Hampton

Hampton's copy was tested aloud on calls, keeping phrases that got reactions. While writing the Hampton vision and website copy, Sam Parr tried phrases on Zoom calls and watched faces the way a comedian reads an audience. When eyebrows moved at 'business group therapy', he kept it and built the copy around it.

Phrases that didn't land were changed. He wrote the vision after talking to customers and taking notes, mashing together ideas borrowed from many sources and making every word earn its place. "I'll look at the reaction just like a comedian of the audience."

How I Write▶ 2:16

Hampton replaced a forgettable secrecy oath with 'nothing, no one, nobody'. The original confidentiality oath was a long sentence nobody remembered, so Hampton swapped it for three short words: nothing, no one, nobody.

Sam reads a history book a week and notes that leaders from cult founders to presidents repeat the same memorable lines. His rule: "if it's not memorable no one will do it."

How I Write▶ 6:02

Hampton's brand is bold and masculine on purpose, accepting it isn't for everyone. Sam says he was good at writing what his companies stood for but bad at writing what they were against, so at Hampton he deliberately built a bold, masculine brand that excludes some people.

The tone borrows from 1970s and 80s print ads like Rolex's, aiming to be professional yet informal. He chose British racing green, the color of old Jaguars and Triumph motorcycles, and pictured Felix Dennis, founder of Maxim, as the reader.

How I Write▶ 1:04:11