A slogan is a company’s clever little way of getting into your head – and potentially staying there. And although brief, good slogans manage to convey a hefty amount of valuable information. Whether at the end of a radio spot or at the bottom of a print ad, a company’s slogan can make or break a campaign.
Here’s a quick quiz:
See how many of these famous campaigns you can match up to their respective companies (answers are at the end):
1) “Keeps going and going and going”
2) “Diamonds are forever”
3) “Just Do It”
4) “Have It Your Way”
5) “Drivers Wanted”
Although these companies share very little in common (other than making huge amounts of money), one thing they do share are all the key elements of a successful slogan.
Want a memorable slogan too? Utilize S.O.S.:
Simple – Original – Straightforward
Being simple is somewhat obvious, since anything superfluous fails to be a slogan in the first place. You want to get to the point, to the core of what you do and who you’re talking to. Good slogans leave no room for clutter and can be established across all mediums including billboards, where the less words you have, the better off you are. Keeping it simple, however, goes below the surface as well; your slogan won’t have many words, but think about each word’s connotation – all the ways it might resonate with your audience. If you catch a word that could be taken the wrong way, find an alternative.
Be original. This goes beyond basic plagiarism. Sometimes our subconscious takes over and we think we have come up with something utterly brilliant when in fact we’ve heard it before (or something similar). Originality not only means avoiding keywords and idioms that have already been done again and again, but also avoiding familiar sounds. Do a quick search on YouTube for Empire Today and Luna Carpet – two flooring companies, both with jingles that get stuck in my head. But here’s the worst part: I usually can’t remember which jingle belongs to which company, even when I get to the part where you have to sing the name of the company. Interestingly, Empire recently bought Luna, but these jingles have been around for awhile. Reminding your audience of another company when they hear your ad? Now that’s an advertiser’s worst nightmare!
Be straightforward. The greatest slogans are direct without divulging too much. They’ll strike you in a certain way right off the bat, even if you have no idea what’s being advertised. Then, once you’re better informed, the slogan is accompanied by even greater significance and power.
Next time you want to create a slogan everyone will remember, stick with S.O.S. like all the greats do.
Answers:
1) Energizer
2) De Beers
3) Nike
4) Burger King
5) Volkswagen
P.S. Creating memorable slogans is only part of what we do here at Davis Advertising. If you’re looking for a strategic partner in your marketing efforts, reach out and contact us about teaming up. Or give us a call at: (508) 752-4615
