Taglines: Just Do 'Em
Quick, what’s your favorite tagline?
Now, what’s your favorite tagline created in the last ten years?
It appears the glory days of the tagline are behind us. Some say good riddance—taglines are dead! I would say our industry is on life support precisely because of this viewpoint.
We lack specificity.
We lack commitment.
We lack focus.
We swim in maybes and sort ofs and bland grandiosity. And it shows up in the watered down word salad that passes for taglines these days.
Experience Amazing
Go Further
We’re In It Together
That’s What I Like
More Together
No wonder so many think the tagline is dead. It might as well be.
But, remember these?
The Ultimate Driving Machine
The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection
When it absolutely positively has to be there overnight
The Happiest Place On Earth
And, of course, the one that everyone tries to beat, written nearly 35 years ago by one of the greatest advertising creatives of all time, “Just Do It.”
These brands stood (stand) for something. They not only put a stake in the ground. They built their entire marketing ecosystem around it.
To use a sexy word these days, they had “purpose.”
Imagine walking into work each day knowing exactly why your company exists. Wouldn’t that be nice? Wouldn’t it make your job a hell of a lot easier?
Today, the view is, the market is too fragmented for such single mindedness. I’d say that’s exactly why we need it.
We do not suffer from an overabundance of clarity in 2022. We suffer, in so many ways, from its opposite. Ill-defined brands chasing trends and tactics, leaving consumers confused and indifferent.
Whether you’re speaking to someone on TikTok, TV or Twitch, what you stand for can and should be consistent. Just find a way to do so that’s relevant to your audience.
If you start from Experience Amazing or We’re In It Together, you might as well be starting from a blank sheet of paper.
But if you start from The Happiest Place On Earth or The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection, you’ll have a clear cause to champion, with clear-minded creatives excited to bring it to life so people can actually understand and connect to your message.
Amazing, huh?