“I hyped up a limited-edition product that wasn’t actually limited.”

I was working at my dream company — a large beauty brand with an international presence. We were launching a new “limited edition” lipstick collection designed to create buzz and FOMO. The messaging was clear: “Only available while supplies last!” Our team poured weeks into influencer campaigns, glossy ads, and social media countdowns.

The launch was a huge success. Sales exceeded expectations. Customers were posting their purchases all over Instagram. Amazing.

But the success didn’t last. About a month later, customers started noticing the “limited edition” lipsticks being restocked in stores. A few even spotted them at major retailers like Ulta and Target.

The issue? A major miscommunication between the marketing and supply chain teams. The manufacturing department hadn’t been told the collection was supposed to be limited and had been producing it as if it were a regular product line. Furious customers called us out on social media, with tweets and IG comments like, “Guess ‘limited edition’ just means ‘until they make more’ now?”

We had to issue a public apology and reframe the messaging as a “popular demand” restock.