34 Copywriting Examples For Your Swipe File (Plus Specific Examples For Ads, Website, Emails, & More)

Like any form of writing, copywriting becomes difficult when you don’t have inspiration. Many professional marketers and copywriters use a swipe file to ignite their creative spark in this situation. According to Henneke from Enchanting Marketing, a swipe file is a collection of copywriting examples used to improve your writing and help you solve writer’s block. We put together these 15 examples of good brand copywriting to add to your swipe file to inspire your next assignment. You’ll also discover 19 additional examples from ads, the web, emails, and other sources. Don’t forget to grab these copywriting templates to combat writer’s block:

1. Apple: Harmony In Design

Apple understands how to harmonize its copy with its surrounding medium and design. Check out the Airpods (third generation) and iPhone 13 pages. You’ll see the copy scroll along with you in snappy fragments highlighting each product's different features.

2. BarkBox: For The Love Of Dogs

BarkBox has to appeal to its customers’ love for their furry friends as a brand specializing in dog subscription boxes. These examples from the BarkBox home page use lighthearted language like “pups” and “dog party” to express the fun subscribers’ dogs will have.

3. Budweiser: Your Reliable Old Friend

Budweiser highlights the quality of its product while promoting a laid-back atmosphere. The brand uses puns like “Let’s Be Buds” in its website menu to keep things casual. Then, on the Budweiser beer product page, look at how the brand gets down to business in describing its beer’s benefits.

4. Camelbak: Adventurous

Camelbak embraces how its products can enhance your next outdoor journey. A hero image from the home page shows how Camelbak uses language like “your next travel adventure” to achieve this goal. On this kids’ bottle page, Camelbak refers to kids as “young explorers” to keep that sense of adventure going.

5. Cards Against Humanity: Irreverent

Cards Against Humanity is known for poking fun at various subjects — including you, the player. The description of the game on the home page takes a jab at you from the get-go. Then, Cards Against Humanity frames its free download as “stealing the game” in the next section.

6. Caribou Coffee: Your Coffee Buddy

Caribou Coffee stays lighthearted without getting overly casual in its copy. As you can see on the careers highlight on its home page, this brand often uses puns on “‘Bou” to promote a fun tone. The description on its online shopping page presents Caribou Coffee as always ready to delight the customer.

7. Dr. Bronner: Classic & Stalwart

Dr. Bronner’s started with a man and his list of principles, and that document guides its branding today. Its website’s About page centers around a modernized version of Dr. Bronner’s beliefs in unity and equality for all. The brand references its original principles throughout other parts of its copy, including its All-One! Report.

8. Ergodyne: Tenacious

As a work gear brand that customers need to rely on, Ergodyne uses copy focused on perseverance. On its New Products page, you’ll see how Ergodyne calls its products “the most Tenacious Work Gear known to man.” Bonus points for cleverly targeting “hand protection” and “work gloves” keywords on the Work Gloves category page.

9. Hanes: Comfort

Hanes ties a lot of its copy to its products’ most touted benefit: comfort. At the top of the brand’s home page, notice how the very first line is “we guarantee comfort.” Its product descriptions highlight this coziness and similar practical features like durability, as seen on the Beefy-T Adult Pocket T-Shirt page.

10. Hoka: Optimistic

Hoka operates on the idea of propelling humans forward in their running and toward their dreams. Its About page copy delivers this concept from beginning to end. This page tells how Hoka stuck to its goals and wants to help its customers do the same.

11. ModCloth: Cutesy

ModCloth sells feminine, quirky, and vintage-inspired clothes and has the copy to match. Wordplay like “shell yeah!” keeps the tone upbeat in ModCloth’s home page copy.

12. Poo-Pourri: Toilet Humor

Since it deals with a slightly taboo subject — bodily functions — Poo-Pourri rolls with the toilet humor. It maintains a friendly tone throughout its copy with copious pun usage. See “Potty On!” on the home page and “that’s stinkin’ cool!” on the toilet sprays page.

13. Starbucks: High-Quality Craft

As we covered in our overview of their strategy, Starbucks aims to create a modern experience with high-quality products. Its copy emphasizes this craft. A summer highlight on Starbucks’ home page details its lime-frosted coconut bars’ appeal. The Starbucks dark roast coffee menu item description accentuates the product’s flavors and artistry.

14. Surly Brewing Co.: Abrasive

Surly Brewing Co. uses abrasive and aggressive language to push the envelope. On the page for its Furious IPA, it uses a few carefully placed swear words to relate to customers who talk a similar way. It also names its social good campaign “Surly Gives a Damn” to keep that abrasiveness while it gives back.

15. Under Armour: Empowering

On its About page, Under Armour mentions that it sells performance solutions — products that make your strengths better. Its brand copy focuses on empowering the reader with their gear. Under Armour’s women's category page, you can see this principle in action. All of its messaging hones in on meeting women where they’re at so they can do their best.

16. U.S. School Of Music’s Classic Print Ad Copy Example

Published in 1927, this classic copywriting example by John Caples advertised the U.S. School of Music’s lessons. It uses a cliffhanger in the headline that entices the reader to learn more about the rest of the story. This ad also has a compelling call to action that appeals to the customer’s values and establishes a clear conversion.

17. ACAG & Saatchi & Saatchi’s "Think Before You Adopt" Print Ad Example

Agency Saatchi & Saatchi created this print ad to raise awareness about the responsibility of adopting dogs. The phrase, “Till ___ do us part,” emphasizes the lifelong nature of pet ownership. Meanwhile, the potential obstacles to ownership contrast this saying and make the reader think before adoption.

18. Gibson’s G3 Bass & Ripper Bass Print Ads From 1977

Vintage Guitar and Bass shares ad copy from 1977 for the Gibson Ripper and Gibson G3 bass guitars. Gibson’s ad for the Ripper and G3 establishes the brand as an authority and cites famous customers like Elton John. Gibson knew it was taking a risk with these instruments, so it addressed potential concerns by sharing support from well-known musicians.

19. Apple’s Create Print Ad

This Apple print ad from 1997 features a single sentence and a picture of the Create button from the Mac OS. With a single button and cursor, it inspires the reader to create with a Mac. It turns a feature into a benefit by providing a new perspective on Apple’s OS.

20. Nike’s "Play For The World" Video Advertisement

Nike ran its Play for the World video advertisement to encourage customers to stay home during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nike appeals to its audience’s desires for self-improvement and athletic success as a sportswear and equipment brand. The ad frames staying at home as “playing for the world” — reworking a competitive mindset into a compassionate one.

21. Amazon’s “Showhole” Video Advertisement

Amazon ran this TV ad as part of its “Showhole” campaign for the Amazon Fire TV. It defines the feeling you get after finishing a TV show you like as a “showhole." Amazon found a specific problem that its customers had and gave it a term for everyone to use.

22. Translators Without Borders’ "Life or Death" Digital Ads

A series of web ads for Translators Without Borders demonstrates the importance of accurate translation during a health crisis. These ads go beyond the principle of “show, don’t tell” by showing and telling. The animated ads in this series demonstrate the confusion that can happen with similar words in different languages, then show examples of COVID-19-related translations.

23. John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s The New, New Frontier Digital Ads

This John F. Kennedy Library Foundation video ad advertises the “New, New Frontier” campaign. The campaign urges citizens to define their own "New Frontier" for the modern age. Interestingly enough, the agency that wrote the video copy for this ad only needed to write the call to action. The rest comes from John F. Kennedy’s “New Frontier” speech.

24. Old Spice’s Website Home Page

If you’ve read Old Spice product packaging, you know the brand’s flair for humor. Old Spice takes that attitude to the internet on its home page. Many retail home pages only have so many words to get a message across, and Old Spice makes each of them fun.

25. Innocent Drinks’ Recycling Activists Webpage

This page on the Innocent Drinks website explains the company’s goals for recycling plastic. The “Reduce, Recover, Recycle, and Redesign” section stays organized by linking Innocent Drinks’ actions to each word in the header. It also makes for a clever twist on “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

26. Everlane’s Product Category Page For Sneakers

Everlane sells ethically made and sustainable clothing and accessories. The shoe category page explains the materials and steps that go into making its sneakers. This page answers customers’ call for responsibility by detailing the materials and steps used to give Everlane’s sneakers a low environmental impact.

27. CoSchedule’s "10x Marketing Formula" Landing Page Headline & Body Copy

We have an example from our website — the landing page for our 10x-Marketing Formula book. This page has tons of success with converting potential buyers. The page starts with an ultimatum — get marketing results, or fall behind. We followed that statement with a snappy call to action.

28. Campaign Monitor’s "Just Because You Missed It…"  Email

Campaign Monitor sent an email with helpful resources to list members who didn’t attend its Marketing & Mixology event. It used a technique we’ll call compassionate FOMO (fear of missing out). This email implied what the reader missed while making them feel included by sharing resources relevant to the topics it covered at the event.

29. Thumbtack’s "Keep Your Brain Busy" Email

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the online business directory, Thumbtack, sent an email presenting its clients’ lessons — available to customers stuck at home. This example of email marketing shows the importance of relevance in writing emails that convert. It identifies the reader’s current problem and provides an accessible solution.

30. Ford Motor Company’s Bronco Preview Instagram Post

In July 2020, Ford introduced the newest generation of Broncos in decades. It crafted this Instagram post as part of the lead-up to its release. This example of social media copy sets itself apart through its straightforward language. Ford’s fans have been looking forward to new Broncos for years, so the image best speaks for itself.

31. LaCroix’s Pamplemousse Right Meow Instagram Post

Aww. This Instagram caption purr-fectly complements its furry star. Instagram heavily focuses on visuals, but you must write a caption that sells. Thanks to the playful matter of the subject, LaCroix could add a pun and some emoji without making eyes roll.

32. Threadless’s "Life’s a Pitch" Facebook Post

Threadless sells apparel, accessories, and decor that feature community-made designs. This Facebook post highlights one of those designs. This post sums up the design in three cheeky words — “Life’s a pitch.” It highlights one of Threadless’s creative products with a touch of wordplay.

33. BrewDog’s Double Punk Beer Tweet

BrewDog introduced its Double Punk IPA to Twitter with a strong statement and a video. If you’ve ever written Twitter copy, you know you only have so many characters to make a point. BrewDog relies on this sentence structure to give its short message power: Subject, description. Subject, description. Call to action.

34. RXBAR’s Product Packaging Copy

RXBAR packaging features an iconic list of the bar’s main ingredients, setting it apart in energy bar marketing. You can see some examples on its protein bars product page. In 2017, RXBAR’s packaging won the company an Inc. Design Award. When RXBAR desperately needed a rebrand, the founders moved their pitch of whole-food ingredients to the front of the bar.