Hello, hello storymaker.
Summer is just flying by, and can I say I ain’t mad about it. It’s been so dang hot to do anything outdoors.
Naturally, I’ve been hanging at home, reading essays and listening to podcasts on cultural shifts, the psychology of society, etc. One message keeps standing out: Summer has slowly shifted from being a season of slowing down to something that feels oddly intense. This is a pretty good podcast about the joy of summer reading.
Somewhere between the vacation plans, summer Fridays and mid-year catch-up, summer has become just another productivity machine. Add our cultural obsession with doing more, and suddenly we’re asking, where did summer go?
And the season feels split between two kinds of people:
Team Bed Rotting, aka Snerdling, the internet’s favorite summer vibe: Which means doing absolutely nothing productive and loving it. KIND Bars and IKEA even jumped in with campaigns celebrating naps, novels and soft sheets.
And then there’s Team seize-the-moment: the ones planning everything, launching everything, doing everything.
Personally, I’m Snerdling. Hibernating all summer long. I’m living il dolce di far niente, baby!! (Please tell me you feel the same way?!). That’s because heat and humidity turn me into a cranky little recluse. One of the many reasons I moved out of the Sunshine State (s/o to all the SoFL amigos).
As I write this on the treadmill in our garage with a giant fan blasting in my face (because walking outdoors at noon currently feels like a punishment), I keep thinking about how the pressure to “do more,” “be more” shows up in our daily habits, our work, and yes, even our storytelling.
Just as we fill our summers with plans and to-dos until they’re no longer fun, we fill our brand messages with urgency overload until those messages lose their humanity.
In the effort to sound responsible, strategic and serious, we forget to have fun!
Let me tell you, embracing la dolce vita (on my own terms) has reminded me how good it feels to loosen the grip. Let go of that intense pressure to always seize-the-moment and instead allow time to Snerd.
So all this got me thinking about something you don’t usually associate with slowing down and having fun: brand storytelling.
That’s right. So, how did I come to this? I did what any hibernating person during the summer would do. Cue a rabbit hole. I came across a piece by sustainability educator Raz Godelnik, awesome newsletter by the way, that captured exactly what I’ve been circling all season. He wrote:
“From joyless sustainable alternatives to boring corporate messaging to guilt-driven activism, we’ve somehow made sustainability in general and low-carbon lifestyles feel like a chore or homework. That’s not just a missed opportunity , it’s a design failure.”
Ain’t that the truth? So today, I’m making the case for incorporating a personality into your brand voice. In this issue, we’ll explore:
Why we’re wrong to think that sounding serious is necessary to be taken seriously.
How emotions in your brand messaging help create a connection with your audience.
Examples of CPG brands making their messaging more human with a humorous, witty and kind tone of voice.
New brand marketing strategies I noticed this month
We've Got it All Wrong
The idea that to be taken seriously, we have to sound serious? WRONG. If our stories only sound heavy, urgent, or guilt-laced, we risk losing the very people we’re trying to engage.
The truth is, behavior change doesn’t happen because people feel bad. It happens because they feel good. I’m not asking you to be cringe… that’s a post for another time. I am inviting you to consider adding a touch of humor to your narrative.
Why Humor Works in Conscious-Based Marketing
Increases message retention: People remember funny content more than serious messages.
Reduces psychological resistance: Humor makes complex topics easier to digest and less intimidating.
Encourages sharing: A well-crafted, humorous campaign is more likely to go viral, amplifying awareness for the cause.
Humanizes the brand: Consumers appreciate brands that can tackle important issues with a relatable, lighthearted tone.
Humanize Serious Topics with Care
Understand your audience and their tolerance for humor.
Know the cultural context of your jokes.
Avoid swear words or blatant insults.
Don’t stray away from your brand’s voice.
Listen to your audience, and see how they respond.
Two quick examples to show you what I mean:
People will engage more when they see themselves in the message. Conscious brands creating campaigns can use humorous real-life scenarios to make causes feel personal.
Example #1: A water conservation campaign ran an ad showing:
🚿 A person standing in the shower for so long that:
They grow a beard.
Their bills piled up.
Their friends aged.
The final message? “Save water. Short showers. Or start charging rent for your bathtub.”
Why This Works:
It’s funny, yet relatable; everyone has taken long showers before.
It connects a personal habit to a global issue.
It delivers the message without being judgmental.
Example #2: sustainability-focused brand on recycling:
They designed animated recycling bins that “talked back” when people tried to throw the wrong items in them.
🗣 Talking Trash (Literally):
A user tries to throw a pizza box in the recycling bin.
The bin responds: “Ew! Greasy pizza boxes? You’re better than this, Karen.”
Gamified Social Media Challenge
They launched a #RecycleRight challenge, where users submitted funny “trash confessions” (like items they accidentally threw in the wrong bin).
Why This Works:
Increased recycling participation by 40%.
Viral social media engagement from people sharing their trash “fails”.
Positive brand association, people remembered the campaign without feeling guilt-tripped.
Here’s the thing: Balancing humor and sensitivity is crucial. Unlike traditional brand messaging/marketing, where humor is purely for entertainment, cause-related humor must educate, inspire action, and maintain respect for the issue at hand.
Your goal is to make people feel invited and like they belong in the conversation. You can achieve that with a touch of humor and a playful brand voice.
If you’ve found yourself tightening up your message lately, over-editing, over-explaining, trying to sound “professional,” you’re not alone. The impulse to prove our worth is real, but it can get in the way of clarity, connection and creativity.
Not sure who needs to hear this, but you can be thoughtful and playful, and you can take the work seriously, without taking yourself so seriously.
The goal isn’t to make everything a joke. It’s to make your message feel human again.
Conscious Brands Using Playful Messaging
These emerging and mid-tier CPG brands are leaning into the human side of storymaking and showing us how to blend playfulness with purpose.
Clean Cult
This low-plastic home cleaning brand leaned into its “Cult of Clean” identity with an entire spoof campaign styled like a cult documentary. It’s so unique, clear and so clever in a category that’s usually sterile and clinical.
Who Gives A Crap
This eco toilet paper brand is the gold standard for funny, mission-driven messaging. From their cheeky name to their irreverent copy ("Good for your bum. Great for the world."), They’ve made talking about toilets actually fun. Their packaging is vibrant, their tone is bold, and their mission is clear: to donate 50% of profits to building toilets in underserved communities. Proof that even the most taboo topics can be tackled with humor and purpose.
Biöm
Biöm’s toothpaste tablets don’t just save plastic, they spark curiosity. Their tone is sharp, funny, and clear. “You’re living in the past,” “It’s time for an upgrade” - cute!
Bare Hands
Low-waste nail care that feels like il dolce di far niente on a cozy Sunday, kinda vibe. Their brand voice is calm, warm and simple. It makes “eco” feel soft again. I love this brand so much!!
Arbor Made
Their refillable candles are a masterclass in sensory storytelling. Their visuals, language and product experience all support a lifestyle of ease. Sustainability is baked in, but what you remember is the ritual. So it’s not funny per se, but it is joyful!
Brand storymaking (especially conscious storymaking) is allowed to feel light. It’s allowed to breathe. It’s allowed to surprise, to play, to give your audience a winky face.
Because when your message makes people feel good, they are more likely to take action.
Things I’m Noticing
People don’t just want products. They want brand worlds.
Conscious brands are expanding their universes. Think: rituals, analog moments, slow guides, tactile experiences. They’re building not just what people buy, but what they feel part of.
See: Canny Creative Design Agency
A brand example: On building a brand world.
More brands are creating entire worlds, sensory, visual, emotional, around their products. Think Fishwife’s retro-fem seafood tins. I know this brand is not for everyone, but that’s precisely my point!! Because when you try to be for everyone, you end up resonating with no one. Brand building is not just branding. It’s about brand world-building.
See: Fishwife Instagram
Sustainability is your advantage - share it!
The world is feeling a bit heavy right now, so brands with zero purpose, random sh*t are out, brands offering products that are good for people + the planet are in.
See: The rise of conscious consumers
Even public health is getting playful.
A recent Australian campaign titled “It’s Okay to Poo at Work” went viral for good reason. It took a taboo health issue and delivered it with humor, smart visuals, and a tone that said: “We see you, and we’re not here to shame you.” The takeaway? Even the most serious topics are conveyed more effectively when they don’t feel like a scolding.
See: The NY Post wrote about it here
Campaigns with a sense of place have a greater impact.
Brands are getting specific about where they show up. A refill station in a desert town. A scent inspired by a street corner. These references ground your message in something real.
See: Away’s Power Play: ‘Get Away’ Isn’t Just A Campaign, It’s A Cultural Cue
Influence is a spectrum. Where do you fall in it?
The evolution of digital influence, and how today's most successful creators understand and leverage their position on the spectrum.
See: Creator Spotlight Newsletter
If this sparked a really juicy thought, hit reply. I love hearing your take.
Till next time,
Camila from Conscious Voices
📣 Know someone building a conscious brand who needs this? Forward away.