They say that most people eat with their eyes, which is why food brands tend to rely on high quality imagery and design to sell their products. 

While they are tricky to get right, words can be just as important, with the most successful examples triggering both an emotional response and a physical craving.

Due to the trend for an artisanal tone of voice, many brands stray into dangerous territory – using cheeky and cheerful copy that comes off as annoying at best, patronising at worst. 

However, there are some that manage to steer clear of this, delivering spot-on copy that brings food to life.

Here are just a few of my favourite examples.

Lurpak

Lurpak is well-known for its drool-inducing visuals, but it’s also worth a mention for using copy that convinces customers it’s the only butter brand worth buying. 

In fact, with its slogan of ‘good food deserves Lurpak’ – it aims to persuade you that you’ll be doing yourself a disservice by using any other kind.

Its brand voice is distinctive, using short sentences and an almost boastful tone to sell itself.

However, by simultaneously empowering consumers with the idea that anyone can achieve great cooking, it manages to avoid sounding off-putting.

I think this style of copy works particularly well on social media, where one-liners (often paired with imagery) are engaging and effective.

Examples like “stop scrolling and start kneading” and “good food deserves Lurpak” gets straight to the point, aligning well with the brand’s aim of being the facilitator of a delicious food experience.

Filo like making your own pastry? Screens off, ovens on! Just be sure to Choux-se us #GameOnCooks #GBBO pic.twitter.com/vM47UNOO18

— Lurpak (@Lurpak) September 21, 2016

Gail's Bakery

It's pretty hard to describe bread, resulting in many brands resorting to the words 'freshly baked' far too often.

London-based Gail's Bakery, however, uses contextual-based copy to engage consumers.

In its bakeries, instead of using the aforementioned slogan, it describes 'wooden spoons' and 'floury fingers' to highlight the fact that everything is fresh from the oven.

Meanwhile, it uses unashamedly descriptive copy in menus and throughout its website, designed to conjure up that familiar taste and smell.

Yeo Valley

Most yoghurt brands would have us believe that men are allergic to their products – how else would you explain the female-centric, feminine style of advertising that most use?

Yeo Valley, on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air in this department.

While it arguably strays into ‘wackaging’ – using quirky and overly-friendly copy - I think it manages to stay on the right side of upbeat and endearing most of the time.

I particularly like how it replaces ‘yo’ with ‘yeo’ wherever possible on its website.

It’s a simple (and slightly childish) touch, but it gives the brand consistent personality.

Ben and Jerry’s

Food can be subjective, which makes taste rather difficult to describe. 

Over-emphasising flavours and ingredients can also leave consumers feeling overwhelmed, which is why I particularly like Ben & Jerry’s creative approach.

Think about mint choc chip ice cream and how you might describe it for just a moment, and then read the below product description.

This cool concoction packs quite the peppermint punch…but what you’ve really gotta watch out for are those gooey, chocolatey, fudgey brownies nestled in the tub.

Everyone knows what mint choc chip ice cream tastes like, so by using a personal tone to evoke the experience of actually eating it, Ben & Jerry’s makes its product sound all the more enticing.

To improve your copywriting skills, check out Econsultancy's online copywriting training course.

Related reading:

• Eight drool-worthy restaurant websites
• Four delicious examples of food & drink brands on Instagram