LibraryNowOriginsOddsMechanicsMCP

Kinds

Campaign380Product91Food & drink27App & software56Film24Series24Music60Game115Book22Creator moment54Meme & format109Trend & aesthetic38Activity58Moment89
PricingPrivacyTermsRefundsPress
Library/App & software/Hotmail’s email signup footer
Grade B7 sourcesHIS-01080

Hotmail’s email signup footer

App & software · 1996 · Niche

35Editable slideCertificate

Every outgoing email carried an invitation to open a free Hotmail account.

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion60Breadth10VelocityNo data yetLongevityNo data yet35

Numbers

Worldwide members
>9M
Microsoft claim · Dec 31, 1997 · Self-reported · Microsoft
Seed to milestone
18 months
Jul 4 ’96 to Dec 31 ’97
Platforms
2
Started on Open web
Origin
Seeded
Technology

Mechanics

  • Visible in usePrimary
  • Shareable output

How it spread

Trace the origin

Hotmail launched in July 1996 and attached a free-account invitation to outgoing mail. By Microsoft’s December 1997 acquisition announcement, it had more than nine million members. A contemporary court ruling independently records the automatic footer.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.

Jun ’96JulSepDecApr ’97JulOctFeb ’98AprJulOctOpen webPress
Open webPress

4 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Timeline (7)

  1. July 1996

    Hotmail seed · Jul 4 ’96

    Hotmail launched its free web-based email service.[1][6]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. NET-HAPPENINGS first amplifier · Jul 9 ’96

    NET-HAPPENINGS circulated the July 4 launch announcement.[6]

  3. April 1997

    Wired press · Apr 22 ’97

    Reported three million Hotmail subscribers and five million daily page impressions; both were company figures.[7]

Origin
Seeded
Sector
Technology
Region
US
Worldwide members
>9M
Microsoft claim · Dec 31, 1997 · Self-reported · Microsoft
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Dropbox’s two-sided referral rewards

Open web · 2008

40
Drew Houston’s 2010 slide explaining Dropbox’s two-sided referral incentive

Peloton Bike

Retail · 2014

35
Buy a Peloton Refurbished Original Bike

$183.5M revenue

WeChat’s first New Year red packets

Open web · 2014

35
Tencent’s 2017 presentation illustrating WeChat group red-packet opening and random allocation

Secret Garden colouring book

Retail · 2013

30
Secret Garden colouring book: cover art

7.4M sold

New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.

See every timeline

Free account, every case's full spread.

Join free
Log inJoin free
Jun ’96JulSepDecApr ’97JulOctFeb ’98AprJulOctOpen webPress
Open webPress

4 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. July 1996

    Hotmail seed · Jul 4 ’96

    Hotmail launched its free web-based email service.[1][6]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. NET-HAPPENINGS first amplifier · Jul 9 ’96

    NET-HAPPENINGS circulated the July 4 launch announcement.[6]

  3. April 1997

    Wired press · Apr 22 ’97

    Reported three million Hotmail subscribers and five million daily page impressions; both were company figures.[7]

  1. milestone · Dec 31 ’97

  2. commercial · Dec 31 ’97

Join free to see the other 4 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

Join free

Why it worked

Do this

  1. 1
  2. 2

Pro opens the playbook, all 3 sourced numbers and 7 sources. Start with a free account.

Join freeGo Pro