5 Entertaining Food Brands With Copy That Sells
In the end, I’m just a normal grocery shopper. 💁♀️
I map out my meals by day. I make color-coded lists. I have my cravings of the week.
Okay, maybe I’m *semi* normal.
Anyways: while there are favorite products that are always on my list, there are also always a few impulse items that find their way into my cart. In my case, mostly some form of chocolate.
But as a food and beverage copywriter, when I shop I’m also acutely aware of writing on the packaging and how it makes a product stand out to me.
Or, when I’m out and about in the world, well-written copy grabs my attention and makes me remember a brand the next time I’m at the store.
THIS is the power of copywriting.
Here are five brands that I’m fairly loyal to because:
They are simply delicious
They impressed me with their engaging, purposeful copy OR I found them because of their impressive copy
RXBar
“Bars” have a bad rap for traditionally being loaded with lots of artificial ingredients. How is it possible for an itty bitty, fit in your pocket snack to contain such a LONG list of ingredients, many of which you don’t even understand?
Consumers want to know what’s in their food and trust the ingredients that are used. As a result, breakfast and protein bars have been a big target for health claim criticisms.
Transparency is what the product segment had been lacking.
Enter, RXBar.
The packaging of each bar contains an itemized list of its ingredients, which is often no longer than five lines. The list always ends with the final ingredient: “No BS.” 😏
Rx Bar packaging copy implies ingredients like blueberry and cherry in the flavor name while choosing to highlight protein-packed ingredients like nuts. These ingredients are front and center because they give the customer the boost of energy that they need.
It’s simple and honest.
As in, the opposite of how many similar bar products have traditionally been.
It’s worth noting that KIND snacks have also done a great job at promoting ingredient transparency in this product category, though I think their biggest advantage is packaging design rather than copy. (The intentional design of clear packaging allows customers to SEE the ingredients in the product and recognize them as familiar. To my knowledge, they were the first to ever do this as a granola bar...because most are just not pretty enough to bother showing.)
Stonyfield Organic Yogurt
Fruit and yogurt is my go-to breakfast option. And I always choose Stonyfield Organics.
Toxic chemicals are, unfortunately, pervasive in the American food system. So any chance I have to choose organic it is important to me that I do, for both my own health and for the health of our environment.
Stonyfield is not just organic, they are (self-proclaimed) obsessively organic. 🌱
Which makes a difference, because it seems like almost everything on a grocery shelf is claiming to be organic nowadays.
But “obsessively” organic? That’s a whole new league.
I want my organic product to be obsessed about its commitment to healthy agriculture, not just riding the organics wave like everyone else.
Stonyfield’s latest tagline “Good On Purpose” speaks to this as well. They’re committed to “high-quality ingredients, thriving farms, and a healthier planet” with a genuine intention to do something good for the world.
Lately, when I open my container of yogurt, I’m greeted with a great message on the aluminum lid you peel back to get to the yogurt. It’s for their StonyFIELDS initiative eliminating the use of pesticides on playing fields across the United States.
Does it have anything to do with yogurt? No. (Well - not unless you count soccer kids drinking smoothie pouches on the sidelines.) ⚽️
But it does play perfectly on their brand name (fields) and is an extension of their core brand commitment to organic agriculture and land.
It’s worth purchasing a tub of yogurt so you can smile at the ad on the yogurt lid when you make breakfast.
Oatly
Looking for a food brand with incredible amounts of character?
That’s Oatly. Which I find slightly ironic because two years ago no one even knew what oat milk was. 🤣
It’s the copy in Oatly’s print ad campaigns that have really made a big splash.
Oatly’s global ad campaign includes large scale pieces like billboards and bus ads with a no-nonsense, humorous tone. Many call attention to the fact that ads are typically overlooked, applauding the viewer for taking the time to read one about oat milk.
Most Oatly ad copy doesn’t even speak to the product, it just aims at grabbing attention.
It’s memorable and it’s worked.
Oatly has taken the world by storm, receiving a $2 billion dollar valuation in July 2020 and contributing to a 289% increase in oat milk sales year over year, according to Business Insider.
The amusing copy carries over into all elements of the brand’s digital presence as well, including the Oatly Instagram with expertly written captions true to the Oatly tone.
It’s incredibly easy to get stuck in a social media hole scrolling through their feed, reading and laughing.
How many brands can you really say that about? 🥛
Here’s my favorite Oatly caption.
Dave’s Killer Bread
I have never considered eating a bagel as intense as going to a hard rock concert. 🎸
Yet, that’s how I feel whenever I make a PB&J with Dave’s Killer Bread.
Bagel flavors like “Epic Everything”, “Cinnamon Raisin Remix”, and “Boomin’ Berry” can’t help but grab your eye.
This is especially important in the incredibly boring bread aisle.
We’ve gotten lazy with bread, in my opinion. I rarely buy bread at the grocery store anymore because the more you eat fresh, homemade bread without all the preservatives the harder it is to go back to a sliced loaf.
But Dave’s Bread stands out from the stale (pun intended) bread in our grocery aisles and feels like an epic new adventure.
Occasionally I also make egg sandwiches on “Killer Classic” English Muffins described as “Remixed, Remastered, Remuffined!” and “Power-packed with organic, whole grain nutrition.”
The copy really sets the tone for an exciting meal experience. Rock on, Dave. 🤟
But Dave’s bread is about more than just jamming out with a good sandwich. Dave’s is built upon a “Second Chances” business model, where they believe in employing and empowering individuals with a criminal history to help get them back in the workforce.
In fact, Dave himself started the company after struggling through addiction and serving time in prison. Baking is what got him out.
You can learn more about their story and rock out to some good tunes with this video.
The brand is epic for both is flavors and its mission. Now, it has created a network that they call “Breadhead Nation.”
Food Should Taste Good
“Food should taste good” seems like a super obvious claim.
Yet, why do we settle for so many food products that do not taste like anything? 😤
This snacking company makes tortilla chips from wholesome ingredients like black beans, sweet potato, and blue corn. Since they’re made from true ingredients, they naturally taste better.
My favorite copywriting example from Food Should Taste Good is one simple line that pokes a bit of fun at themselves.
Food Should Taste Good is a bit of a mouth full to say, right? In fact, it sounds more like a mantra than the name of a product.
They know it.
On their website, they simply claim: “Super Long Name. Super Delicious Chip.”
It’s that simple, but it has enough humor in it to make you chuckle and to affirm that they actually mean what their brand name says.
It’s also honest. They know you know that it’s a lot to say when you just want some chips and guac. 🥑
I’m not willing to admit how many times I’ve eaten a whole bag’s worth of their Multigrain Tortilla Chips with guacamole… but just know it’s a lot.
+++
See how much of a difference words can make in how your food brand drives cravings and promotes itself?
Thanks to the expert copywriters out there for the above brands, you’ll find them in my kitchen every week.
Learn more about how your food and beverage brand can skyrocket to the top of your product category with copywriting.