Hey, Read this
There’s a sixth and lesser-known love language. It’s called words of admiration—not to be confused with words of affirmation, which is a more on-the-nose form of connecting than the subtle magic of what’s to follow.
Words of admiration is practiced when you’re handed, say, a Fun Drink or peanut butter jar by someone you love. They’ll extend the package with a smirk—an anticipatory beam of excitement and giggle on queue—along with a simple instruction: “hey, read this.”
Your friend or lover or word-admiring aunt watches you read each line, word-for-word, until their smirk reflects your own. Slowly, your concentration contorts into its own beam, delight spreading into your cheeks as it builds and builds until it’s complimented by a little chuckle.
You smile at your friend or lover or word-admiring aunt, who’s already smiling back. “That’s so good,” you might say. “I wonder who came up with that.”
Ah, the power of good CPG copy.
The copywriter behind that Fun Drink or peanut butter jar accomplished what many can’t—they told a full story, packed with pith and personality, all in the limited space of a label. That brand, whatever it may be, caught attention and created connection. From now on, those two will spin the brand’s other products around at their neighborhood grocery store, one by one, reading each bespoke label and sending pictures of their favorites from aisle 7.
To see someone connect over my work and photograph it from aisle 7?
That’s my love language.
Concept work
MILLHAUS CIDER CO, a haven of Eatonville, WA, puts their homegrown story first—and front and center on all bottles, which is primary real estate for FUN.
Here’s how I’d punch up the labels on a few of their best-selling ciders.
haus dry
Tasting notes: crisp; uncompromising; clean; dry; natural LESS IS MORE
The frills of the other MILL HAUS ciders amuse me. They’re trying so hard—packing funky, never-before-seen fusions into an already perfect flavor. But we must not forget the art of the Washington apple: the ripe and bright rubies of a fruit sourced from just down the road. Centuries of locally grown magic make me what I am: as real as it gets.
So, my dear, when you’re done experimenting, call me.
huckleberry
Tasting notes: light; tart; berry-forward; earthyLIVING YOUR DREAM
Picture a field: one dappled with huckleberry bushes weighed down by their health. You pluck and you pluck, relieving each stem of its juice. On your other arm, a second basket, piled with apples polished by the sun.
You call this a dream. At MILL HAUS, we call this a Wednesday.
When heaps of PNW huckleberries blend with our Washington-grown apples, a light and balanced cider emerges. Not too sweet, not too tart. Just a delightful medley of our finest local fruits.
Now, open your eyes. Your cider’s getting warm.
