Firebox demonstrating why they’re the OG of product descriptions

Firebox have been on our copy crush list since we first started typing.

And with product descriptions like this, can you blame us?

(PS. We're off to order a toilet piano.)

Full disclosure: we're absolute suckers for a good movie reference in copy. (There are a few dotted around our own site if you look hard enough.)

But a good movie reference has to work in context. It can't be too niche. It can't be too forced. And it absolutely can't exist just to make you look like a bonafide cinephile.

(Note to Jack: read that again.)

But this movie reference lands because it's not just a joke.

It's there to conjure that specific feeling of using the "toilet piano mat". It's there to say "you're going to feel like a child in a grown-up's body".

Love it.

(Sharing references like this also sends "we get you" signals to the right customer too. Smart.)

But the bigger idea here isn't about humour or movie references at all, really. It's a bit bigger than that.

TLDR: product descriptions where the tone of your copy matches the emotional experience of buying and using the product are always better.

A toilet mat written like a serious purchase would feel weird. We mean, check it out:

Constructed from waterproof material and spanning a full octave range, this toilet piano mat makes the perfect addition to any bathroom. Choose from 3 sound settings, play over 30 present songs or just make up your own tune. Each key has been carefully designed to work with feet, big and small. 

Right? The copy for this product has to be playful.

On the other hand, an intimate skincare product shouldn't be dropping movie references and making jokes. It should feel like a knowledgeable friend talking quietly and without embarrassment.

A hangover supplement doesn't need to be clinical and medical, it needs copy that feels like it's a mate that's had one too many hangovers and knows just how to fix it.

So before you write a single word, ask: what feeling does this product evoke? What is the dominant emotion we want them to feel when they use it? Then, use that as your North Star for writing the product description. Try to write copy that evokes that feeling.

(Magic Spoon do this really well, by the way. We've done a full deep-dive on this over on the blog.)