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What is an Advertising Slogan?
Advertising slogans, also known as taglines, are brief, catchy phrases or sentences used in marketing and advertising campaigns. Their purpose is to draw public attention, communicating a company’s message in a memorable and persuasive way.
An advertising or business slogan should sum up what the company stands for in a few words and become an integral part of the brand it is representing. The effective advertising slogan should be simple, catchy and easy to remember so that it could result in a significant impact on the mindset of the listener.
In this competitive world, the advertising slogan is a useful tool to increase brand awareness and visibility in the consumer market. If brand slogan is done right, it can engage directly with the target customer and communicate the right message. Brands are coming up with catchy slogans so that it can result in a long-lasting impression on the audience.
Simplicity is one of the essential criteria of an advertisings slogan because the listener must remember it easily, and there is an emotional connect. Organizations keep on changing their slogans after a few years, but it is advised to stick to the most popular one.
Wondering how a new slogan can revitalize your brand?
In 2021, Coca-Cola launched its new slogan “Real Magic” as part of a global campaign aimed at celebrating shared moments of joy and connection (Source: Coca-Cola Press Release, September 2021). This strategic move helped the brand engage with younger audiences and reinforced its position in the market.
There have been instances when companies have reverted on previous advertising slogans that had proved successful once upon a time.
The best thing about a good slogan for an advertising or marketing slogan is that it should be memorable so that as soon as someone hears it, he could connect easily with the brand. Some of the memorable phrases and enduring advertising slogans are listed below.
25 Amazing Advertising Slogans
Here are some of the best advertising slogans created by various brands over the years.
1. Apple: Think Different
Founder Steve Jobs wanted a slogan that would define its brand in an exemplary manner. Think different were his words used during a presentation at Macworld.
These simple words had a significant impact on everyone who was in that meeting. This encouraged the advertising agency TBWA/Chiat/Day to use it as an advertising slogan for Apple in the year 1997 as the bold words defined daring thoughts and long-range vision.
The campaign went out through numerous media outlets like TV and print advertisements and to this day is one of the topmost slogans in the world.
2. Nike: Just Do It
Just Do it is the advertising slogan of the world-renowned brand Nike and was coined in the year 1988 at an advertising executive meeting. The ad executive of Nike at that time was Dan Wieden, and he wanted something unique and different for the next campaign.
He fused the phrase Just Say No from Nancy Reagan’s campaign with the last words Lets do it of Gary Gilmore who was on a death row. Who could have thought that the slogan would create world history and help its brand to boost its share in the North America market from a mere 18% to astonishing 43% and worldwide sales from 877 million to 9.2 billion?
The campaign went out through numerous media outlets including graffiti art, print media, outdoor billboards and merchandise. Prominent athletes like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer and Colin Kaepernick have featured in the advertisement over the years.
3. Wendy’s: Where’s the Beef
Where’s the Beef was a phrase used in the advertising campaign of fast-food chain Wendy’s in the year 1984 by actress Clare Peller. The original ad was created by Kaplan Thaler Group, a New York Agency. The television commercial gained instant recognition and was repeated in media outlets like magazines, films, and television shows.
It went on to become one of the most popular catchphrases in the world, especially in the United States and was now used for anything and everything and not just hamburgers. Wendy’s became the talk of the town, and it was able to achieve record sales of 76.2 million in the following year. To cash in its newfound success, the company also launched beach towels, t-shirts and mugs featuring its signature phrase Where’s the Beef.
4. Coca-Cola: Open Happiness
Open Happiness is catchy tagline for a relatively new ad campaign launched by brand Coca-cola. It was first showcased on 21st January 2009 on the sets of American Idol and from there was rolled out to other places. In the United States, the commercial appeared during the broadcast of Super Bowl XLIII on 1st February 2009 and on 22d February at the 81st Academy Awards.
Later print ads were launched in newspapers along with in-store and outdoor advertising campaigns and television commercials. The Facebook page of Coca-cola achieved more than 50 million likes and became one of the most influential ad campaigns in the world.
5. L’Oreal: Because You’re Worth It
Because You’re Worth It has become a timeless catchphrase that is associated with the renowned brand L’Oreal. It was coined in the year 1973 when feminism was at its peak by 23-year old llon Specht, who was working on the L’Oreal account.
The message was an instant hit amongst the consumers because it struck a deep cord and aptly reflected the style and self-confidence of the modern woman. The first model to use this fantastic phrase was Joanne Dusseau in the L’Oreal, and since then several personalities like Rachel Weisz, Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Schiffer have been the faces of the brand’s global campaign.
6. M&M’s: Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hands
The brand M&M’s was founded in the year 1941and it launched its most popular commercial in the year 1954. It showed a man hiding the M&M’s candy in his hands and uttering the words Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hands.
The concept was the brainchild of Ted Bates & Co, an advertising firm in Chicago that created history. The phrase is still famous after 64 years, and in the year 2014 was voted as the most favourite advertising slogan of all times.
7. De Beers: A Diamond is Forever
De Beers is an iconic brand that needs no introduction, but there was a time in the 1930s and 40s when the Great Depression resulted in low sales. The company desperately needed a catchy slogan that would help in reviving its fortunes once again.
It was during these trying times that Frances Gerety, a copywriter at NW Ayer agency, came up with an advertising slogan A Diamond Is Forever.
Since its launch in the year 1948, the brand has used this iconic slogan continuously because even today, these simple four words define the whole company’s slogan and its products most appropriately.
8. Wheaties: The Breakfast of Champions
Wheaties is a famous brand of breakfast cereal that was introduced in the consumer market of the United States in the year 1924.
In the year 1927, the company needed a catchy advertising slogan as it was sponsoring a minor league baseball team The Minneapolis Millers. Knox Reeves, an ad-executive, came up with the memorable slogan, Wheaties – The Breakfast of Champions, and it was the start of a fantastic journey that saw the brand from going strength to strength.
Over the years several athletes like Christ Evert Lloyd, Dan Marino, Larry Bird, Michael Phelps and Ted Williams have graced the orange box of the Wheaties.
9. Dunkin’ Donuts: America Runs on Dunkin’
Dunkin Donuts was looking for something new to redefine itself amongst its customers and its own global slogan that would boost its customer base to unimaginable heights. The slogan America Runs on Dunkin’ was phrased by a Boston-based creative agency Hill Holiday and was launched in the year 2006.
The brand adopted an aggressive marketing strategy, and the campaign was shown in nine radio spots, sixteen commercials, in-store advertising, outdoor programs and in print advertising.
The slogan had a significant impact, and within six months of its launch, Dunkin was selling 2.7 million cups of coffee every day.
10. Verizon: Can You Hear Me Now
Verizon Wireless was one of the largest service provider of mobile phone in the United States and in the year 2002 it launched its most popular advertising slogan to date.
The five words Can You Hear Me Now were created by Bozell, a New York-based ad agency. The commercial showed actor Paul Marcarelli as a Verizon field tester speaking from numerous locations and uttering Can You Hear Me Now.
By next year the company was spending nearly 400 million dollars annually on its ad campaigns that had proved a runaway success.
11. KFC: Its Finger Licking Good
Advertising agencies have penned most successful advertising slogans before, but this was not the case with KFC.
It is said that in 1950s David Harman got caught licking his fingers while eating the chicken from KFC and he uttered the famous words Its Finger Licking Good which went on to become the advertising slogan of the brand later on. It used it for nearly fifty years as the official company slogan and defined its brand admirably.
12. Kit Kat: Have A Break Have A Kit Kat
The advertising slogan Have A Break, Have A KitKat was written by Donald Gilles in the year 1957 and used in television spots a year later.
At the onset, it was used to welcome the tea break at 11 o’clock but then at other times as well. Even after seventy years, the phrase has maintained its popularity, and its impact is still profound.
13. Panasonic: A Better Life, A Better World
Panasonic decided to launch a new advertising slogan in the year 2013 as it was near its 100th anniversary in the business. It wanted to project its goals and objectives to its consumers.
The phrase A Better Life, A Better World aptly describes the brand’s vision and mission.
14. Disneyland: The Happiest Place On Earth
The advertising slogan used by Disneyland is The Happiest Place On Earth, and it rightly describes the feelings of all the people who visit its theme park.
It communicates a guarantee that everyone will find it joyful because Disneyland is a magical kingdom that needs to be visited time and again by people of all ages.
15. Compass: Let Us Guide You Home
Compass is associated with real estate and is known for its exceptional branding. The home buying process is not an easy one, and everyone needs a helping hand at some point or another.
The advertising slogan Let Us Guide You Home is warm and welcoming, and this is why it has gained immense popularity in the world arena. It shows that the brand is willing to help its customers during their life’s most significant purchases.
16. McDonald’s: I’m Loving It
McDonald’s has always believed in aggressive promotional strategies to boost its brand visibility in the consumer market and takes the help of media outlets like newspaper ads, radio, television commercials and billboards to its advantage.
The company introduced the advertising slogan I’m Loving it in the year 2003 and since then has become the longest-running slogan for the brand. Justin Timberlake first crooned it and with time has gained permanent status in the world.
17. FedEx: When There is No Tomorrow
FedEx is a courier company, and it guarantees that all orders will be processed on the same day itself as there the next day might be too late.
The advertising slogan When There Is No Tomorrow communicates the mission and vision of the company and is often considered an integral part of their work ethics.
18. Volkswagen: Think Small
If there is one ad that changed the world of advertising, then it was Think Small launched by international brand Volkswagen. It was written by Julian Koenig and art directed by Helmut Krone at the DDB agency in the year 1959.
The short and succinct words Think Small helped to create a very commercial and recognizable slogan that was declared the best advertising campaign of the twentieth century by Ad Age.
19. Gillette: The Best A Man Can Get
The Procter & Gamble brand Gillette launched its advertising slogan The Best A Man Can Get in the year 1989 through the ad agency BBDO during Superbowl. It was all about glorifying the masculinity of a man as well the products he uses.
The slogan was translated into fourteen languages and helped the brand to reach new heights in the shaving industry.
20. BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine
BMW introduced the advertising slogan The Ultimate Driving Machine in the year 1973 and has used it religiously since then. The words were created by the ad agency Ammirati & Puris, which at that time were relatively new in the business of advertising.
The brand received high popularity and fame and has launched several commercials with its help for instance in the 2012 ad it categorically stated that it dealt in only one thing and that was The Ultimate Driving Machine.
The descriptive and straightforward words have become a synonym of the brand as it describes it aptly.
21. Adidas: Impossible is Nothing
The sports brand Adidas is known for its swag and attitude, and it wanted to depict its core values in an apt advertising slogan. The phrase Impossible is Nothing is a powerful message that motivates everyone.
It was launched in the year 2004 in the form of a campaign that featured Tracy McGrady, David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.
22. Got Milk
The California Milk Processor Board decided to promote the consumption of milk and launched the advertising slogan Got milk in the year 1995. It was a brilliant company slogan meant to remind people about the benefits of milk and what would our life be without it.
The ad campaigns featured several celebrities adorned with milk moustaches, for instance, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Naomi Campbell and Whoopie Goldberg.
23. Frosted Flakes: They’re gr-r-reat
Frosted Flakes is a breakfast cereal brand from Kellogg Compay. It was introduced in the year 1952, and since then the brand has been describing its cereal as gr-r-reat.
The slogan They’ r gr-r-reat started appearing in commercials in the 1980s and was also added to the packaging for maximum effect.
24. United Airlines: Fly The Friendly Skies
United Airlines came up with the advertising slogan Fly The Friendly Skies in the year 1965. Its popularity reached unimaginable heights and the band stuck to it for the next thirty years.
The company slogan itself was replaced in the year 1996, but the replacements could not achieve the earlier success. In the year 2013, the company reverted to its famous slogan, which now appears in all its commercials.
25. New York Times: All The News That’s Fit To Print
The New York Times launched one of the oldest and highly popular advertising slogans of all time in the year 1896. A public competition was held so that the company could come up with a phrase that would describe it correctly. All The News That’s Fit To Print was chosen amongst the lot and is still used by the brand as part of its promotional policy.
How to Create a Catchy Advertising or Business Slogan?
- Analyze Your Business: Understand your offerings, target audience, unique selling points, and the emotions you wish to evoke.
Reflect on your mission, vision, and values which could serve as a foundation for your slogan?. - Create a Mind Map: Generate a “mind map” with words and associations that characterize your brand?.
- Draft Initial Slogans: Using the mind map, draft various slogans without aiming for perfection initially.
Consider leveraging online slogan generators for additional ideas?. - Shortlist and Refine: Select the best slogans, refine them for conciseness, and enhance with rhymes, alliterations, or other linguistic techniques?.
- Evaluation Checklist: Ensure the shortlisted slogans are succinct, reflect brand values, address customer needs, and resonate emotionally with the audience?.
- Get Feedback: Seek feedback from stakeholders, customers, or focus groups to gauge the slogans’ effectiveness and make necessary adjustments.
- Test Slogans: If possible, test the slogans in small marketing campaigns to measure their impact before a full-scale rollout.
- Trademark Check: Before finalizing, ensure the slogan isn’t already trademarked by another company.
- Integrate with Branding Elements: Integrate the chosen slogan with your logo and other branding elements to create a cohesive brand identity?.
- Launch and Promote: Launch your new slogan as part of a marketing campaign to build brand recognition and affinity.
Conclusion
Advertising slogan and the brand name are often interlinked in the minds of a consumer, mainly if it has managed to create a positive impact. The moment you hear the words, the brand or the related product or service flashes in our minds.
At a glance, the advertising slogan might seem like a catchphrase but remember it can draw the customers to your door and generate revenues for your business.
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