Boilerplates aren't usually celebrated for their creativity. But why couldn't they be?

Boilerplate text is a one-paragraph, high-level overview description of a company. It lives at the bottom or end of a press release, report, white paper, and other types of corporate communications.

It's intentionally written to be an asset-agnostic and easily portable description—epoxied to the tail end of various things.

Yet boilerplates are mostly ignored by readers. Because most of the time they're unoriginal, boring, uninspired.

Here's a basic template for a boilerplate:

<Your company name> is that <what you do/offer> to help <your desired audience> <do a thing/ solve a problem> with/by <your specific approach or solution>. Want to learn more? <Here's a link and/or email address.>

You add some detail—number of clients, years in business, key recognitions or awards. But that's the gist.

Yet does a boilerplate have to be so straightforward? Does it have to feel like a fill-in-the-blank Marketing MadLib?

To answer those questions, let's turn to convenience store chain 7-Eleven.

Here's the boilerplate at the bottom of a press release 7-Eleven issued about its collaboration with Froggy, the riot grrrl punk rock band out of Doylestown, PA, who wrote the song “7-Eleven Nachos.”

Boilerplate:

Are you still reading this? Awesome. Most people stop when they get to the small print. But not you! You get to read the cool stuff. 7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience-retailing industry. They don't like to brag, but they invented convenience stores. For real. Google it. Based in Irving, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 77,000 stores in 17 countries and regions, including nearly 16,000 in North America…. Also, they trademarked the word “Brainfreeze.” No lie. Thanks for sticking with this. You're unstoppable.

There's more; I condensed it. (You can see the full glorious paragraph in the footnote.)¹

I also reached out to 7-Eleven headquarters because I HAVE QUESTIONS! Questions like:

How did this glorious piece of writing get approved?

Can I hire the writer?

A song about nachos?

Still waiting for answers.

Most of the press releases on the 7-Eleven corporate site take a more straightforward approach. But this one inspires me to rethink how we might use our own press releases to deliver a little more memorable enjoyment.

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Is the 7-Eleven boilerplate is a little too freewheeling and unhinged for you?

There are more subtle ways to make your boilerplate your own.

From lululemon:

lululemon athletica inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) is a performance apparel and footwear company for yoga, running, training, and most other sweaty pursuits, creating transformational products and experiences which enable people to live a life they love. Setting the bar in technical fabrics and functional designs, lululemon works with yogis and athletes in local communities for continuous research and product feedback. For more information, visit lululemon.com.²

“Other sweaty pursuits” is a fun way to describe the lululemon audience. This boilerplate also takes the opportunity to highlight its local outreach efforts. All in a spare 64 words.

From CVS:

CVS Health is the leading health solutions company, delivering care like no one else can…. Wherever and whenever people need us, we help them with their health, whether that's managing chronic diseases, staying compliant with their medications, or accessing affordable health and wellness services in the most convenient ways. We help people navigate the health care system and their personal health care by improving access, lowering costs and being a trusted partner for every meaningful moment of health. And we do it all with heart, each and every day. Learn more at cvshealth.com.³

I condensed this one a bit. But look at the focus on what CVS does for others … not just what CVS is.

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A boilerplate is called “boilerplate,” by the way, because at one time news organizations would distribute ads, syndicated columns, and other prepared text to local newspaper via metal printed plates. The “boiler” portion of the word refers to the roiling heat needed to roll the plates.

Boilerplates at one time were (literally) hot. Over time, “boilerplate” came to refer to any text that could be used over and over again without changes. And now, “boilerplate” is used as a diss referring to stale or banal writing.

But! You are not a stale or banal writer.

So here's my challenge to you and us all: Let's return some heat to the boilerplate! Nachos optional.