Dark Star.
Turned a free SIM kit into a $129 limited-edition fan bundle. Sold out in under three hours.
A flagship SIM kit, given away for free. I made the case it was worth $129, and fans proved it.
A $0 product worth $129.
US Mobile is a community-driven challenger with a fiercely active Reddit following. But the flagship SIM Kit was being given away free, so I saw the chance to turn it into core-community money around the Dark Star launch.
The $129 bundle stacked it high: a limited-edition SIM kit, two weeks’ early access, a free 12-month plan upgrade, an exclusive in-app network badge, a US Mobile × The North Face® fleece with personalised initials, a signed letter, and a 15-minute Zoom with the CEO.
A gamified pre-launch funnel.
50K+ visitor landing pages, an arcade-style game (80% open, 35% CTOR) that drove the waitlist, then a hard cap at 250 units. I produced the Madison Avenue launch event, 200+ attendees including AT&T execs.
Sold out
$32K of VIP bundles gone in under three hours. 450+ unprompted fan posts.
It made a buzz online.
The bundle sold itself. Owners posted their unboxings unprompted, 450+ comments at launch, and the $129 fan drop turned into its own marketing channel.
Fans will pay.
A community-first company can monetise its fans directly. The CEO’s “we are sold out, this is insane” became its own marketing moment.
Three repeatable principlesDesign for superfans.
The same SIM kit that was free, reframed as a $129 limited drop. The product didn’t change, its meaning did.
FOMO is the product.
Limited availability turned a purchase into a status badge, and the fear of missing it drove the rush.
Gamify the funnel.
A web game turned the waitlist into play, earning your way to an early-access code. More fun than a standard sign-up form.