Copy is dead, tell your friends

Okay, not ALL copy. But things have definitely shifted since the golden age of copywriting.

"Just Do It." "Think Different." "I'm Lovin' It."

These are iconic taglines. Some of the most recognised and lauded copy in the world. But the cold, hard truth is the days of this style of copy are are gone. Kaput. Finito. RIP.

Consumers are SO savvy now. Ad blockers reign supreme, attention spans are shorter than a TikTok video, and your audience is being yelled at by advertising 24/7. In fact, there’s so much marketing work coming out now that it’s forced the end of the bland, all-purpose brand voice, with brands having to pivot into more niche, personalised voices. We can no longer get away with ‘platitudes’.

So why are so many companies still churning out generic, could-be-anyone copy?

It’s a horror show.

Stroll through any shopping centre. Read any billboard. Check out any website. It’s a sea of sameness.

_____ your way.

Quality you can trust.

Your partner in ______.

Yawn.

These phrases have been so overused that they’re basically the equivalent of beige wallpaper. Sure, they’re inoffensive. But they’re also invisible.

The rise of real.

Consumers want authenticity—they want brands that sound like actual humans, not corporate robots. They’re looking for personality, quirks, and yes, even flaws. So you have to break free from the bland to capture their attention.

• Know Your Audience: Really know them. What makes them laugh? What pisses them off? What's their secret guilty pleasure?

• Embrace Your Weird: Every brand has quirks. Don't hide them. Celebrate them. They're what make you unique.

• Pick a Fight: Not literally. But stand for something. Or against something. Neutrality is forgettable.

• Break the Rules: Grammar police who? Sometimes, a well-placed "ain't" or sentence fragment can work wonders. (Use with caution.)

• Be Human: Write like you talk. Use contractions. Tell jokes (even bad ones). Just show some emotion, for crying out loud.

• Say It: Unsure if something sounds like a robot or a real person? Say it out loud. If it doesn’t sound natural, you know what to do.

So what now?

Go make a brand voice that sings, shouts, whispers, laughs, or occasionally swears (if the brand can handle it). Go forth and get weird with it. Get real. Get memorable.

Your audience is waiting, after all.

Don’t know where to start with a brand voice? You’re in the right place. Let’s chat.