One of the most common questions we get asked by brands that want to make a splash is “is it really OK to swear in our copy?”.

Spoiler alert: you can. And if you do it right, it can make a massive impact.

But there are rules — well, more guidelines really — on doing it without coming across like a try-hard teenager who just listened to Eminem for the first time.

So this week, we thought we’d break that down for you.

Ready? Let’s bloody do it 👇️

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”.

Then, FCUK happened. That kinda broke the dam of brands being locked into using polite language. (But only for big brands with expensive ad agencies that could focus group everything.)

Then, Dollar Shave Club came along with their “Our blades are f**king great” video and suddenly it was OK for D2C and e-comm brands to swear in their copy. In fact, it wasn’t just OK, but practically encouraged for scrappy, ambitious brands who wanted to make a splash. (Dollar Shave Club blew up overnight thanks to that ad alone.)

Now, 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 fucking courtroom” or an optician saying “Got shitty eyesight? Let’s get that sorted.”

Why? Because your average traditional businesses tends 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.)

Suffice to say, we’re 100% here for brands swearing — or alluding to naughty words — in their copy.

(After all, the main header on our homepage says “hell f*cking yeah!” in big, bold letters.)

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

“When uttered at the right moment, a rude word can bring an otherwise dull and lifeless sentence dramatically to life.” — Stephen Fry 👏

The numbers don’t lie: swearing in copy just bloody works

We all know that customers want to buy from brands that feel authentic and relatable. (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 swearing is a super-easy shortcut to sending those “we’re authentic and relatable” signals straight away.

But it’s not just about adding some authenticity to your copy. Swearing adds emphasis to your copy so it cuts through the noise, makes your copy more confident and it pairs up really well with mission-led challenger brands who are out to shake up the status quo.

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. Win win.

👉️ Reading or seeing a swear word in copy lights up the amygdala — AKA the fight or flight bit of our brains — making your copy more attention-grabbing and more memorable. Basically, a well-placed curse word tells our brains “you need to pay attention to this” without us even realizing it. In fact, Weill Medical College of Cornell University did a study that 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, which is probably why places like Karen’s Diner are so popular.

And to be clear, swearing doesn’t have to mean throwing F-bombs around like you’re Gordon Ramsey and you’ve just noticed something that’s raw.

It can mean saying bloody. Or crap. Or heck.

You can even used minced oaths to hint at swearing — fudge, flip, etc…

The exact swear words you use 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.)

But even when you’ve got an idea of what words are OK for your brand to say, swear words are super contextual.

Let’s say your brand is A-OK with the word shit. In that case, it’d technically be OK to say both “That’s a bit shit” (absolutely fine) and “Thanks for the feedback, you piece of shit.” (Oh god, no).

When you’re swearing, the line between authenticity and a PR shit show is sometimes paper-thin.

So to make it easier, here are some rules we always suggest for making sure your swearing is balanced AF.

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

The science tells us that swearing can add punch and humor 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 👇️

Option 1? ✅ A single, very mild swear word makes an impact and makes the headline memorable and real.

Option 2? 👎️ 👎️ Trying waaay too hard. It reads like a teenager who just got out of earshot of their parents. And because of that, we end up focusing more on the swear words and less on the copy itself. The swearing becomes a distraction, not a tool you’re using to make your point.

Rule #2: intentionality + humor = the goddamn sweet spot

Swear words are tricksy beasts.

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

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

Going further, calling something a “piece of shit” can work if it’s part of your brand’s voice.

👆️ 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 this piece of shit coffee roaster we picked up for $100 on marketplace”? Self-deprecating and authentic 👌

But can any brands get away with things like “going for a shit”? Probably not.

There’s no charming playfulness to that swearing. It definitely doesn’t build your brand. Instead, it’s just crassness for the sake of shock.

And that just puts people off.

TLDR: 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.

Top tip: Not all swear words are created equal. Some have misogynistic and/or offensive origins and can take your customers from “fuck yeah” to “fuck off!” real quick.  So before you start throwing any old slang or swear words in there, think carefully about the words you’re using. 

Here are a few examples of the nuance around swear words:

👉️ Using arsehole as an anatomical term? Probably too far for most brands. Using it as as a term for Piers Morgan? Pretty damn accurate.

👉️ Using fuck as a word for impact and emphasis? Absolutely fine for brands targeting young audiences. Using it as a term for ahem knocking boots? Probably not.

Another trick to make your swearing just plain work better is to pair it up with some humor and your Big Brand Message.

When you use humor to take a bit of the sting out of your swearing, you end up with something memorable, on-brand and attention-grabbing.

But when you pair it up with your USPs? Chef’s kiss 🤌.

It’s why this “Ship Your Pants” ad by Kmart blew up.

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

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 going full Gordo and dropping f-bombs.

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. (Watch this space for tips on that front in the next few weeks.)

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?”

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.

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 humor — so an f-bomb here and there actually makes them like you more.

Swearing in action: let’s look at two examples of sweary copy from brands that know their shit (and another one that’s just a bit shit)

#1: Oatly: pairing swearing with self-deprecating humour for the win

In typical Oatly fashion, they’ve absolutely crushed this ad. It grabs attention. It’s memorable. And it uses one swear word in a memorable way, then moves on to make its 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 it’s a real winner.

There’s a lot to learn in the sub copy too 👉️ acknowledging a flaw and then flipping it is a classic copywriting formula that you can use if you’re disrupting an industry by doing something new. Address those hesitations head on and make them work for you.

(In fact, two of the most successful ad campaigns of all time — Stella Artois’ Reassuringly Expensive and Guinness’ Good Things Come to Those Who Wait — both use this Pratfall approach.)

#2: KFC: using a clever play on their brand name to own up to a mistake

Another use of The Pratfall Effect and swearing to score a massive win here 👇️

Attention-grabbing semi-swear in the headline? ✅

Clever play on their brand name a la Meatless Farms? ✅

Conversational apology that sounds like it was written by a person, not a PR robot? ✅

Owning the problem and not passing blame? ✅

Using a softer swear word (“hell of a week”) midway through to seem more human and make the apology more genuine? ✅

#3: Brewdog: edgy for the sake of being edgy 👎️

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.

But man, this ad was a stinker 👇️

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

But if you think that’s bad, just wait.

Here’s the product description:

(Brace yourself.)

BrewDog is a post Punk apocalyptic mother fu*ker of a craft brewery. Say goodbye to the corporate beer whores crazy for power and world domination … Ride toward anarchy and caramel craziness. Let the sharp bitter finish rip you straight to the tits. Save up for a Luger, and drill the bastards.

Apocalyptic motherfu*ker?

Corporate beer whores?

Save up for a Luger and drill the bastards?!Rip you straight to the tits?! 🤮

This is pretty much everything you want to avoid when swearing in your copy in one convenient package. Meaningless, misogynistic and mean spirited.

Unsurprisingly, this copy and the ad that went with it got pulled by the ASA in the UK for being likely to cause serious offense.

(And seeing as they paid for it 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 is this ad saying?

Next to nothing.

That’s just it. The swearing is the point of this ad.

The tagline makes no sense beyond shock value.

The product description is there just to be confrontation and shocking too. It’s offensive for the sake of being offensive.

Take all that away and there’s absolutely no substance to it whatsoever. It’s not even made entirely clear that it’s selling an alcohol-free beer, let alone selling why you should drink it in the first place.

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

💡 Key takeaway: swearing is a tool to emphasize your message, not replace the message.

Swearing is like a well placed explanation mark, it emphasizes the point you want to make. It makes your copy have more of an impact.

It’s not the only point of the copy.

With KFC and Oatly, they used a well-placed swear word to grab your attention and then talk about their product. They’re charming, funny and conversational in all the right places.

Brewdog? Not so much. That’s swearing for the sake of swearing. And that’s lazy as a motherf…

Put this into action: work out which words work for your brand and then sprinkle a few in

Before you start dropping f-bombs into your copy, you need to work out what works for your brand. 

And here’s where the fun starts.

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 nagging 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 sprinkling them in sparingly when you want to make something make an impact or build a connection with your audience. See how they respond.

Then build from there.

And 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, it nudged it over the edge from bold and on-brand to “urgh, try hards”. So we used the asterisk cheat.

And remember, just 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 now.