Make The Mundane Not-So-Mundane

Approximately 10 times a day, when I'm asked to type in my password at various websites, I type it wrong. Sometimes I type my password wrong because I've forgotten it. Other times it's because I never really learned how to type. Or because my fingers slip. Or because these days we're forced to remember so many bloody passwords, it's a minor miracle if I actually remember any of them.

On one of the sites I visit every day, this is the message that greets me if I type my password incorrectly:

"That password ain't right, boss".

I love it. It's a breath of fresh air. "That password ain't right. boss", this website cheekily proclaims. It's just a tad more edgy than "Try again", yet just a tad more polite than "You're an idiot".

It takes a confident brand to give its customers a gentle sarcastic jab every now and then, but I wish more companies would do it. Unfortunately, too many companies take themselves too seriously. This type of off-beat lightheartedness isn't a good fit for every brand, but if you're in a business category that doesn't need to take itself too seriously, don't.