaction people have after making a mistake

4. Just another example of a fashion brand using the tactic right

Why does accidental email work?

🧠 Brain loves playing detective: People LOVE catching mistakes (like in MakeUGC’s case, I discovered I’m cc’ed into an email I’m not supposed to get, and then course corrected my understanding)

🙈“Mistake/Oops” has pull: Sending “mistakes” and making up for them creates anticipation 

👨‍👨‍👧‍👧 Humanize the brand: Apologizing for a mistake has a human feel. You realize there are real people behind the brand, making it more relatable

🤠A good reason for extending the sale: Sales extension is common at startups. This usually happens when the traction doesn’t yield the desired results. Accidental emails give you a chance to get double the exposure. I usually spot the second email first and then go on to find the first email to actually see the mistake they made. 

Callouts if you are going to try it out

This tactic is clever — once. Maybe twice. After that, it chips off credibility.

If you’re going to run this play, a few rules:

Don’t overdo it. People catch on fast.

Make the follow-up feel honest. A polished fake apology kills trust.

Pair it with a real offer. No one believes you if you give 10% off because of the mistake

Until next time! 👋

Saurabh