You know that one toy you had as a kid?
You know, the one you lugged everywhere, even when it was missing an arm, was covered in soil or smelled of the Um Bongo you’d spilt all over it.
Yeah, that toy.
Chances are, it wasn’t just a toy to you.
It was a friend.
The incredible power of storytelling in toy product descriptions
You’ve read this far because of storytelling.
I made you think about the story and relationship you had with that toy, even if it was just a load of plastic tat looking back.
And it’s the same for a toy.
Toys need a story because a story is what makes it more than a toy and what makes play feel bigger than the living room carpet.
It’s those adventures you have with it as a kid that make you think about that toy to this day.
Why toy stories stick in product copy
Kids don’t play with toys, they play with worlds.
A story gives a toy a life beyond the box.
LEGO is a great example of this.
LEGO is nothing more than a bunch of colourful bricks, but put them together in the right order and you can build a castle, a spaceship, a police station or the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars!
When a toy has a story, kids can’t get enough of it.
They want it.
They want more of it.
They want to create their own adventures and become part of the toy’s story.
And when they’re lost in their own world, well, you’ve cracked it.
Parents have to buy into the story too
Kids want toys.
But it’s the parents who hold the credit cards, so while kids might fall head over heels for a dinosaur egg filled with neon green slime, parents need to feel the price is worth paying.
What convinces parents?
Yep: stories!
A parent won’t want to buy “plastic thing #74“.
They want something that feels worth it.
Something that fuels imagination, keeps their child busy and maybe even teaches creativity or problem-solving along the way.
When a toy has a clear story, it gives parents permission to say, “Yeah, that’s worth every penny!” and makes them think, “I’d have bloody loved that as a kid!”
They don’t want another toy that ends up as another piece of clutter.
Why toy brands should care
There’s nothing worse than bringing a toy to market but not telling its story.
It’s why we love Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story movies.
He’s a space ranger who saves the world from the Evil Emperor Zurg, as seen in the TV ads during the movie. In another genius piece of storytelling, we learn the backstory of Andy’s toys, making us love them even more because we attach our own fond memories of our own toys to them.
Kids don’t remember product specs. They remember how a toy made them feel. A doll isn’t 12 inches tall with articulated elbows. They’re a best friend who listens when no one else does. And a race car isn’t just die-cast metal. It’s the fastest car in the world that can fly in space, fire laser beams from its headlights and save the Earth.
For parents, those stories aren’t fluff, they’re reassurance.
Brands that weave a narrative into their ads, packaging and product descriptions earn a parent’s trust.
And trust is priceless.
How to write fun product descriptions for toys and games
There’s nothing worse than bringing a toy to market but not telling its story.
So, make your product descriptions work hard and to do that, consider including all of these:
- Start with the story, not the specs
- Don’t lead with a boring feature or its height, start with something a child would love to hear, like, “Your kid’s new superhero sidekick…“
- Give your toy a voice
- Imagine how it would introduce itself: “Hi, I’m Sparkle the Unicorn and I eat glitter for breakfast.” Okay, not that, but you get the idea.
- Tap into their imagination
- Show parents how it fuels creativity, “Build a rocket or a banana phone, it’s up to you!“
- Sneak in the practical perks
- Make parents feel good and highlight the benefits, such as “Keeps little hands busy on long car rides.”
- Keep it short, snappy and playful
- Long paragraphs kill the magic. Use punchy sentences. Rhythm matters as much as content.
- Use sensory words
- “Squishy“, “zoom“, “giggle-worthy” — words that kids can almost feel, hear or taste are a good indicator here.
- Add a wink for the grown-ups
- Parents are the buyers, so give them a chuckle: “Batteries not included (which might be a Godsend if we’re honest).”
- End with an invitation
- Wrap it all up with a call to play: “Ready to blast off?“, “So, who’s hungry for a pizza party?“.Obviously, if your toy doesn’t involve rockets or fake pizza, consider something else.
Toys are already magical, but give them a voice and a backstory, and you’ve got way more than a toy. You’ve got a memory in the making.
And in the battle for both kids’ excitement and parents’ approval, memory wins every time.
To learn about the booming wooden toy trend, check out, Why eco-friendly toys are the big thing.
Don’t forget inclusivity in your marketing
Your toys also need to feel inclusive for children with disabilities.
And you need to get the wording right here.
However, I have a whole article on this topic, so if you’re unsure, I recommend reading about inclusivity and diversity in toy product descriptions in my article, Why Diversity Dolls and Inclusive Toys Need Better Copywriting.
Do your product descriptions sell your stuff?
Every toy has a story.
So storytelling in toy product descriptions is essential.
The PD shouldn’t be a list of technical features or one sentence. Your ads and packaging sell the product, but so many toy companies continue to neglect the product description.
If you want to make yours better but don’t have the time, check out my product copywriting service, where you can opt for just the product writing or go the whole hog and I can create content for press releases, pre-launch, launch and post-launch social media posts and emails.
And to show you that I know my stuff, check out the descriptions I wrote for a range of Jurassic World: Rebirth toys and the product descriptions I created for Swizzels Matlow.
Or check out my article, How to write product descriptions that sell your products, for more tips on how to write them yourself.
Until next time,
Matt
PS. For more articles from marketing strategies for a toy brand to an industry writer, check out 5 social media strategies for toy brands, How to market to parents: 7 playful yet powerful strategies and How to find a toy industry copywriter for kids’ brands.
