Misfits
Misfits reached out to me to refine their brand messaging, taglines, and product copy ahead of their U.S. expansion, kicking off with a 2026 launch stores like Target, Costco, Whole Foods, and Sprouts.
The ask wasn’t to “write better copy.” It was to sharpen the brand’s edge by evolving brand and product messaging to amplify what makes Misfits unmistakably Misfits. That meant articulating stronger storytelling, clearer differentiation, and a bigger, culturally relevant personality.
In a category this crowded, playing it safe keeps you shelved.
ScopeBrand & Product Messaging,
Retail Launch (U.S.)
RoleMessaging, Copywriting
A snack bar brand that takes a joy-first approach to health & wellness. Reimagining protein as something that fuels the body and feeds the soul.
The world needs a little Misfits energy. Good thing they’ve got a lot of it.
With Target launching a wave of wellness brands in-store, Misfits aimed to resonate with a Gen Z audience they dubbed “Joy-Seeking Snackers”. A group that treats wellness more like a vibe than a rulebook. My strategy was to define that vibe. (Yes, sometimes the job is ~vibes~.) But beyond tapping into that intuition, the real work was clarifying what Misfits actually gives you (over thier competitors) and building a messaging foundation that tightly connected brand purpose with product ethos.
I kicked things off with a Brand World exercise to pressure-test distinct creative territories, each with its own tone, formula, and messaging strategy. We ultimately blended Mis(Fit) Right In and A Joy Hack to position Misfits as a disruptor of boring nutrition by shifting the narrative from discipline-driven snacking to feeling-driven fuel. From there, I dialed up the energy, playfulness, and boundary-breaking mission to create a brand that feels as bold as it tastes.
The objective: making joy a daily nutrient.
Capturing the brand feeling
Once the brand world was established, I built on emotion. My aim was to bottle the brand’s signature energy of fun, enthusiasm, and that joy-first mindset into ownable key language. I anchored this work in the core belief that protein should taste like candy, not compromise. Misfits became permission, rather than guilty pleasure or duty-bound snacking, for the audience: a protein bar that feels indulgent and delightful while still delivering on your goal energy and macros.
Mood Food™
Walk the walk
It wasn’t enough to say protein should taste like candy. I wanted to deliver the feeling without over-explaining it, and do so in a way that felt authentic for the brand. That meant no lectures or macro math. Just language that sparks desire first, letting the benefits follow. I dialed in a tone that was playfully confident and vivid so people “walk into” the brand curious and hungry, and leave joyful and satisfied. Not because we told them to but because the experience earned it.
Serious Flavor.
Zero Seriousness.
The movement against meh.
Misfits didn’t want to be confined to the “better-for-you” shelf. It wants to show up in culture.
The team envisioned the brand in unexpected places for a protein bar such as concerts, festivals, pop-ups, and everyday lifestyle moments. The goal was to move beyond your gym routine and into relevance.
With that in mind, I approached the remaining copy work through a big-picture lens. Think lines like: Less Disciple, More Dopamine, The Joy of Fueling Right, Daily Dose of Delicious, and Snackable Seratonin that could flex in spaces across website, packaging, retail, events, and more.
