What Black Mirror can teach us about sharp copywriting
Written by Black Hot Fire Network on June 3, 2025
Charlie Brooker’s dystopian drama packs a punch, not least for its slick writing. Dave Pittaway of TMW Business (part of Accenture Song) explains that B2B copywriters can learn a thing or two from the show.
Black Mirror is back. And with it comes a return of a show that forces us all to reconsider our relationship with smartphones, social media, and the person sitting next to us. As the series makes its landmark return, it’s worth looking beyond the techno-dread to admire the real genius at work: Charlie Brooker’s writing.
From cult comedy stablemate and razor-sharp games critiques to internationally acclaimed, existential-crisis-inducing TV – Brooker’s voice hasn’t just evolved; it’s grown fangs. And while he’d likely cringe to find himself cited as inspiration for B2B copywriters, I’m doing it anyway.
So, what can arguably the biggest TV release of the year teach us about effective B2B copy?
Distinctive voice
You know a Brooker line when you read it. It’s the literary equivalent of being slapped in the face with a wet, sardonic towel – caustic, sharp, and, weirdly, kind of enjoyable.
From the acerbic digs of Nathan Barley to foul-mouthed tirades in the bedroom-dwelling Screenwipe, his tone has been his calling card. Whether it’s a column written in the Guardian or a movie-length episode of TV, the voice evolves depending on the format, but his character never wavers. It’s more a case of natural adaptation rather than natural selection. A survival of the slickest, if you will.
What does this mean for you? Find your tone. Your real tone. Not the ‘brand voice’ soup that’s been signed off by seven stakeholders.
Write like a person because you’re communicating to one. Speak to one reader, not a demographic chart. If your audience sees themselves in your words, they’ll trust you. If they trust you, they might just listen to you.
Write for the individual, not the collective. Your voice is the one thing AI can’t fake yet.
Be brief
“Brevity is the soul of wit”, as Shakespeare tells us, is a quote many editors will offer during a review. But arguably, Polonius’ next line: “And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,” is the more salient. Basically, get to the point and you’ll be less boring.
Watch any Screenwipe episode and you’ll see in it this lack of tedious limbs. There’s no fluff, no filler, just lean, muscular writing. Every word earns its place, and if it doesn’t, it’s brutally pared back.
Even in Black Mirror, where Brooker tackles complex, mind-bending topics, he trusts his audience to keep up. He shows. He hints. He lets the viewer do some of the legwork – and it works.
Your copy should do the same. Whether you’re crafting an email invite or a product one-pager, you’re not a hostage negotiator trying to keep someone on the line as long as possible. Get in, make your point, and leave. If a sentence doesn’t serve a purpose, bin it. If it can be shorter, make it so.
Brevity beats bloat. Make every line earn its place.
Concept first
Every Black Mirror episode starts with a fundamental ‘what if?’ What if your social score affected your job? What if your memories were replayable? What if your AI assistant sounded suspiciously like Miley Cyrus?
It’s not the twists or the endings that make the show unforgettable. It’s the big ideas squirming away behind it that leave an imprint.
Copy is no different. The best B2B work isn’t just describing product specs. It’s starting with a concept. A tension. A truth. That’s what gets attention. And in a world increasingly saturated with AI-generated mush, it’s the idea that will set you apart from the suspiciously similar competition, not the syntax.
Don’t start with the product. Start with the idea. The weirder, the better.
Cultural comment
Brooker doesn’t just drop in pop culture references to be cool. He’s not a meme lord looking for Reddit upvotes. He drags cultural complaints onto an operating table and gleefully points out all the nonsense inside. It’s not just cultural relevance – it’s cultural commentary. It’s not just using SEO keywords, it’s understanding why those words pull focus.
This is where most marketing fails. It’s simply about looking at a calendar and shoehorning concepts around an upcoming date. Instead, say something about what your audience is already experiencing. Add to the conversation. Make them nod (or smirk).
If you’re not adding anything new, you’re just noise. Go deeper than the trend.
Get uncomfortable
Black Mirror isn’t easy watching – it’s unnerving, sometimes distressing. But it sticks. Because it goes where others won’t.
Marketing used to do that, too. Think of the best campaigns from the past few decades – they were weird, bold, and didn’t care if you felt a little uncomfortable. These days, too much copy feels like it was written by a committee trying to offend no one – and ends up connecting with no one.
You want people to remember your work? Push it. Make someone feel something, even if it’s weirdness or discomfort or curiosity. That’s how ideas stick. Be honest, right now, how many adverts on TV can you remember?
Playing it safe won’t cut through the noise. Embrace the edge.
So, be more Brooker
You don’t need to write dystopian fiction to channel Brooker’s brilliance. Just remember to: have a voice, a real one. Cut the fluff. Start with an idea, not a product. Say something about culture, not just refer to it. Make people feel something – even if it’s a little uncomfortable.
Brooker might hate this article. But if it helps you write sharper copy, we’ll call it a worthy sacrifice on the altar of advertising.
