Many years ago a movie called “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” featured a mismatched couple: the glamorous Jessica and somewhat dorky Roger Rabbit.
One of the famous lines associated with Jessica’s character is this: “I’m not bad…I’m just drawn that way.”
But there’s another line from the movie that’s stuck with me (maybe because it reminds me of one of the reasons for my decades-long relationship with my husband–not that he’s a dork!)
It’s something that can help YOU write more engaging, higher-converting copy that makes your prospects and customers love you…and want to buy more from you.
It’s what Jessica said in the movie when her friend Eddie asked her, “Seriously, what do you SEE in that guy?”
Jessica answered, “He makes me laugh.”
I’ve written before about using humor in copy…and how it can difficult to pull off well, or even be risky.
Your humor could miss the mark (your prospect doesn’t “get” it)…or it can offend, losing you the sale and/or a customer.
On the other hand, stiff, dry, boring copy is much riskier–especially in the direct-to-consumer direct response realm. It simply can’t hold its own against the competition, and is quickly deleted or otherwise ignored.
So the key is to know when it’s right to inject some humor into your copy, and do it in a way that’s consistent with your brand personality.
And “personality” doesn’t always mean being funny (though it certainly worked for Roger Rabbit).
It’s about being YOU (or, when you’re writing for a product spokesperson or someone else, THEM). It’s what makes you authentic, believable, trustworthy…
A person someone wants to give their money to!
And if it’s done right, it’s what makes them want to stay loyal and keep buying from you.
(And even wear your CRAZY t-shirt…we’ll get to that in a second…)
That’s why I want to share with you some of the great copy I’ve seen since I bought a Tushy bidet attachment a few years ago for a family member as a gift.
Their website is definitely worth a long look…who knows, you may get convinced to buy one of their products yourself!
I ended up springing for a bundle gift set that included the bidet, a travel bidet, bamboo butt towels, and THIS bold t-shirt…
They’ve made plenty of other “bold” copy choices that work well to convey their playful brand personality and overriding big promise.
At their website’s SHOP page, make note of their “100% Guaranteed Booty Bliss” guarantee. It reads as follows:
“We are obsessed with keeping your butt clean and happy and we know our products can do that. That’s why we use TUSHY in our own lives! If your TUSHY experience is less than perfect, we’ll fix that sh*t… by any means necessary. Just reach out to our Customer Support Poo-rus. Don’t worry, we have your backside.”
They’re not bland, dry “representatives”…they’re “Customer Support Poo-rus”!
Since I bought this bidet bundle as a gift, I’ve seen how Tushy maximizes the customer experience from initial order to delivery, building increased loyalty and lifetime value.
I got to interact with their “poo-rus” when I inadvertently neglected to specify the t-shirt size for the kit I was gifting, and was sent the wrong size. When I let them know, they quickly sent over the right one. They were responsive while still maintaining the same brand personality and humor.
Then there’s their “Clean Butt Club”, which is what they call their email list. Again, the branding is on-point in communicating the primary benefit or promise “behind” the product (see what I did there?)
Once you join their email list, strap yourself in for some highly entertaining sales emails. You’ll see how they incorporate their personality and humor into some of the most engaging emails I’ve seen.
Here’s just a sampling of email subject lines from the past year:
- Doo you want 10% off? (Valentine’s day email with hilarious graphics inside)
- What are you reading? 🚽 (Yes, there’s an actual Tushy Book Club!)
- Did you poo-crastinate? (Free express shipping for Mother’s day)
- Frequently Assed Questions (FAQs about bidets)
- Dad plays a big fart in your life (Father’s day special offer)
Not a single email lacks personality or humor, keeping everything “on brand”. The company does a great job of taking a taboo topic (pooping) and making it something you can feel good about. Heck, even celebrate and feel proud of.
That’s why tomorrow I’ll be sharing with you a way you can master writing this kind of playful, personality-filled copy for yourself and your clients. It’s from one of the best copywriters I know at doing it. You’re not going to want to miss it.
(And if you think you’ve seen this issue of “What’s in Kim’s Mailbox” before, you’re not going crazy… you’re right! I first ran this over a year ago. But it’s a great example of using humor and personality and copy that I wanted to share it again with some added examples.)
Yours for smarter marketing,
Kim
P.S. I’d love to see other examples of engaging, personality-filled copy you’ve either written or seen “out in the wild”. Send them over to me at Kim@kimschwalm.com and I just might include them in a future email and give you your “15 minutes of fame” for doing so!
P.P.S. If you haven’t done so yet, you can grab the coolest t-shirt in copywriting here, available in men’s and women’s sizes and cuts. Probably waaaay less embarrassing to wear than “Ask me about my butthole”!