There’s nothing I love more than connecting with a founder who understands the power each word can hold.

Some brands let copy and content lay on the back burner, believing visual aesthetics only go as far as website design and product photos. But words can be aesthetically pleasing, too — and many consumers subconsciously register this. 

Words don’t have to be big, beautiful headlines or worked into a social media graphic to become a visual design statement. Even the smallest paragraphs and single lines inside your website copy can hold their own as visually beautiful pieces. You know this is true — otherwise why would we bother with font choice?

Before I introduce the beautiful Elle Forma brand — and show you how they use aesthetically pleasing words to enhance their brand identity and perception as a whole — take a look at this example. Which sentence feels more visually appealing to you?

→ Our pieces form the capsule collection you’ve always wanted, giving you solid gold keepsakes that stand the test of time and can be passed down between generations. 

→ Form your capsule jewellery collection with solid gold keepsakes. 

Simplicity is chic, and the second sentence clearly wins. The first is overly wordy, repetitive, full of filler words and unappealing in its flow. The second feels as premium and high end as the brand.

Elle Forma’s visually appealing words

Jewellery brand Elle Forma is dedicated to using premium materials — solid gold, natural gemstones and real diamonds — to ensure each piece lasts more than one lifetime, eventually being passed down between generations. 

From a brand strategy perspective, it’s essential this premium quality is captured across every image, sentence and word, giving the overall perception of luxury. Elle Forma has done this to an expert degree. Their copy does not only tell customers how gorgeous, long lasting and high quality their products are — they show it through the aesthetics of their words. 

Having worked one-on-one with founder Sheila to write website copy, social media captions and contributions to the brand’s Journal, we saw firsthand how dedicated she was to choosing the right words. 

The brand’s copy was already at an incredible level when we were introduced, but a few areas of improvement called for a second look. Now, every line is an ode to the quality craftsmanship and top-tier materials the brand uses in every piece. For example: 

→ Elle Forma is based in Melbourne and influenced by global art forms. (Stunning.)

→ We are a Melbourne-based brand and we take our inspiration and influence from art forms around the world. (It just doesn’t hit the same.)

Sharing their premium perspective

Elle Forma shares their values repeatedly, in different and interesting ways, across every copy and content piece:

→ Home page copy emphasises how their pieces stand the test of time: “capsule jewellery collection”; “solid gold keepsakes”.

→ Their About page expands on these beliefs and values: “transcending time and trends, as it passes through moments and generations”; “be worn on repeat for decades”.

→ The Journal is dedicated to the lifestyle of the Elle Forma customer: “How to shape your capsule jewellery wardrobe”; “The art of choosing a gold chain“; and “Reflections” with the inspiring women who wear it.

Replicate it

→ Check your copy for simple filler words like “that”; “we”; “the”; “of”; “our”; “and”; “can” and similar. An abundance of little words often means your sentence can be completely rewritten to be more chic, simple and easy to read. Start the sentence from scratch. 

→ Double check for repetitive words within the same paragraph or page. If you use ‘timeless’ or ‘sophisticated’ twice in a row, your message begins to fall flat — and subconsciously feels off-putting to read. These mistakes can sneak in when you least expect it (even for copywriters), so comb through your copy closely, or get two sets of eyes on it before publishing.

→ Change up the flow. Don’t stick to short sentences, because your audience will tune out. On the other hand, filling every paragraph with long, drawn-out phrases becomes tiring to read, stopping your readers from absorbing the information. Mix it up through every paragraph instead. (This paragraph is a living example of a beautifully mix-and-matched flow.)

→ Don’t start every sentence in a paragraph with the same word. This is the quickest way to give your readers copy-ick, even if they don’t consciously pick it out. Remix paragraphs that sound like these: “We take inspiration from art forms around the world. We use solid gold in our pieces, and we encourage you to pass your jewellery down through generations. We are the place you find forever pieces.”

→ Use a wide range of letters in every sentence. This sounds fussy at first, but it makes a difference. Consider the sentence you just read, versus the following: “This sounds nit-picky at first, but it makes an impact.” The first version is sleek, whilst the second version uses the letter ‘I’ so often that the whole sentence looks unappealing. 

Our collaboration with Elle Forma

We collaborate on an ongoing basis with Elle Forma, contributing Journal articles, writing website copy (where needed), and keeping the brand stocked with snappy Instagram captions. We replicate their passion for gorgeous words, regularly jumping into the Elle Forma brand voice to craft sentences that please the eye.  

Elle Forma founder, Sheila, has a passion for the small details in every sentence, collaborating with us to choose words, pick out areas of improvement and approve sleek, eye-catching copy. But not every founder has this level of dedication to words and sentences — so lean on your copywriter to become obsessed for you, and watch as your brand’s words take on a life of their own.

Lovenote is available for copy and content writing across platforms. New ecommerce brands are encouraged to start with Brandnote for tone of voice foundations.