Subject Lines That Should Be Retired.

By Rachel Medlock

I’ve written thousands of subject lines over the past decade — for beauty brands, skin clinics, tech disruptors, skincare giants, and lifestyle darlings and there’s one truth that holds across every campaign: A subject line will make or break your email marketing campaign.

It’s the first impression. The click decider. The thing that gets you opened, ignored… or worse, reported as spam.

While most conversations focus on what to do with subject lines, I want to take a moment to talk about what not to do because some of the subject lines I still see out there? They need to be lovingly escorted off the stage.

Here are the ones I think we can safely retire:

The Broken Personaliser

Example: {{NAME}}, we’ve got something for you!

Personalisation is powerful… when it works. When a broken merge tag shows up instead of a name? Oof. It doesn’t feel warm. It feels like your software’s having a bad day. Always do a test email before you hit send.

The Sneaky Reply

Example: RE: Your skincare consult

Sure, it grabs attention, but it also tricks people into thinking they missed something. Also, your email providers? They’re onto it. Gmail will flag you faster than you can say, “crappy click-through rate.”

The Shouty One

Example: RACHEL! LIMITED TIME OFFER!

Why is everyone yelling?! Caps lock might feel urgent, but to your reader, it sounds like being shouted at by a car yard sale sign. Tone it down. You can be exciting without giving inflatable arm man energy.

The Generic Snore

Example: [Brand Name] - Weekly Newsletter

We already saw who it’s from in the “From” field. Save those characters for something more compelling — like what’s actually inside the email. Also, if the most exciting part of your subject line is “weekly,” it might be time for a rethink. Generic = forgettable, and forgettable = unopened.

The Deceiving Sneakster

Example: 75% Off Everything!

Spoiler alert: I opened it and it was one serum. One!

Nothing breaks trust like a bait-and-switch. If your subject line promises the world and delivers a sample sachet… people notice and don’t forget. Don’t risk your brand integrity over a Vitamin C Serum.

The Hannah Montana

Example: You’re Invted to Our Launch Event

Did you spot it?

As our queen Miley once said: “Everybody makes mistakes; everybody has those days,” but subject lines? They need your full attention. One rogue typo can tank your credibility. I get it; we’re all human, but professional campaigns deserve one last proofread or an extra set of eyes over it before you hit send.

The Copy-Paste Pre-Header

Example:

Subject: Ready for better skin this winter?

Pre-header: Ready for better skin this winter?

Your pre-header is your subject line’s sidekick. If you copy and paste the subject line into it? You’ve wasted your second shot at grabbing attention. Instead, use it to add context, tease what’s inside, or layer in value.

Now you’re pulling them in twice — not repeating yourself.

So… have you written one of these before?

Same. Zero judgment. The world won’t end over an average subject line, but if you want ones that actually get opened, clicked, and maybe even screenshotted as inspo, download my free guide: Subject Lines That Slap. Inside, you’ll get the 10 top-performing styles I’ve used across beauty brands, plus a tool to help you write your own.

Grab your copy at rachelmedlockcopywriting.com.au