Catchy Campaign Slogans that Work

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Lisa Thal

In honor of President’s Day, I thought it would be interesting to compare the marketing of presidential campaigns to those of companies. What I discovered was the campaign slogans that connected with voters were similar to successful businesses’ most memorable marketing campaigns. The message was simple to remember and it inspired voters to take action, all the while uniting supporters. In most cases, these memorable campaign slogans propelled the candidates to the White House.

Below are a few examples of presidential campaigns and the phrases that fueled them.

In the 1960 presidential campaign, John F Kennedy operated on a time for greatness with the slogan, “We Can Do Better.” He capitalized on how the public was feeling and offered a solution to improve their lives.

More recently, a pivotal moment came with Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can” campaign chant in 2008, followed by his slogan “Change We Can Believe In.”

And finally, one of the presidential campaign slogans that’s likely freshest in your mind was President Trump’s 2016 slogan “Make America Great Again.”

These emotionally charged campaign slogans made candidates more memorable! Similarly, business marketing campaigns aim to sell a product or service by making their brand more memorable. A great motto only needs a few words to do just that. And with the right words, it can tap into one of the many forces that motivate customers: curiosity, hope, fear, happiness, etc. Once you have a message that resonates with your target audience, you’ll not only have a memorable tagline, but you’ll also have a catchphrase that will keep your brand name in the hearts and minds of customers for years to come. Keep in mind people tend to buy emotionally and back it up with logic.

I thought I would share a few examples of how companies have used this same approach to grow their sales.

“Where’s the Beef?”
This marketing campaign created for Wendy’s captured the frustrations of every fast food patron in the 1980s. Although this tagline was intended to make fun of competitors’ beef-lacking burgers, the catchphrase rapidly became a symbol for everything lacking in substance and quality, and it took on a life of its own.

“Just Do It”
In 1988, a struggling sportswear company, Nike, introduced this memorable line into its advertising and soon catapulted itself to the top. This bold statement created an attitude and captured the defiant and determined mentality of what was possible for fitness enthusiasts and sports stars.

“Got Milk?”
This ad campaign debuted in 1993 as a message from the California Milk Processor Board to encourage people to drink more milk. This campaign demonstrated the power of straightforward words that are easy for consumers to remember.

The best campaigns and advertising slogans are memorable and they fit with the times. What is exciting is that you and your company can create this for yourselves! Ask yourself what you need to do to become more memorable in your consumer’s mind. How can you become more emotionally connected to your current and new customers? Which slogan best positions you versus your competition? Keep it simple with words of inspiration or movement that can make the difference in you having an outstanding year!

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