Best Thanksgiving Email Subject Lines: Tips and 80+ Examples

Thanksgiving is a golden opportunity to connect with current customers, attract new leads, and foster customer loyalty. There’s no need to hold off until Cyber Monday or Black Friday to tap into the shopping frenzy and offer what customers are waiting for.

Get into the holiday spirit early on and leverage this occasion’s potential to remain seasonally relevant.

Thanksgiving is all about gratitude and finding great deals. Why not capture it in your Thanksgiving messages? Let’s see what it takes to generate the Thanksgiving email subject lines that work.

What Kind of Messages Should You Send During Thanksgiving?

When you’re trying to figure out what message to send on Thanksgiving, think of your audience’s interests, business goals, and how they intersect.

A heartfelt message of gratitude might strengthen your relationship with your customers, showing them you value more than just their business.

But promotional emails and discount offers drive sales and attract and attract customers looking for holiday deals.

Here are several topic ideas for your next Thanksgiving email.

Gratitude and best wishes,
Sales and discounts,
Early bird specials,
Last chance reminders,
Donations and fundraising,
Announcements.

Best Thanksgiving Subject Lines

The goal of a subject line is to make your reader want to click and read more.

The best Thanksgiving subject lines are clear, concise, catchy, and creative.

What does that mean?

Clear: They leave no room for confusion.
Concise: They grab attention with just a few words.
Catchy: They pique curiosity or stir an emotion.
Creative: They make your email stand out in crowded inboxes.

Now, let’s give you a few examples for inspiration:

Happy Thanksgiving Email Subject Line

A thank you email resonates well with the holiday spirit of giving thanks and expressing appreciation. Your subject line should convey warmth, gratitude, and sincere wishes.

Giving thanks for your support this year 🍁
You’re the heart of our community!
A special thank you from our family to yours
Grateful for moments shared and memories made
Celebrating you, our valued customers, this Thanksgiving
A toast to your health and happiness 🥂
Thankful for every click, every call, every client
Our gratitude grows with your continuous support
Serving up a heartfelt thanks to our patrons 🍽️
Giving thanks for your journey with us
Thanks a latte for your loyalty! ☕ Special treats inside
A season of thanks: Exclusive insights from [Company Name]
Our team is thankful for clients like you!
Thanks for keeping us in mind. A token of our appreciation inside
A Thanksgiving treat for our book lovers

Thanksgiving Sale Email Subject Lines

These subject lines should entice the audience with the promise of value, savings, or exclusive deals. You can make them exciting using urgency and exclusivity.

Feast on these exclusive Thanksgiving savings 🦃
Unwrap a special Thanksgiving discount inside
Our biggest Thanksgiving sale starts now!
Save big before the turkey: Thanksgiving flash sale!
Thanksgiving treats: Enjoy 30% off storewide
Exclusive Thanksgiving offer for our email family
Thanksgiving savings spree: Up to 50% off! 🍂
Thanksgiving wellness: 20% off all health supplements 🍏
Upgrade your skills: Exclusive Thanksgiving offers
Style your Thanksgiving: Fashion deals you can’t miss!
Cheers to Thanksgiving 🍷 Wine and spirits at delightful discounts
Thanksgiving Sale Alert: 40% off starts now!

Early Bird Thanksgiving Email Subject Lines

These are emails that promote early Thanksgiving deals and offers. The subject line should encourage recipients to take advantage of special offers before the main rush of Thanksgiving.

Grab it before it’s gone: Early Thanksgiving offers!
Early Thanksgiving treats: Save big before the rush 🍁
Catch the best Thanksgiving deals now!
Turkey came early: Enjoy these pre-Thanksgiving deals! 🦃
Who says turkeys can’t fly? Early bird deals are taking off!
Why wait for the pie? Early Thanksgiving deals are sweet!
Snatch early Thanksgiving deals now!

Last Chance Thanksgiving Email Subject Lines

Create subject lines for emails that convey a sense of urgency and finality. Try to motivate recipients to take immediate action to avoid missing out.

Final hours for our Thanksgiving sale!
Hurry, Thanksgiving savings end at midnight
Time’s ticking on our Thanksgiving countdown
Say goodbye to Thanksgiving specials. Last chance!
Your last slice of Thanksgiving savings pie
Final boarding call for Thanksgiving travel deals ✈️
Don’t be a turkey – grab these deals before they’re gone!
Thanksgiving finale: Don’t let these deals slip away

Thanksgiving Donation Email Subject Lines

These Thanksgiving emails focus on charitable causes, donations, or community service. The subject line should inspire a sense of community, empathy, and the spirit of giving.

A season for sharing: Support our Thanksgiving food drive
Make a difference this Thanksgiving
Give thanks by giving back
You’re invited to make an impact
Warm hearts this Thanksgiving
Be a Thanksgiving angel: Sponsor a family in need
Extend your table: Donate to our Thanksgiving fund

Thanksgiving Announcement Email Subject Lines

These emails share important news or updates related to Thanksgiving, such as new product launches, special Thanksgiving hours, events, or any significant changes. The subject line should generate interest and convey the importance of the message.

Extended Thanksgiving hours for your convenience
Join us for a Thanksgiving celebration event!
You’re invited: Exclusive Thanksgiving webinar this week
New Thanksgiving recipes on our cooking blog 🥧
Thanksgiving fitness challenge starts now. Are you in? 🏃‍♀️
Our Thanksgiving Surprise

Power Words to Use in Your Subject Lines

Looking for the extra “oomph” that hooks up your audience from the get-go? Use power words. These are words loaded with emotional and sensory details to grab their attention.

Using these power words, you can raise emotions like excitement, gratitude, curiosity, urgency, or fear of missing out.

Here’s a list of effective words you can use in your subject lines for Thanksgiving:

Grateful
Free
Special
Save
Exclusive
Quick
Easy
Incredible
Essentials
Family
Announcing
Introducing
Now
Magic
Hurry
Join
Only available
Limited offer

How To Make Your Subject Lines Stand Out

If your subject lines look like everyone else’s, your emails will get lost in the shuffle of holiday email marketing. Fortunately, a few tweaks can make your messages harder to miss.

Insert Emojis

Emojis make your subject lines personal by adding a hint of coolness and playfulness. Plus, they can help you get your message across more easily.

Use these emojis to capture the spirit of Thanksgiving and make your emails seem more relevant:

Turkey 🦃
Maple leave 🍁
Bottle with popping cork 🍾
Hot beverage ☕
Fallen leaf 🍂

Pro tip: Microsoft Windows has a cool emoji keyboard if you’re having trouble inserting emojis. Just press the Windows Key and the dot key (.) together. And if you’re a Mac user, Press Fn + E or the Globe key + E to bring up Character View, or if you still have the touch bar, find your emojis there.

Ask Questions

Most subject lines are statements. That’s why framing yours as a question will make it stand out in your recipients’ inboxes.

Another benefit of question subject lines is that they stir curiosity in your audience, which means your open rates and click-through rates will likely be higher.

Use Numbers

During the holiday season, customers are on the hunt for discounts and deals. So, any subject line with a discount number will grab their attention.

Even if you don’t have discounts and deals for Thanksgiving, you can still use statistics and other numbers to grab your audience’s attention.

Personalization is a Must!

How likely are you to open an email with a subject line that contains your name? Pretty likely!

And what’s at work here? Personalization.

Using your subscriber’s name in the subject line is an instant eye-catcher. It’s guaranteed to draw people’s attention in an inbox full of Thanksgiving emails.

You don’t have to limit yourself to the recipient’s name, though. You can use any personal details you’ve gathered about your customers, including their purchase or search history.

Use Persuasion Techniques to Increase Open and Click Rates

By learning about the psychology behind persuasive email subject lines, you can significantly increase your open rates, engage your audience, and boost your conversions. Let’s go through some of the tried and true techniques to incorporate into your subject lines.

Information Gaps Make Users Curious

Granted! You want to keep your audience informed to curate an ongoing fruitful relationship with them.

But a catchy subject line doesn’t give away the information. Instead, it creates a gap that arouses a sense of curiosity.

Take a look at these examples:

Discover what’s in our special Thanksgiving box!
What’s missing from your Thanksgiving table?
You won’t believe our Thanksgiving day offer!
Guess what’s new in our Thanksgiving menu this year
Hidden gems for your Thanksgiving feast
Why is our Thanksgiving special different this year?

Urgency Encourages Immediate Action

“Ends tonight!”

Does this line encourage you to take immediate action? Probably yes, because it awakens a sense of urgency. You know you don’t have all the time in the world to take action.

And it fits perfectly into the context of Thanksgiving. Discounts are only available for a short time. People have a limited time to do their holiday shopping.

Got your Thanksgiving wine yet?
12-Hour Giveaway to Win Your Thanksgiving Dinner!
Thanksgiving Morning Deal — 40% Off Ends at Noon!
Your Last Shot at Thanksgiving Discounts!
Final hours for 25% off!

Scarcity Increases Desirability

Customers are probably more encouraged to purchase something if they know it’s not widely available. Scarcity makes things more attractive.

Scarcity creates a sense of urgency, which signals the scarcity of time.

Use a Thanksgiving email subject line, like “Limited offer to the first 20 customers,” to blend scarcity and urgency, compelling them to take immediate action.

Only 5 Thanksgiving Cooking Classes Left!
Last batch of our famous Thanksgiving pies 🥧
Limited edition Thanksgiving candles, almost sold out
Can you snag our final Thanksgiving roast turkey?

Authority Boosts Credibility

People are more inclined to accept facts, ideas, and offers from authorities. Show your audience that you have expertise in your field and can help them.

How can you show expertise with only a few words?

Highlight credentials or endorsements: Mention qualifications, awards, or endorsements, such as “Award-winning Thanksgiving pies” or “Endorsed by top chefs.”
Cite expert opinions or advice: Reference experts like “Chef’s Secrets to the Perfect Thanksgiving turkey” or “Dietitian-approved healthy Thanksgiving sides.”
Leverage achievements: Showcase your achievements or experience in the subject line, for example, “30 years of crafting the finest Thanksgiving meals” or “Voted #1 in customer satisfaction.”

Social Proof Shows Popularity

People can’t resist the urge to blend into a crowd. They rely on peer endorsement to make decisions. You can use this in your subject line to build instant trust and get the audience to open your emails.

Here are some examples for your inspiration:

Join 1,000s who love our Thanksgiving kit!
See why 500+ customers rave about our Thanksgiving specials
Back by popular demand: Our Thanksgiving craft workshop
Our most downloaded Thanksgiving recipe eBook
Memorable Thanksgiving moments from our customers.
Top 10 Thanksgiving favorites from our customers

5 Copywriting Formulas for Unlimited Subject Lines

Still looking for more inspiration for good subject lines for a business Thanksgiving email?

We’ve saved the best for last.

Learning about copywriting formulas lets you come up with unique subject lines that hit the mark every time. There are many of them, but we’ll go over the least complicated ones.

Create a Journey (AIDA)

AIDA is short for:

Attention. Grab their attention with a catchy line.
Interest. Raise interest by offering something compelling.
Desire. Make them want to buy your product.
Action. Guide them to take action.

You don’t have to go through all the steps in the subject line. One idea is to grab attention in the subject line and aim for action by the end of your email.

Address Customer Pain Points (PAS)

This model focuses on the reader’s problems and promises a viable solution.

Problem. State a problem from the audience’s point of view.
Agitate. Focus on the consequences of an unaddressed problem, raising a sense of urgency.
Solution. Introduce your business as a reliable source of solutions to the said problem and encourage them to take action.

The “Agitate” part of the subject line may need more attention and creativity. You can rely on urgency and loss aversion to elicit a response.

For example, tell them how leaving the problem unsolved will hurt their business or how their competitors are gaining an advantage by easing that pain point.

Show the Benefits (FAB)

This formula focuses on the practical and tangible outcomes of opening your email. After thinking about the elements of this framework, your job is easy. Think of catchy words to hook the reader up.

Features. Clearly outline the features of your product or service. What does it offer?
Advantages. Show how your product or service will solve problems.
Benefits. How are the features and benefits going to help the customer? What’s in it for them?

Inform Customers (ACC)

This framework is perfect for introducing new offers, features, or discounts— ideal for Thanksgiving subject lines. It’s based on the customer’s unawareness of your product and helps them convert.

Awareness. Let them know about the new product, service, or offer. You can also talk about a problem here.
Comprehension. Talk about the benefits of the product or the consequences of the problem.
Conversion. Provide a clear CTA to get them to act.

Drive Action (SLAP)

This is another formula that relies on emotional triggers and lends itself to Thanksgiving subject lines.

Stop. Use words like “Wait” or “Stop” to grab their attention and get them to land on your message.
Look. Write a catchy phrase that they can’t ignore.
Act. Create urgency or scarcity to get them to act.
Purchase. Ask them to purchase.

Copywriting Formulas with a Festive Spin

Check out the table below for a summary of the most useful copywriting formulas for writing subject lines that stand out this Thanksgiving.

Formula	Stands For	Examples
AIDA	Attention, Interest, Desire, Action	Last chance! Your perfect Thanksgiving table awaits inside.
PAS	Problem, Agitate, Solve	Stressed about Thanksgiving dinner? We’ve got you covered!
FAB	Features, Advantages, Benefits	Our Thanksgiving Decor: Stylish, Affordable, Perfect for the Season!
ACC	Awareness, Comprehension, Conversion	Explore Our Thanksgiving Menu, Uncover the Unique Flavors, Reserve Today!
SLAP	Stop, Look, Act, Purchase	Wait! Grab 50% off on all Thanksgiving pies – Today only!

Copywriting formulas for Thanksgiving subject lines

Tips for Crafting Thanksgiving Subject Lines

Here are a few more pointers to keep in mind before hitting that send button on your Thanksgiving email campaigns:

Avoid all CAPs. You may think writing the entire subject line in uppercase letters will grab attention. But it will backfire and may be considered spammy. Plus, it comes off as yelling at the audience instead of showing enthusiasm.
Length. The jury is still out on the ideal length of a subject line. While a range of 50 to 90 characters is recommended, everyone agrees that subject lines should be concise. So, keep it as short as possible. However, avoid one-word subject lines since they don’t trigger any emotions.
Spam words. Using specific words in your subject line will trigger spam filters and reduce your email’s deliverability. Words like “cash,” “dollars,” “profit,” or “$$$” are definite no-gos and flag your message as spammy.
Email preview. Treat subject lines and email previews are two distinct things. Email preview is the text that appears below the subject line. So, it’s another opportunity to attract attention.
Segment your list. Thanksgiving is a holiday not celebrated in many countries. So, sending an email with a Thanksgiving subject line would be irrelevant to people living in those countries, especially if you’re just saying “Happy Thanksgiving.” Segmenting your email list will prevent unnecessary clutter in your subscribers’ inboxes.

Subject Line Testers

Getting the perfect Thanksgiving email subject line sounds easier said than done. You need to craft catchy, concise, and informative lines while watching for spammy and purely salesy messages.

To get things right, you can use subject line testers to take the guesswork out of the process and ensure higher deliverability.

Here are the best ones out there:

Test Subject: Lets you preview how your subject line and sender name look across different mobile devices.
Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer: Tells you the emotional load of your subject line and the tone audiences are likely to perceive.
CoSechedule Email Subject Line Tester: Gives you a detailed report on your word choices in each subject line.

Send Unforgettable Thanksgiving Emails with Campaign Refinery

With Campaign Refinery, it’s easy to segment your list and personalize your messages for each segment.

So, this year, you can send heartfelt Thanksgiving messages to everyone in your audience, thanking your prospects for their interest, customers for their loyalty, and partners for their support.

You can find pre-built campaigns in our Campaign Library to save time and give you space to get inspired creatively.

But that’s not all. Our platform gives you:

High deliverability
Intuitive automation
Detailed analytics
Unlimited contacts
And all the turkey you can eat! (Just kidding!)

Explore our pricing and apply to join Campaign Refinery, today!