Brand Copywriting Constraints
A lightweight constraint reference for brand copy. The LLM already knows how to write — this skill provides the specific limits, structures, and rules that turn generic copy into brand-precise copy.
TAGLINE RULES
A tagline is the single most compressed expression of a brand. It appears on logos, business cards, social covers, and packaging.
Structure
- Length: 3-5 words maximum. No exceptions.
- No period at the end (taglines are not sentences).
- No brand name in the tagline (it appears alongside, not inside).
Approved Patterns
| Pattern |
Example |
When to Use |
| Imperative verb |
"Think Different" |
Action-oriented brands |
| Statement |
"Beauty Outside. Beast Inside." |
Dual-nature positioning |
| Noun phrase |
"The Ultimate Driving Machine" |
Category ownership |
| Question |
"What's in Your Wallet?" |
Engagement / curiosity |
Memorability Test
Before finalizing, check:
- Can you say it in one breath without pausing?
- Does it sound natural spoken aloud, not just on paper?
- Does it work without context — would someone understand the vibe even without seeing the brand?
Avoid
- Generic superlatives ("The Best", "World-Class", "Premium")
- Puns that require explanation
- Industry jargon the target audience wouldn't use casually
- More than one clause or conjunction
BRAND VOICE SPECTRUM
Define the brand voice along four axes. Each axis is a continuum — pick a position for the brand.
| Axis |
Left Pole |
Right Pole |
What It Governs |
| Formality |
Formal |
Casual |
Vocabulary, contractions, sentence structure |
| Tone |
Serious |
Playful |
Humor, metaphor, punctuation style |
| Complexity |
Technical |
Accessible |
Jargon level, explanation depth |
| Energy |
Reserved |
Bold |
Exclamation, caps, directness |
Example Voice Profile
Brand: Aether Coffee
Formality: ████████░░ (8/10 — leans formal, no slang)
Tone: ███░░░░░░░ (3/10 — mostly serious, quiet confidence)
Complexity: ██░░░░░░░░ (2/10 — very accessible, no jargon)
Energy: █████░░░░░ (5/10 — balanced, neither loud nor whispered)
Voice summary: Calm authority. Speaks like a knowledgeable barista
who respects your time — precise, unhurried, no fluff.
Applying Voice
Once defined, the voice profile governs ALL copy: tagline tone, philosophy register, business card formality, social bio energy. Never break character across touchpoints.
BRAND PHILOSOPHY MANIFESTO
The brand philosophy is a 3-5 paragraph statement (150-300 words) that articulates WHY the brand exists and WHAT it believes. This is distinct from the design philosophy (which governs visual aesthetics).
Structure
| Paragraph |
Content |
Purpose |
| 1 |
The tension or problem |
Why does this brand need to exist? |
| 2 |
The brand's core belief |
What does it stand for? What principle drives it? |
| 3 |
How the belief manifests |
How does this belief shape what the brand does? |
| 4 (optional) |
The vision |
Where is this heading? What future does the brand enable? |
| 5 (optional) |
The invitation |
Bring the reader in — "This is for people who..." |
Writing Rules
- First person plural ("We believe...") or third person ("The brand exists to...")
- Present tense throughout — philosophies are timeless, not historical
- No bullet points — flowing prose only
- Every sentence must pass the "so what?" test: if it could apply to any brand, cut it
- Concrete over abstract: "We roast in 12-gram batches" beats "We pursue quality"
Avoid
- Mission-statement clichés ("leveraging synergies", "empowering stakeholders")
- Vague values ("innovation", "excellence", "passion") without concrete grounding
- More than 300 words — a manifesto that needs scrolling has lost its power
BUSINESS CARD COPY
Content Slots
| Slot |
Content |
Max Length |
Example |
| Name |
Full name (or placeholder) |
30 chars |
[Your Name] |
| Title |
Role / position |
2-4 words |
Founder & Head Roaster |
| Email |
Contact email |
— |
[email@example.com] |
| Phone |
Phone number |
— |
[+1 (555) 000-0000] |
| Website |
URL without protocol |
— |
[yoursite.com] |
| Address |
City + Country or full |
1 line |
[City, Country] |
| Tagline |
Brand tagline |
3-5 words |
From tagline rules above |
Hierarchy
The name is always the largest text element. Title is subordinate (smaller size, lighter weight). Contact details are grouped, smallest text, consistent alignment.
Placeholder Convention
When creating a template (not for a specific person), use square-bracket placeholders:
[Your Name], [Your Title], [email@example.com], [+1 (555) 000-0000], [yoursite.com]
SOCIAL MEDIA COPY
Bio (Profile Description)
- Maximum: 160 characters (Twitter/X limit; works everywhere)
- Structure:
[What you do] + [For whom or how] + [Optional tagline]
- Example:
Small-batch coffee roasted for design professionals. Fuel for focus.
- No hashtags in the bio — they look desperate
- No emojis unless the brand voice is ≥7/10 on the Playful axis
Cover Text
The social media cover image contains minimal text — the visual does the heavy lifting.
- Brand name: always present, prominent
- Tagline: one line, 3-5 words (from tagline rules)
- Supporting line (optional): max 10 words, descriptive not promotional
- Total text on cover: never more than 15 words combined
- Minimum font size: 24pt (must be legible on mobile at 375px screen width)
CONTEXT-SPECIFIC LENGTH LIMITS
Quick reference for maximum copy lengths across all brand touchpoints:
| Context |
Max Words |
Max Characters |
Notes |
| Tagline |
5 |
35 |
No period, no brand name |
| Brand philosophy |
300 |
— |
3-5 paragraphs |
| Business card name |
4 |
30 |
Full name only |
| Business card title |
4 |
30 |
Role descriptor |
| Social bio |
25 |
160 |
Single line |
| Social cover tagline |
5 |
35 |
Same as tagline |
| Social cover support line |
10 |
60 |
Optional descriptor |
| Brand spec section headers |
4 |
— |
Short and scannable |
NAMING CONVENTIONS
When the user has not provided a brand name, generate one following these principles:
- 1-2 words maximum (compounds like "Airbnb" count as one)
- Easy to spell after hearing it once
- Easy to pronounce in English (and ideally internationally)
- Domain-friendly: avoid special characters, hyphens, numbers
- Not generic: must feel ownable, not like a dictionary word alone
Name Generation Approaches
| Approach |
Example |
When to Use |
| Coined word |
Spotify, Hulu |
Tech / digital brands |
| Compound |
Airbnb, YouTube |
Descriptive + memorable |
| Real word (recontextualized) |
Apple, Amazon |
Bold category disruption |
| Foreign word |
Audi (Latin: "listen") |
Sophistication, heritage |
| Abbreviation |
IBM, BMW |
Only if full name is established |
Propose 2-3 name options with brief rationale. Let the user choose or say "surprise me" to pick the strongest.
1---2name: copywriting3description: Generate brand-aligned copy with precise constraints for every touchpoint. Use this skill when a user needs a tagline, brand philosophy statement, brand voice definition, business card text, social media bio, social media cover text, brand manifesto, or any short-form copy that must fit strict character and word limits within a brand identity context.4---5
6# Brand Copywriting Constraints
7
8A lightweight constraint reference for brand copy. The LLM already knows how to write — this skill provides the specific limits, structures, and rules that turn generic copy into brand-precise copy.
9
10---
11
12## TAGLINE RULES
13
14A tagline is the single most compressed expression of a brand. It appears on logos, business cards, social covers, and packaging.
15
16### Structure
17
18- **Length**: 3-5 words maximum. No exceptions.
19- **No period** at the end (taglines are not sentences).
20- **No brand name** in the tagline (it appears alongside, not inside).
21
22### Approved Patterns
23
24| Pattern | Example | When to Use |
25|---------|---------|-------------|
26| Imperative verb | "Think Different" | Action-oriented brands |
27| Statement | "Beauty Outside. Beast Inside." | Dual-nature positioning |
28| Noun phrase | "The Ultimate Driving Machine" | Category ownership |
29| Question | "What's in Your Wallet?" | Engagement / curiosity |
30
31### Memorability Test
32
33Before finalizing, check:
341. Can you say it in one breath without pausing?
352. Does it sound natural spoken aloud, not just on paper?
363. Does it work without context — would someone understand the vibe even without seeing the brand?
37
38### Avoid
39
40- Generic superlatives ("The Best", "World-Class", "Premium")
41- Puns that require explanation
42- Industry jargon the target audience wouldn't use casually
43- More than one clause or conjunction
44
45---
46
47## BRAND VOICE SPECTRUM
48
49Define the brand voice along four axes. Each axis is a continuum — pick a position for the brand.
50
51| Axis | Left Pole | Right Pole | What It Governs |
52|------|-----------|------------|-----------------|
53| **Formality** | Formal | Casual | Vocabulary, contractions, sentence structure |
54| **Tone** | Serious | Playful | Humor, metaphor, punctuation style |
55| **Complexity** | Technical | Accessible | Jargon level, explanation depth |
56| **Energy** | Reserved | Bold | Exclamation, caps, directness |
57
58### Example Voice Profile
59
60```
61Brand: Aether Coffee
62Formality: ████████░░ (8/10 — leans formal, no slang)
63Tone: ███░░░░░░░ (3/10 — mostly serious, quiet confidence)
64Complexity: ██░░░░░░░░ (2/10 — very accessible, no jargon)
65Energy: █████░░░░░ (5/10 — balanced, neither loud nor whispered)
66
67Voice summary: Calm authority. Speaks like a knowledgeable barista
68who respects your time — precise, unhurried, no fluff.
69```
70
71### Applying Voice
72
73Once defined, the voice profile governs ALL copy: tagline tone, philosophy register, business card formality, social bio energy. Never break character across touchpoints.
74
75---
76
77## BRAND PHILOSOPHY MANIFESTO
78
79The brand philosophy is a 3-5 paragraph statement (150-300 words) that articulates WHY the brand exists and WHAT it believes. This is distinct from the *design* philosophy (which governs visual aesthetics).
80
81### Structure
82
83| Paragraph | Content | Purpose |
84|-----------|---------|---------|
85| 1 | The tension or problem | Why does this brand need to exist? |
86| 2 | The brand's core belief | What does it stand for? What principle drives it? |
87| 3 | How the belief manifests | How does this belief shape what the brand does? |
88| 4 (optional) | The vision | Where is this heading? What future does the brand enable? |
89| 5 (optional) | The invitation | Bring the reader in — "This is for people who..." |
90
91### Writing Rules
92
93- First person plural ("We believe...") or third person ("The brand exists to...")
94- Present tense throughout — philosophies are timeless, not historical
95- No bullet points — flowing prose only
96- Every sentence must pass the "so what?" test: if it could apply to any brand, cut it
97- Concrete over abstract: "We roast in 12-gram batches" beats "We pursue quality"
98
99### Avoid
100
101- Mission-statement clichés ("leveraging synergies", "empowering stakeholders")
102- Vague values ("innovation", "excellence", "passion") without concrete grounding
103- More than 300 words — a manifesto that needs scrolling has lost its power
104
105---
106
107## BUSINESS CARD COPY
108
109### Content Slots
110
111| Slot | Content | Max Length | Example |
112|------|---------|-----------|---------|
113| **Name** | Full name (or placeholder) | 30 chars | `[Your Name]` |
114| **Title** | Role / position | 2-4 words | `Founder & Head Roaster` |
115| **Email** | Contact email | — | `[email@example.com]` |
116| **Phone** | Phone number | — | `[+1 (555) 000-0000]` |
117| **Website** | URL without protocol | — | `[yoursite.com]` |
118| **Address** | City + Country or full | 1 line | `[City, Country]` |
119| **Tagline** | Brand tagline | 3-5 words | From tagline rules above |
120
121### Hierarchy
122
123The name is always the largest text element. Title is subordinate (smaller size, lighter weight). Contact details are grouped, smallest text, consistent alignment.
124
125### Placeholder Convention
126
127When creating a template (not for a specific person), use square-bracket placeholders:
128- `[Your Name]`, `[Your Title]`, `[email@example.com]`, `[+1 (555) 000-0000]`, `[yoursite.com]`
129
130---
131
132## SOCIAL MEDIA COPY
133
134### Bio (Profile Description)
135
136- **Maximum**: 160 characters (Twitter/X limit; works everywhere)
137- **Structure**: `[What you do] + [For whom or how] + [Optional tagline]`
138- **Example**: `Small-batch coffee roasted for design professionals. Fuel for focus.`
139- No hashtags in the bio — they look desperate
140- No emojis unless the brand voice is ≥7/10 on the Playful axis
141
142### Cover Text
143
144The social media cover image contains minimal text — the visual does the heavy lifting.
145
146- **Brand name**: always present, prominent
147- **Tagline**: one line, 3-5 words (from tagline rules)
148- **Supporting line** (optional): max 10 words, descriptive not promotional
149- **Total text on cover**: never more than 15 words combined
150- **Minimum font size**: 24pt (must be legible on mobile at 375px screen width)
151
152---
153
154## CONTEXT-SPECIFIC LENGTH LIMITS
155
156Quick reference for maximum copy lengths across all brand touchpoints:
157
158| Context | Max Words | Max Characters | Notes |
159|---------|-----------|---------------|-------|
160| Tagline | 5 | 35 | No period, no brand name |
161| Brand philosophy | 300 | — | 3-5 paragraphs |
162| Business card name | 4 | 30 | Full name only |
163| Business card title | 4 | 30 | Role descriptor |
164| Social bio | 25 | 160 | Single line |
165| Social cover tagline | 5 | 35 | Same as tagline |
166| Social cover support line | 10 | 60 | Optional descriptor |
167| Brand spec section headers | 4 | — | Short and scannable |
168
169---
170
171## NAMING CONVENTIONS
172
173When the user has not provided a brand name, generate one following these principles:
174
175- **1-2 words** maximum (compounds like "Airbnb" count as one)
176- **Easy to spell** after hearing it once
177- **Easy to pronounce** in English (and ideally internationally)
178- **Domain-friendly**: avoid special characters, hyphens, numbers
179- **Not generic**: must feel ownable, not like a dictionary word alone
180
181### Name Generation Approaches
182
183| Approach | Example | When to Use |
184|----------|---------|-------------|
185| Coined word | Spotify, Hulu | Tech / digital brands |
186| Compound | Airbnb, YouTube | Descriptive + memorable |
187| Real word (recontextualized) | Apple, Amazon | Bold category disruption |
188| Foreign word | Audi (Latin: "listen") | Sophistication, heritage |
189| Abbreviation | IBM, BMW | Only if full name is established |
190
191Propose 2-3 name options with brief rationale. Let the user choose or say "surprise me" to pick the strongest.
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