Hello there 👋

How's it hanging?

OK, it's full disclosure time: we originally planned to send out an email today about how picking a key emotion that you want people to associate with your brand and weaving that into your copy is an absolute game-changer.

But, we've been really busy wrapping up a project this week and the email in its current state is more than a bit meh.

So we were going to email you and say "hey, soz. No email this week. Bit busy." when we saw somebody share this ad by Sweaty Betty on Reddit 👇

We 💛 it. The empowering tone, the specificity of the copy and how crystal clear it is on who it's talking to... but it's that "damn" in the tagline that's really making this pop.

So we thought we'd dig back through the archives and send you a slightly updated version of the second newsletter we ever wrote where we dug into the nuances and pitfalls of swearing (or alluding to swearing in your copy).

Oh, and if you're one of the 28 OG Do Words Gooders that read this when it went out, feel free to sit this one out. But massive thanks for sticking with us all this time 🫶.

Let's get into it 👇

💡 This week's big idea: a few choice swear words in your copy can make it waaay more effective and memorable. It's not a revelation to say that your customers want to buy from brands that they feel are authentic and relatable. In fact, according to the 2023 Brand Authenticity Report, brands that are perceived as authentic don’t just sell more stuff, they win over customers that keep coming back for repeat orders too. And while it's easy to mess up, swearing in your copy is a super-easy shortcut to sending those “we’re authentic and relatable” signals straight away. And the science backs it up, too: 👉️ A well-placed swear word can make your point more compelling and persuasive, according to scientists from Northern Illinois University. Better still, these well-placed swear words increased persuasiveness without damaging people’s perception of your credibility. That's what we call a win-win. 👉 As we've said before, breaking a taboo can boost your engagement by 21%. So in a very real way, swearing = more eyeballs and clicks. 👉️ Reading or seeing a swear word in copy lights up the amygdala, making your copy more attention-grabbing and memorable. Basically, a well-placed curse word tells our brains “you need to pay attention to this” without us even realizing it. In fact, studies have found that people could remember phrases and facts better if they contained a swear word than without.​ 👉️ Sprinkling the odd swear word — however mild — into your copy makes your brand seem more authentic and trustworthy, according to Gilad Feldman’s study Frankly, We Do Give A Damn: The Relationship between Profanity and Honesty. 👉️ Plus, studies show that swearing is nowhere near as taboo as it used to be. This process — called delexicalization — means that because we’ve been exposed to more and more swearing online and on TV, it’s not considered nearly as taboo and impolite as it used to be. In fact, research shows that swearing builds social bonds too. Win! But to be clear, swearing doesn’t have to mean throwing F-bombs around like you’re Gordon Ramsay and you’ve just noticed something raw. It can mean saying bloody. Or crap. Or damn. You can even use minced oaths to hint at swearing, like fudge, flip, etc… The exact swear words you choose are kind of on a sliding scale of appropriateness that entirely depends on your brand and your audience. (Except for the c-word. That one is probably off-limits for all brands except the edgiest of the edgy. Even Cards Against Humanity would shy away from it.) So to make it easier, here are some rules we always suggest for making sure your swearing is balanced AF 👇

Swearing in copy is no longer the taboo it once was, but it's still hard to get right

Twenty-odd years ago, if you’d asked anybody if you could swear in your copy, the answer would have been a resounding “hell no” to anything stronger than a damn or a hell.

Then, FCUK happened. Their provocative branding and campaigns kinda broke the dam of brands being locked into using PG-13 language, but it was still very much done with a wink and a nod.

Then in 2012, Dollar Shave Club came along with their “Our blades are f**king great” video and it very quickly became OK for D2C and e-comm brands to swear in their copy.

In fact, it wasn’t just OK, but it became a scalable tactic for scrappy, ambitious brands who needed to make a splash with their copy and stand out on smaller budgets. (Dollar Shave Club blew up overnight thanks to that ad alone, bringing in 12,000 orders in just 48 hours. Unreal.)

That said, swearing obviously isn’t going to be right for every brand.

Traditional businesses tend to use traditional language.

You can’t imagine a law firm using the headline “Get shit-hot legal advice from lawyers that rock the effing courtroom” or an optician saying “Got shitty eyesight? Let’s get that sorted.”

Why? Because traditional and investor-backed businesses tend to favour making safe decisions that appeal to the widest possible audience.

But you’re not a big brand reporting to C-Suiters and shareholders (yet). And that means that you don’t have to make sure your copy has all the personality of magnolia paint before it can get signed off.

You can be bold. You can have a proper personality. And you can damn well swear in your copy if you want to.

(Unless your Mum follows you on social media, of course. That said, the main header on our homepage says “hell f*cking yeah!” in big, bold letters. Sorry Mum.)

But if our word isn’t enough, take it from Stephen Fry 👇️

That said, there is a lot of nuance involved in using swearwords so they're just right. So we thought we'd break down our 3 top tips for nailing your effs and jeffs 👇

Rule #1: Use your swear words sparingly to make an impact

The science tells us that swearing can add punch and humour to your copy when it’s done right, but there’s a fine line between doing it right and going OTT.

In fact, studies actually show that all the benefits of swearing — authenticity, impact, memorability — are damaged by going overboard with swearing.

Instead of making your copy stand out, when we see swear words everywhere, our brains become used to them — a phenomenon known as habituation — and they lose all impact.

Compare these two bits of copy:

Versus this 👇️

See how Option 1 feels like it's trying waaay too hard? Almost like a teenager that just got out of earshot of their parents.

And because of that, we end up focusing more on the swear words themselves and less on what the copy is trying to say. The swearing becomes a distraction, not a tool you’re using to make your point.

But Option 1 feels more balanced, right? Sure, it's not going to be right for every brand. But for a bold, in-your-face coffee brand it works. That's because the swearword is there for impact, not to be the main attraction.

☝️ That's the value of choosing a single swearword for emphasis, and not going full Richard Pryor.

Rule #2: intentionality + humour is the real sweet spot

We've talked ad nauseam about the role of humour in copywriting. (Like this post on Who Gives a Crap and this one on punching up...)

And humour is the secret ingredient of taming the tricksy beast that is swearing.

You see, most D2C or e-comm brands can get away with a cheeky, playful swear word here and there.

For example, saying “Holy sh*t!” when something great happens is absolutely fine for most brands.

But beyond that, can brands get away with calling something a "piece of shit?". That depends.

When swearing is directed at something or someone or is used as an insult, that's where things get dicey.

Note: This kind of swearing usually works best when it’s self-deprecating and not aimed at your competition or your customers. That’s a big no-no. But “We started our journey using a piece of shit coffee roaster we picked up for $100 on Facebook Marketplace”? That's self-deprecating and authentic.👌

In other words, you can’t just throw in any swear word and have it magically add personality to your copy. Your swearing needs to be strategic and intentional.

And the real Holy Trinity happens when you combine swearing with humour with your USPs.

That ’s why the “Ship Your Pants” ad by Kmart blew up.

And it’s why this super clever, triple entendre from Meatless Farms works so well 👇️

👋 Not all swear words are created equal. Some have misogynistic and/or offensive origins that complicate their usage. So before you start throwing any old slang or swear words in there, think carefully about the words you’re using. As a rule, we tend to avoid any swearwords like "son of a bitch" or words of that ilk that are impossible to separate from their misogynistic origins. If we really had to use them, we'll go with the minced oath version like "son of a gun". Likewise, using arsehole as an anatomical term? Probably too far for most brands. Using it as a term for Piers Morgan? Pretty damn accurate. Same with using f*ck as a word for impact and emphasis? It works for brands targeting young audiences. Using it as a term for ahem knocking boots? Probably not right for any brand, let's be honest.

Rule #3: Make sure the swear words you use are right for your audience and your brand

Here’s the thing. There’s no one-size-fits-all advice to swearing for your brand.

Maybe your brand doesn’t suit writing copy that reads like a Tarantino script.

Or maybe they’re the perfect way for your brand’s language to match up with your brand’s values.

For example, let’s say your brand values are all about being bold and disruptive and shaking up the market. There’s nothing polite or milquetoast about those values. So why would your language not include a little curse or two?

But branding isn’t a one-sided conversation. You need to ask yourself who you’re trying to talk to, too.

Swearing in copy is still a bold move. You have to be OK alienating chunks of potential customers because you know you’re going to make more of a connection with your people.

So if your answer is “we haven’t really defined our audience yet” then it’s probably better to play it safe and add some personality in different ways. (Pssst. We have some tips on that here!)

And if your answer is “our product is pretty much for everyone” then again, it’s probably better not to risk putting people off with risqué language.

But if your answer is “we’re targeting Gen Z vegans” or “we’re targeting tech bros” or “we’re targeting beer drinkers who like things done properly”, etc…

Then the question becomes: “will those people respond negatively to swearing?”

In fact, here’s a good rule of thumb: the younger your target audience, the more OK it is to swear in your copy. Research on younger consumers’ attitudes towards swearing in marketing shows that they’re generally chill AF about naughty language because it feels more real.

They grew up on the internet — with its unfiltered language and offensive humour — so an f-bomb here and there actually makes them like you more.

So ask yourself...

👉 Do they swear in your reviews? (If so, bonus! Studies show that these reviews are more believable and effective.)

👉 Do they swear in your comments on social media?

👉 Do they swear when you meet them in person?

If they’re cool with the odd f-bomb, dropping the occasional curse word is probably the right call. It immediately sends those “we’re just like you” signals that are great for brand loyalty and makes your copy land better.

How Oatly and KFC succeeded where Brewdog failed: examples of sweary copy gone right (and very wrong)

Over recent years, big brands have gone bold with their copy and included a few choice swearwords to grab attention.

And in the cases of Oatly and KFC, they've absolutely nailed it 👇

They both use a polite version of a swear word to grab attention and then they move on to make a bigger point.

Add in the fact that they’re employing the Pratfall Effect — a weird quirk of human psychology where we prefer people and brands that aren’t perfect — and they're both real winners.

But this ad from Brewdog? 🤮

Now, we know that Brewdog built their name on being anti-marketing and a “disruptor”, so it’s no surprise their brand is comfortable dabbling in a spot of naughty language.

And when they do it right, it really works.

But man, this ad was a stinker.

It’s not clever in any way. Worse still, the play on AF — alcohol free/as f*ck — that they based the beer name on is unbelievably ripe for creative copy that sells the benefits and grabs attention.

It's just edgy for edgy's sake. But if you think that’s bad, just wait.

Because here’s one of their original product descriptions from 2013:

(Brace yourself. It's bad)

These two bits of copy are pretty much everything you want to avoid when swearing in your copy in one convenient package. Meaningless, misogynistic and mean spirited.

Unsurprisingly, both bits of copy got pulled by the ASA in the UK for being likely to cause serious offense.

(And seeing as they paid for the AF to be placed outside of schools, it’s really no wonder.)

But rather than dunking on it for 500 words — which would honestly bring us no end of joy — it’s better if we explain why it’s so bad 👇️

Take away all of the swearing and the edgy phrasing. What does the copy actually tell you?

Next to nothing. That’s just it. The swearing is the point. It makes no sense beyond shock value.

👆️ And this is exactly what you don’t want your swearing to do.

Or, put another way, swearing for the sake of swearing? That’s lazy as a motherf…

Put this into action: how to find your brand's sweary sweet spot

Before you start dropping f-bombs into your copy, it's always a good idea to work out what works for your brand.

And here’s where the fun starts.

Because that means you get to go through every swear word or rude word you can think of and decide whether your brand could use them or should avoid them at all costs.

Start off with soft swear words like “heck” or “damn” to see if they fit your brand and work up from there. If you have even the slightest gut feeling about a word, it’s probably best to put it in the bin.

Note: this can go the other way too. If you’re a big, bold brand that’s comfortable saying fuck, using a damn or a heck would make you go from Samuel L Jackson to Ned Flanders real quick.

Would someone get these motherfucking snakes off my okily-dokily plane?

Pretty soon you’ll have a mental idea of something like this 👇️

Then, test them out.

Start by sprinkling them into captions and subject lines when you want to make something make an impact or build a connection with your audience. See how they respond.

Then adapt and build from there.

Pro tip: if you’re hesitant to go full Joan Rivers, hinting at swear words can be a really easy way to get those eyeball-grabbing benefits while also maintaining a cheeky wink to your customers.
​
(In fact, that’s what we did on our website. When we used the f-word in its entirety on our homepage, it nudged it over the edge from bold and on-brand to “urgh, try hards”. So we used the asterisk cheatcode.)

And if you remember nothing else: make sure to never use the phrase “rip you straight to the tits” and you’ll be doing alright.

We’re off to wash our eyes out again.

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👋 We're just wrapping up a big project and have some slots open for new projects in early November, so if you need a hand with your copy, brand voice or figuring out your big picture messaging, we'd love to chat! ​

See you next week for more ways to do words gooder!

Peace and love ✌️ Jack and Joe co-founders (and brothers) at ​Do Words Good​