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Packaging copy guidelines and tone-of-voice guide for Waitrose

When Waitrose asked me to look at the editorial style and tone of voice of its packaging, I didn’t expect to be writing a 37-page document. But the team I was working with wanted comprehensive editorial and tone-of-voice guidelines that everyone – Waitrose’s buyers and roster of freelance copywriters – could refer to.

Since there was no existing guide, I created Waitrose’s style from scratch. I began with an audit of the packaging copy, explaining what worked and what didn’t.

Although this guide has long since been superseded, I think it still stands as a model of what makes packaging copy appealing and instantly understandable.

I, too, was on Waitrose’s roster of writers. The two packet soups come from one of my copywriting projects.