Newsletter #24
My two favorite advertising slogans are: “Coke is it” and “Just do it”.
Remarkably short, aren’t they? But just imagine how much money and how
many hours went into creating those simple phrases! A recent survey asked 2,000
people in Britain to list their top ten memorable advertising slogans. If you want
to find out what these slogans were, then click here.
Just Do It
Can you remember any advertising slogans? The two that spring to mind the quickest are: “Coke is it”
and “Just do it”. Remarkably short, aren’t they? And, let’s face it, they are rather meaningless. But just
imagine how much money and how many hours went into creating those simple phrases!
A recent survey asked 2,000 British people to list their top ten memorable advertising slogans.
1. Good things come to those who wait
Guinness, producers of a dark, heavy beer
[Guinness should be poured slowly to allow the white
head to form at the top of the beer. This slogan carries a
message of quality.]
2. Every little helps
Tesco, one of the top four supermarket chains
[Save a little bit of money on each of the things you buy in
our supermarket. Shop with us regularly and you will save
a lot]
3. It does exactly what it says on the tin Ronseal, products for home repairs and gardening
[The instructions on our paint cans, our gardening
products are clear and simple. Our products are easy to
use and effective.]
4. I'm lovin' it
McDonalds, fast food outlets
[People like our food. It’s simple but tasty. Actually in my
opinion, the food is tastier than this stupid slogan!]
5. Wassssuuuuupppp?
Budweiser beer
[A rather dumb advertising campaign showing men
telephoning each other and shouting ‘wassssupppp’ down
the line. It was extremely popular all over the world and
millions of people repeated it.]
6. Just do it
Nike sportswear products
[In my opinion, the best slogan of them all. Simple, easy to
understand and carries a positive message]
7. It's good to talk
British Telecom, UK’s equivalent of NTT
[Again, a really easy to understand slogan with a feel
good message.]
8. They're grrrrreat
Kellogg's Frosties, a type of breakfast cereal
[Frosties has for many years used Tony the Tiger in its
advertising campaigns. Tony eats a bowl of Frosties,
says ‘They’re grrrreat’ and rushes off to do something.
This simple message has appeared on television
for so many years that it is part of the English
language.]
9. The future's bright,
Orange, a leading cell phone firm
the future's orange
[Not really sure why this slogan is so popular. I guess
people use it to talk positively about the future.]
10. Probably the best lager in the world Carlsberg, producers of a type of beer called lager
[Not a very clever slogan, but it has appeared so many
times on television that it is now part of everyday
language.]
Keep in mind that these are the ten most remembered slogans – not the ten best slogans! For example,
45% of those polled said that they regularly use the Guinness slogan in everyday speech. So, these
slogans are the ones that sneak their way into conversations. They are not winning awards for the
cleverest or funniest slogans on television.
Jonathan Bramley who carried out the poll said: “Slogans are very powerful advertising tools. If
successful, they can stick in the mind. All the slogans featured in the top ten are short, catchy phrases
that not only identify products but are so memorable they have become part of everyday language.”
The most amazing thing about the poll is that it reveals that 37 percent of people are more likely to buy
a product if it used a memorable or catchy tagline. I’d love to disagree with the findings of this opinion
poll. In fact, I’d like to say that advertizing slogans have no effect on me. But the sad truth is that I do
remember these slogans and they do affect what I buy.
You’ll notice that all the slogans are short and catchy, but I feel that the most successful slogans (i.e.
the ones that people remember and use) are those that hijack a similar English expression or phrase that
already exists. For example, it’s easy to remember ‘Wassuuppp?’ because it is similar to ‘what’s up?’
meaning ‘how are you?’ or ‘what are you doing?’ ‘Good things come to those that wait’ replaces an old
proverb ‘all things come to he who waits’, meaning ‘patience is a virtue.’ ‘Every little helps’ hijacks
the old saying ‘look after the pennies and the dollars will look after themselves.’ And ‘Just do it’ is
very similar to common expressions ‘Just try it’ or ‘Give it a go.’
To finish, let me give you some examples of how these slogans may be used in everyday
conversations:
#1. A: I’ve just planted a plum tree, but I won’t get any fruit for the first four years.
B: Ah well, you know what they say … good things come to those that wait.
#2. A: Look at these t-shirts! Four for $15. They not great quality but …
B: Every little helps. That’s a great price.
#3. A: The fence is looking a bit tatty. I think I’ll paint some of this protector on it. I hope it works.
B: It’ll work. It does exactly what it says on the tin.
#5. [telephone rings] A: Wassuuppp?
B: Nothing much. I’m just hanging at the coffee shop. Do you want to join me?
A: I dunno know. I might go straight home. I’m a bit tired.
B: Come on. Just do it! I’ll see you soon.
#6. A: I’m taking tennis lessons on Thursday nights. Do you want to join me?
B: I’m not sure. I’m a bit rusty.
A: Come on! Just do it!