Why “Limited Edition” Works Even When You Know It’s Marketing

Supreme drops sell out in seconds. Everyone knows it’s manufactured scarcity. It works anyway.

Robert Cialdini’s scarcity principle combined with what Richard Shotton calls “the knowing-doing gap.” Knowing something is a tactic doesn’t neutralise its emotional pull. You can intellectually dismiss scarcity while still feeling urgency.

A homewares brand added “Limited run – only 200 made” to select products. No other changes.

Those products sold out 4x faster than non-limited equivalents. Rational knowledge doesn’t override emotional response.