Forbes just had a panel of marketers rate their favorite taglines of all times. It makes for interesting reading, some trips down memory lane and the natural pondering of how I would change the list. Here are the top five:
- BMW: “The ultimate driving machine”
- Nike: “Just do it”
- American Express: “Don’t leave home without it”
- Avis: “We try harder”
- Milk Producers: “Got milk?”
This is a pretty strong list. Each tagline is a succinct expression of its brand personality and brand proposition; clarity of these two points allows marketers to help agencies write great taglines.
Here are my opinions on what I consider overrated entries:
- Dunkin Donuts: “Time to make the donuts” (It must have been a regional campaign because I don’t recall it.)
- Virginia Slims: “You’ve come a long way baby” (Something seems wrong about cigarettes as special treats.)
- Hallmark: “When you care enough to send the very best” (A bit over the top for me. Should someone who gets a card care that it has Hallmark on the back?)
I’d replace these three with:
- Memorex tapes: “Is it live or is it Memorex?” (A strong positioning as the best in its category.)
- Ford trucks: “Built Ford Tough” (If Chevy’s “Like a Rock” makes the list, Ford should be there as well.)
- Continental Airlines: “Work hard. Fly right.” (I like how this communicates with both the passengers and the employees in different ways. It was part of the turnaround of a previously poorly run carrier.)
Now it’s your turn. What should come off the list and what should be added? I know you have an opinion.
John Ellett is CEO of nFusion Group, LLC, a digitally-focused marketing agency based in Austin, TX. He has a passion for encouraging and supporting marketing leaders who have the courage to be change agents in their organizations.
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From my 1970s youth a pair of Alka Seltzer ads: the jingle-tagline, “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz; oh, what a relief it is”: telling it like it is! And then the adenoidal “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing…” groan that preceded the jingle. The other one that immediately comes to mind is THX’s “The audience is listening” (complete with growing sound): ubiquitous, clean-looking iconography, and that sonic build in volume and texture sure gets this audience member’s attention!
The old Federal Express “when it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight” comes to mind as a favorite.
Wendy’s “Where’s the beef?”slogan, belted out by the scrappy octogenarian Clara, hit the mark for me.
John, I agree. That was a classic! And a phrase that became part of our culture.
Yep. That one worked really well for a long time.
You raise a good question with the THX suggestion. What are the best audio “tag lines” of all times? I’ll start with NBC and Intel. Who else?
Best audio tag lines: The sound of Windows, AOL’s you’ve got mail (old I know), and the starting music for NBC Nightly News are three that I would recognize instantly.
David, great additions. NBC News reminded me of Monday Night Football intro as well. A few notes of either and you know what’s on.
Memorex was a good addition. In this week’s column on The Faster Times, I talk about categories of taglines and also share some additional suggestions that people think made a big impression on them from the past and present.