A ‘Swankified’ Lesson from Wicked + How to Add More Whimsical Language to Your Writing

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When I was 16 years old, I took a field trip with my high school drama class to go see Wicked live at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. 

I’ve been belting “Popular” and “Dancing Through Life” in the shower ever since. 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the movie version hit cinemas a few months ago. True to the play, their language, known as Ozian, is not just engaging but enchanting too. 

So, how can you take a page from the book of Wicked and infuse your writing with a bit of that fantastical flair? 

Why Whimsey Works

Whimsy in language isn’t just for children’s books and Broadway musicals. It’s a secret weapon for marketers, founders, and writers who want to be unforgettable. As part of your verbal identity, whimsy can be:

• Playfully quaint and a little absurd. Think Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter—delightfully airy, but always intriguing.

• A mix of joyful innocence and charming oddness. It makes people smile before they even realize why like with the Alice in Wonderland cast.

• A linguistic way of winking. Your audience leans in because they feel the fun like with Dr. Seuss & Roald Dahl. 

A whimsical world of rhyme.

How to Add Whimsey to Your Brand Voice

Let’s take a cue from Wicked, Alice in Wonderland, Roald Dahl, and Dr. Seuss to turn your words into something whimsically wonderful.

1. Dive into Derivation (a.k.a. Word-Magic 101)

Some of the most playful words come from taking a normal word and giving it a whimsical twist. Wicked did this brilliantly in their Ozian language, with words like: 

• Rejoicify 

• Swankified 

• Disgustified 

• Braverism 

• Horrendible

• Pronuncification 

• Imposserous 

• Hideodious 

A thrillifying display of music, magic, and language.

Want to try this for your brand language? Try playing with suffixes like:

• -ify (Shopify, pizzazz-ify)

• -icious (booty-licious (thanks Beyonce!), whimsy-licious)

• -able (unflapp-able, figureout-able)

Reference: https://www.marieforleo.com/

“I had specific demands because I wanted the tone of my brand to be funny while also respecting the customer and the designers behind the product. We first defined the voice with a guide and the result was astonishing! ”

— Davy Martial, Founder of Cartoonely

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2. Count on Compounding

Take two ordinary words and smash them together – and see how two seemingly different things can come together like peanut butter and jelly. 

Create your own inspiring words, such as:

• Giggle-storm (a fit of uncontrollable laughter)

• Funk-proof (immune to bad moods)

• Brain-bounce (a creative brainstorm session)

Many brands use this method to create their names. Think of Facebook, DoorDash, and Postmates.

Dancer, Prancer, Vixen — Meet Santa’s newest reindeer: Doordasher. 

3. Discover the Power of Portmanteaus

This is compounding with a twist. Take one word, remove a portion of it, then put in its place either a whole word, or a similarly clipped one. 

Think sitcom (situation comedy), brunch (breakfast + lunch), or glamping (glamorous + camping). These make your writing pop with personality and playfulness.

Invent your own by blending words that capture your brand’s vibe:

• Snack-rifice (Snickers, you may want this one!)

• Dreamventure (For a new travel brand, perhaps?)

• Friendscape (for a social media or online brand)

Groupon (“Group” + “coupon”)

4. Onomatopeia

The creation of a word by imitation of the sound it is supposed to make. Plop, cuckoo, bunch, boing all originated this way.

Zing. Swoosh. Oomph. They add instant energy and movement to your writing.

Delicious chocolate brand “Crunch” named their brand using an onomatopeia.

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Ready to swankify your verbal identity?

Let’s work together to create a unique, irresistible tone that truly reflects your brand’s personality.