Electric Sugar Elopements

Who is she?!

Electric Sugar Elopements is a Las Vegas-based rebel elopement company for alternative couples.

How it Started

When this client came calling in 2021, I had only one answer: I do!

Electric Sugar Elopements was working with Compass Digital Strategies to create their new site. As a new company, they needed to start ranking for their niche and wanted to launch the brand with a bang.

They specialise in rebel elopements for alternative couples and were looking for a writer from the metal and rock scene to give their voice authenticity.

How it went

I created original copy for six pages of their new site, following a web design template they provided. And they were delighted with it…

ESE and the gang also wanted my opinion on their logo design, drafted me in to write their launch press release, and other snippets of copy, some of which ended up being featured in a long-running, full-page Rock ‘n’ Roll Bride Magazine advert.

The cherry on the wedding cake was when Nick Parker asked to feature ESE’s website in his Tone Knob newsletter — a must-subscribe for more than 10,000 brand voice writers and enthusiasts. The copy also joined heavy-hitters like the CIA, Innocent drinks, and Skype in Nick’s widely used brand voice system, Voice Box, as an example of a ‘firestarter’ meets ‘straight talker’ voice.

How we got there

Compass Digital and Electric Sugar Elopements wanted their copy written by someone native to the alternative scene, and they were serious about it, too — they gave me full artistic license on the project. As an alternative bride who did, in fact, elope to Las Vegas, I was the target customer, which made it super easy to slip into my reader's skin. However, guidelines were needed…

It’s near impossible to write an effective, distinctive website for a new brand without any brand guidelines in place, so I started by creating a mini tone of voice guide for ESE in a simple slide deck, with four personality traits, a simple mission statement, and a voice archetype. I walked the team through my ideas, showing them samples of the tone I wanted to use — it helped them get on board with the vision and gave me some boundaries to play within.

The voice persona I created was ‘sassy bestfriend’ — the audacious bestie who encourages you to go after what you want. She’s the devil on your shoulder; she wants your day to be perfect; she’s loaded with cool ideas. Once I had sign-off on my voice style and limits for how sassy they wanted to go (‘ass and ‘shit’ were okay, but ‘fuck’ should be limited or censored with stars), I got to work!

I tackled the pages with their SEO goals as a priority and played into the sentiments of my own people with the copy, tucking Pat Benatar lyrics in alongside alternative culture phrases (horns up) and references.

This was truly a project that wrote itself. What a joy!