How to break every copywriting rule and get away with it

Dr. Bronner's soap breaks every copywriting rule and gets away with it.

How to break every copywriting rule and get away with it
Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Hemp Peppermint Pure Castile Soap

I'm a fan of this brand but I always thought it was insane how much copy is on their products. It violates every rule you learn in copywriting school:

  • Keep it short
  • Use bullet points not sentences
  • Create an information hierarchy
  • Have a clear point
  • Stay on message
  • Highlight features/benefits

This product talks about all kinds of things that have nothing to do with soap, including free speech, religion, the environment, "Spaceship Earth", rabbinical ideas, and more. Despite the religious texts, even atheists love it.

I've never read the entire bottle, and the design goes against my "just enough branding and no more" philosophy, but somehow I like this branding. They are consistent, they have an opinion, and they are differentiated. Sometimes that's enough to win raving fans.

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