Did I tell you about the time I nearly puked up my porridge opening an email from Ryanair?

And no, it wasn’t about their tiny seats, miserly baggage policy or booking process that makes you feel like you’re competing on Gladiators.

Let’s take a couple of steps back. At some point in the history of copywriting, personifying inanimate objects became trendy. If it’s been a minute since you did language study at school, personification is when we make something that isn’t human – like a chocolate bar or a car – act or talk like a human. I have no doubt that in the last week alone, a handful of brands will have invited you to ‘meet’ their new product. It’s a classic. Here’s just one example from IKEA.

Woman in green workout clothes using a kettlebell on a wooden box. Text: 'Meet DAJLIEN, your new home training buddy. Smart and flexible training equipment, DAJLIEN allows you to work out at home or on the go.'

IKEA has a long history in naming its products like people. We all had a Billy bookcase in tow during our uni/shared house years, right? In this case, you’re invited to meet Dajlien, their home training range. And though the line isn’t original, it works. The warmth and friendliness feel appropriate to the brand and the context. My only gripe is should it be ‘buddies’ as Dajlien is a whole range not just one product?

The close cousin of this is when brands declare a certain product our ‘new best friend’.

So now you’ve met personification. Sometimes it’s cute. Sometimes it’s fun. (More on that later.) But sometimes, it’s icky and annoying.

Which brings us back to *that* Ryanair email. In it, the copy asks that you “Take your seat as soon as possible / There’s a seat with your name on it and it’s so excited to meet you”.

Vom. Why do I hate it? Because they’re asking me to do something. Something that we know has a pretty good impact on their bottom line. And they’re trying to cutesy it up by giving a chair desires. I’d rather they just told me straight. Or better yet, tell me what’s in it for me.

“Take your seat as soon as possible / Help us get you where you’re going quicker”

Or even:

“Take your seat as soon as possible / That piña colada won’t sip itself”

It feels especially galling from Ryanair. After all, this is a company whose customer experience is famously free from human touch or kindness from the moment you place your booking to the moment you step aboard the plane.

When I shared this on LinkedIn, a few commenters rightly pointed out that there’s a slightly sinister or creepy edge to a chair that can’t wait to meet you. Overall, it’s a miss for me.

Why does it work?

Okay, so we know what personification is and we’ve seen it at its most common and its most crass. Now, let’s look at some more inspiring examples.

Personification is a great tool for bringing life to inanimate products we’re expected to treasure or have a close bond with. Think your favourite cosy slippers, your bed, an heirloom watch, a family car.

Or in this case, a mattress. Instead of snuggling up with your beloved on Valentine’s, you’re invited to snuggle up to a new Emma mattress.

Another great use for personification is to bring to life the relationship between the product and the customer. From Stripe & Stare, a brand of underwear, we’re told that nothing (or nobody) supports you like a pair of their knickers. So we learn that these pants are going to stand by you through thick and thin. That you can really rely on these briefs. Nice.

Pink background: 'Nothing supports you better than a pair of knickers.' Followed by a list: 'Insanely comfy, Super soft, Minimises VPL, No wedgies, Biodegradable, Made from trees.'

And lastly, you can use personification to give otherwise dry or dull topics a bit of zest.

'strawberries that drink less.' Illustration of two strawberries, one with a straw. Below: 'We've been working with our farmers in Spain to grow strawberries using as little water as possible. Here's how we've done it.' Button: 'read more.'

I like this from Innocent because it fits with their infamous brand voice. It simplifies quite a serious and potentially dull message without losing any of the meaning.

Make it work for you

Before you start personifying everything in sight, check yourself:

Does it fit your brand persona? If you’re a bank, you’re probably not going to want to starting giving the ATMs an attitude problem.
Does it fit your brand values? If you’re a brand that’s quirky and playful: step right up. If you’re more serious and you play things straight, maybe give this a miss.
And finally, can you do it without being crass? Take extra care around anything you sit on or anything that will end up in your mouth. We don’t want to feel like we’re being chirpsed by a chair or chatted up by a dog biscuit.

If you want to give it a go, here are some tips to get you started:

Avoid anything that’s been overdone. “Meet…insert name of product” and any overt references to the personal relationship like “new best friend” are feeling a bit tired. We can do better.
Instead, think about that relationship then take it a step further. What do best friends do for one another? They hang out (great for a sofa). They support one another (like our Stripe & Stare pants). They’re dependable (like a healthy meal kit delivery service).
Make a list of verbs (doing words) that could link your customer and your product or service. See if they spark any copy ideas.

Maybe you’re a tattoo artist and you’re going to give the tattoo gun a bit of personality for your next email. The tattoo gun is the real creative brains and it’s got so many designs it can’t wait to realise.

Maybe you sell package holidays and you’re going to use language to turn that plane ticket into a private tour guide that gets you into all the VIP spots.

Or maybe you’re a yoga teacher and the mat is going to become its own person: welcoming and safe.

This is an excerpt from my monthly newsletter, The Right Place. To get it straight to your inbox, add your name to the list.