How Trader Joe’s toilet paper can improve your copywriting

Monday, April 20th, 2009 at 9:38 am by Anita Ashland

When I was checking out at Trader Joe’s the other day the clerk pointed to the toilet paper roll package and said, “Have you read the story on the package? It’s hilarious.”

I’m always a sucker for a good story. Also, as a copywriter, I’m always up for getting inspiration from anywhere, even from a toilet paper package, so I read it as I walked out of the store.

Here’s what the front of the package says:

There are several people in the illustration and there’s obviously some sort of party going on. Trader Joe’s leaves the details to your imagination.

Now for the best part. The side of the package has this:

I love the pithy headline and the hyperbole. Moreover, Trader Joe’s copywriters are clearly having fun with the copy and I’ll take this over toilet paper with bears or clouds or babies on it any day.

It reminds me of perhaps the most fun I’ve ever had writing copy. When a friend of mine was moving a couple of years ago she tried renting a shop vac at the last minute but was unable to and cleaning up the mess without one was a major ordeal for her.

I told her she should have asked to borrow mine and wrote a quick sales letter with a mega headline touting all the benefits of my shop vac and emailed it to her.

I wrote it to amuse my friend but it ended up being a great exercise, to take an everyday object and find the benefits and write about them in an exaggerated way. Give it a try sometime.

P. S. Thanks to my oldest daughter for taking these photos. She didn’t bat an eyelash or ask any questions when I asked her to please photograph this toilet paper package for me. Gotta love that.