Wheelwiz | “Hot Wheels, Cool Summer” Email

Role: Email & SMS Marketing Specialist

Tools Used: Klaviyo, Canva (visual QA), Grammarly (copy QA)

Project Type: Seasonal Promo Email

Industry: Automotive eCommerce (DTC)

Date: July 2023

The Challenge

Wheelwiz needed a bold, seasonal promo that would cut through the summer inbox clutter and move slow-moving wheel inventory. The core incentive? A free installation kit worth $75. But to make the offer land, it needed to feel fun, easy to claim, and tied to something bigger than just a discount, summer adventures.

The Strategy

I took a “campaign-first” approach, treating this more like a summer mini-launch than a simple coupon email. The visual identity leaned into contrast-heavy yellow and blue tones, with bold brushstroke overlays that gave it a street-style, garage-ready aesthetic. The message? “Hot Wheels. Cool Summer.”

We didn’t bury the lead: the free kit was featured right up top, paired with a direct CTA and highlighted code FREEKIT in an eye-popping pill button.

Trust continued to play a key role, the lower half included real, Google-sourced reviews, helping reinforce product quality and service credibility.

Execution

Designed in Klaviyo with custom visual assets and layout structure
Prioritized above-the-fold promo clarity for mobile scrollers
Wrote copy that leaned into benefit-driven language (“Beat the heat,” “summer in style”)
Used conditional logic to suppress for past purchasers of kits (prevent offer fatigue)
Paired with SMS reminder to increase last-day urgency

Results

+35% promo code usage rate, with over 60% of redemptions coming via mobile
+20% email conversion rate compared to the previous promo
SMS follow-up campaign drove 18% lift in engagement among warm leads
Helped clear a portion of older wheel SKUs in time for new inventory

Why It Worked

The campaign succeeded because it made the offer the star, not an afterthought. We used visual energy + emotional language to frame the kit as a summer essential, not just an accessory. That shift in positioning, paired with well-timed delivery and strong social proof, turned a simple giveaway into a real value-driver.