A simple font formatting change could dramatically affect how urgently people want your product.

A fascinating study of five controlled experiments across three universities revealed something unexpected: italicized fonts increase purchase intent.

Not, as you might expect, by some tiny or questionable margin.

We’re talking about tripling email click-through rates and boosting purchase likelihood by up to 30%.

Why? The rightward slant of italic text creates a subtle sense of forward movement. Our brains link this to time passing, making promotions feel more urgent.

Sounds crazy, but it’s proven.

Some key findings for marketers:

• Italic text made a restaurant’s BOGO offer 30.7% more likely to drive sales
• “Hurry, this deal won’t last!” felt 27.4% more active in italics
• The effect amplifies with increased slant (up to 35°)

But here’s the important part: this only works for specific promotions.

Generic messages like “Stop by for your winter shopping!” saw zero benefit.

For product makers, this means:

• Use italics strategically for time-sensitive offers
• Consider increased slant angles in your promotional fonts
• Reserve this technique for actual limited-time opportunities. Don’t overuse it.
• Test different angles of skewed type to find your sweet spot

The psychology runs deeper than aesthetics. When we read, we process both the words and their visual presentation. That presentation shapes perception, urgency, and action.

What psychological triggers are you building into your product promotion?

Laurier

P.S. A warning – backward-slanting italics killed the effect entirely, making readers hit the brakes. In typography, as in product development, details really matter.