Resource Center » The 10 Best Slogans and Taglines of All Time
Some quality slogans and taglines are so legendary that they achieve a life of their own, become part of the society lexicon, and often launch their associated product to the top of the market.
A great promotional slogan (or tagline) is short, catchy, and memorable. While there is no magical formula that produces a winning slogan, every quality tagline shares a few common details. The best slogans of all time make us think, they fuel our imaginations, they possess a "feel good" factor, and they rarely mention the product or business actually being promoted. An outstanding slogan engages audiences and inspires people to associate it with the brand that uses it; although in some cases, the slogans can be more popular than the brand itself. In fact, many brands create taglines that are so successful and unforgettable that they become slogans on life in general!
Some of the best taglines are still used by their respective parties today, even though they were launched decades ago, and often find their way onto promotional products. How’s that for staying power? There is some debate about which slogans fit into the top ten, but there's little doubt that the ones we discuss here are some of the most successful advertising efforts in history.
 |
''A Diamond is Forever'' – This deceptively-simple advertising slogan was launched by The De Beers Diamond Company in 1938 and headlines one of the most successful and longest-running marketing campaigns of all time. Those four little words—a diamond is forever—suggest a sense of timeless romance and inevitably tie that romance to DeBeers’s product (diamonds) with an unforgettable impact. The DeBeers Diamond Company remains one of the largest diamond suppliers in the world, and this effective tagline is still in use. (Image copyright of De Beers) |
| ''Just Do It'' – In 1988, a struggling sportswear company called Nike introduced this memorable line into its advertising and soon catapulted to the front of the pack. This quality slogan brims with attitude and captures the defiant and determined mentality that’s required of successful sports stars. "Just Do It" is a bold statement that drives consumers to action, inspires athletes to work harder, and causes audiences to instantly associate it with Nike’s apparel and accessories. (Image copyright of Nike, Inc.) |
 |
 |
''Got Milk?'' – This ad campaign, conceived by Goodby Silverstein & Partners, debuted in 1993 for the California Milk Processor Board to encourage people to drink more milk. Its simple message was accompanied by witty commercial situations, by attractive stars wearing milk mustaches, and by stadium cups emblazoned with the short-but-sweet tagline. This campaign conveys straightforward messages that are easily remembered by consumers. They claim that milk is the best thing to accompany sticky or sweet foods and that it's also essential to build a great body (as evidenced by the beautiful people in the poster ads). |
''Where's the Beef?'' – This marketing campaign, created for Wendy's by Saatchi & Saatchi, captured the frustrations of every fast food patron in the 1980s. Although this top-ten tagline was initiated to poke fun at competitors’ beef-lacking burgers, the catch phrase rapidly became a symbol for everything that deficient in substance and quality. While the campaign ran for only a few years, the wildly-popular slogan endured and took on a life of its own. (Image copyright of Wendy’s International, Inc.) |
 |
 |
"Great Taste, Less Filling'' – Miller Brewing Company faced an uphill battle when its light beer was initially introduced. Beer was primarily marketed to a predominately male and very macho market, so how could they introduce a concept like low-calorie beer to such a crowd? In 1975, an ad agency called McCann-Erickson Worldwide neatly solved this problem through a few advertisements. The corresponding commercials depicted beefy, athletic men fighting over either the "tastes great" side or the "less filling" side of the quality tagline; as a result, Miller was able to maintain its masculine image! The slogan even found its way onto Miller merchandise like beer koozies and boxer shorts. (Image copyright of Miller Brewing Company, Inc.) |
| ''Don't Leave Home Without It'' – American Express launched this campaign, created by Ogilvy & Mather, in 1975. The slogan was intended to establish traveler’s cheques and traveler’s check cards as essential accompaniments to daily life. Since its release, this catchy tagline has been quoted, parodied, and repeated so often that it has worked its way into the American lexicon. (Image copyright of American Express Co.) |
 |
 |
''Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand'' – Coined by ad man Rosser Reeves and introduced by M&Ms in 1954, this enduring slogan has real appeal to consumers of all ages. It addresses a problem that every kid and every parent is familiar with—candy mess. This slogan's simple truth is recognizable to many generations of parents and children worldwide. Even though M&Ms has since changed product taglines, audiences still easily recognize and identify this one. (Image copyright of Mars, Inc.) |
''Does She ... or Doesn't She?'' – Clairol first used this mysterious tagline in 1957 and it ended up being one of the most successful slogans of all time. Clairol aimed to remove the stigma of hair coloring by introducing a new line of more natural-looking color. The answer to the slogan's question, as written by Foote, Cone & Belding, was: "Hair color so natural, only her hairdresser knows for sure." (Image copyright of Clairol) |
 |
 |
''You're in Good Hands with Allstate'' – This slogan, written by an Allstate Insurance Company salesperson in 1956, was intended to depict a strong and trustworthy institution committed to its customers. Needless to say, the company tagline was a success! Allstate still uses it in their commercials and advertisements, and people still associate it with its original source. (Image copyright of Allstate Corporation) |
| ''We Try Harder'' - Avis Rent-A-Car launched a new advertising campaign in 1963 that featured this tagline written by Bill Bernbach of DDB. Avis started the campaign to convey that if a company is not #1, then it must go above and beyond in order to compete. Bernbach suggested that Avis shift its focus to customer service, which was a monumental decision, and a slogan like "We Try Harder" reinforced that focus. That approach not only made Avis successful and established them as worthy competitors, but it still drives them even today! (Image copyright of Avis Rent-a-Car System, LLC) |
 |
"Top" Lists
The 10 Best Slogans and Taglines of All Time
Top 10 Advertising Jingles
Top 10 Promotional Products Your Customers Won't Stop Talking About
Top 10 Riskiest Businesses to Start
Top 10 Worst Business Names
The 10 Commandments of Branding
Top 10 Funniest Business Names
Top 10 Promotional Products
10 Promotional Products That Are Sure to Fail
The 20 Weirdest Promotional Products Ever
Top 50 Gadgets of All Time
Ten Most Overlooked Types of Advertising Media
10 Places You Do Not Want To Be Caught Advertising
