What This Article Covers
This article is for small business owners who want a short, memorable phrase that sums up their business. It covers what makes a good tagline, walks through more than 100 real-world examples for inspiration, and lays out simple steps for writing and testing your own.
Two terms come up throughout this article: tagline and slogan. A tagline is a lasting phrase tied to your brand identity — think “Just Do It.” A slogan is usually tied to a specific ad campaign and can change over time, even when the tagline stays the same. Most small businesses only need one lasting tagline, but it helps to know the difference when you see the terms used interchangeably.
Taglines and slogans are the short marketing phrases small businesses use to stay in customers’ minds, whether those customers already buy from you or not. A good one captures your brand in just a few memorable words.
Key Points and Facts About Taglines and Slogans
- A tagline is a short, lasting phrase tied to your brand identity. A slogan is usually tied to a specific campaign and can change more often.
- The strongest taglines focus on one clear benefit or feeling, not a list of features.
- Short, simple, everyday words beat clever wordplay — especially online, where people decide to stay or leave in a couple of seconds.
- Many famous taglines below have since been retired or replaced by the companies that used them; a catchy phrase doesn’t have to be currently in use to be useful inspiration.
- Testing a tagline with real customers before you commit to it costs far less than fixing one after it’s already printed or live in your marketing.
Over 101 Famous Advertising Slogans
- “It’s Everywhere You Want To Be” — Visa
- “It’s Miller Time!” — Miller
- “Nationwide Is on Your Side” — Nationwide
- “Do the Dew” — Mountain Dew
- “Every Kiss Begins With Kay” — Kay Jewelers
- “Beanz Meanz Heinz” — Heinz
- “Raising the Bar” — Cingular
- “Go to Work on an Egg” — Egg Marketing Board
- “Because You’re Worth It” — L’Oréal
- “We Try Harder” — Avis
- “You Can Do It, We Can Help” — Home Depot
- “The Quicker Picker Upper” — Bounty
- “Yup, It’s That Good” — A1 Steak Sauce
- “Kellogg’s Puts More Into Your Day” — Kellogg’s
- “Just Do It” — Nike
- “I’m Lovin’ It” — McDonald’s
- “Think Different” — Apple
- “The Happiest Place on Earth” — Disneyland
- “Finger Lickin’ Good” — KFC
- “Where’s the Beef?” — Wendy’s
- “Have It Your Way” — Burger King
- “Eat Fresh” — Subway
- “Taste the Rainbow” — Skittles
- “The Ultimate Driving Machine” — BMW
- “Impossible is Nothing” — Adidas
- “Connecting People” — Nokia
- “A Diamond is Forever” — De Beers
- “There Is No Substitute” — Porsche
- “Share Moments, Share Life” — Kodak
- “The World’s Online Marketplace” — eBay
- “The King of Beers” — Budweiser
- “Betcha Can’t Eat Just One” — Lay’s
- “Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hands” — M&M’s
- “It’s the Real Thing” — Coca-Cola
- “Can You Hear Me Now?” — Verizon
- “Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking” — Timex
- “Don’t Be Evil” — Google
- “Expect More. Pay Less.” — Target
- “Every Little Helps” — Tesco
- “Save Money. Live Better.” — Walmart
- “The Power to Surprise” — Kia
- “Vorsprung durch Technik” (Advancement through Technology) — Audi
- “Reach Out and Touch Someone” — AT&T
- “The Breakfast of Champions” — Wheaties
- “Snap! Crackle! Pop!” — Rice Krispies
- “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste” — United Negro College Fund
- “Stronger than Dirt” — Ajax
- “Think Small” — Volkswagen
- “Fly the Friendly Skies” — United Airlines
- “What’s in Your Wallet?” — Capital One
- “Intel Inside” — Intel
- “Got Milk?” — California Milk Processor Board
- “Quality Never Goes Out of Style” — Levi’s
- “Is it in You?” — Gatorade
- “You’re in Good Hands” — Allstate
- “Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm is There” — State Farm
- “Drivers Wanted” — Volkswagen
- “The Ultimate Listening Experience” — Bose
- “The Choice of a New Generation” — Pepsi
- “Keep Walking” — Johnnie Walker
- “Good to the Last Drop” — Maxwell House
- “When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best” — Hallmark
- “I Can’t Believe I Ate the Whole Thing” — Alka-Seltzer
- “You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers” — Radio Shack
- “Make Yourself Heard” — Ericsson
- “Hello Moto” — Motorola
- “Your Potential. Our Passion.” — Microsoft
- “Life’s Good” — LG
- “Go Further” — Ford
- “The Best a Man Can Get” — Gillette
- “Let Your Fingers Do the Walking” — Yellow Pages
- “The City Never Sleeps” — New York City
- “The World on Time” — FedEx
- “Grace, Space, Pace” — Jaguar
- “It Keeps Going, and Going, and Going…” — Energizer
- “The Best or Nothing” — Mercedes-Benz
- “The Freshmaker” — Mentos
- “When It Absolutely, Positively Has to Be There Overnight” — FedEx
- “Mmm Mmm Good” — Campbell’s Soup
- “America Runs on Dunkin'” — Dunkin’ Donuts
- “The World’s Local Bank” — HSBC
- “It’s Not TV. It’s HBO.” — HBO
- “Tastes So Good, Cats Ask for It by Name” — Meow Mix
- “A Taste of Heaven” — Häagen-Dazs
- “Zoom-Zoom” — Mazda
- “The Best Tires in the World Have Goodyear Written All Over Them” — Goodyear
- “The Spirit of Australia” — Qantas
- “When There Is No Tomorrow” — Federal Express
- “Let’s Make Things Better” — Philips
- “The World’s Favourite Airline” — British Airways
- “The Power of Dreams” — Honda
- “The Science of Beauty” — Revlon
- “No Nonsense” — John Smith’s Bitter
- “The Uncola” — 7UP
- “It’s in the Game” — EA Sports
- “The Art of Performance” — Jaguar
- “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection” — Lexus
- “Solutions for a Small Planet” — IBM
- “The Most Trusted Name in News” — CNN
- “The World’s Networking Company” — 3Com
- “Your Vision. Our Future.” — Olympus
- “What Can Brown Do for You?” — UPS
- “Innovative Ideas” — Sharp
- “Beyond Petroleum” — BP
- “The Language of Business” — SAP
- “The Power to Be Your Best” — Apple
- “The Citi Never Sleeps” — Citibank
- “Making the World a Little Kinder” — Kinder Chocolate
- “We Never Stop Working for You” — Verizon
- “The Network Is the Computer” — Sun Microsystems
- “For Everything Else, There’s Mastercard” — Mastercard
- “Live in Your World, Play in Ours” — PlayStation
- “The Miracles of Science” — DuPont
- “Leading the Way” — Mitsubishi
- “The World’s Largest Store” — Macy’s
- “Think Outside the Bun” — Taco Bell
- “Always Low Prices. Always.” — Walmart
- “Ideas for Life” — Panasonic
- “Sheer Driving Pleasure” — BMW
- “Make Believe” — Sony
- “Where Ideas Come to Life” — GE
- “Dare for More” — Pepsi
- “Empower Your Game” — Adidas
- “The Power to Change” — Adidas
Coming Up With a Tagline
Slogans and taglines should convey a message in as few words as possible. This is harder than it seems; how do you convey all the great things about your product in just a few words? The key is to focus on your product or service’s best trait, which helps you land on a short and sweet tagline.
Consider Porsche. It positions itself as the car manufacturer that builds the best sports car in the world, with the tagline “There Is No Substitute.” Mazda’s “Zoom-Zoom” tagline points toward a younger crowd. And who can miss the “Intel Inside” stickers on almost every PC, showing Intel’s strong leadership position as an innovator and supplier of microprocessors?
Large companies have the luxury of hiring top-of-the-line advertising agencies who may take weeks to come up with several taglines for a committee to debate and deliberate upon. The small businessman can’t afford to do this, so where do you go for that all-important tagline? Look within.
As a small business owner, you know your company better than an outside agency would. Its vision, target audience, and future plans are all things you already know. So who better to start thinking about taglines than you?
Here Are a Few Considerations When It Comes to Taglines
- Define your target audience. As in the Mazda example above, the “Zoom-Zoom” tagline doesn’t describe the product at all — Mazda uses it to catch the attention of its target audience.
- Say more with less. With just two words (“Intel Inside”), Intel was able to show that it is present in virtually all the PCs people will probably buy.
- Make your tagline or slogan simple. Don’t use words that people will have to look up in a dictionary. Use simple, everyday words that people can easily connect with.
- Ask customers for feedback. What sounds great to you may not land the same way with others, so run it by a few people first.
- Define what particular aspect of your product or service you want to promote.
Skipping that step can cost you later — fixing a tagline after it’s printed or live in your marketing takes real time and money to undo.
Action Steps for Creating a Tagline
Get Clear on Your Message
- Write down your business’s mission, your promise to customers, and what makes your brand different.
- Pick the one benefit that matters most to your target audience — not everything you offer.
Draft and Narrow Your Options
- Write down several short phrases using plain, everyday words.
- Cut any option that needs explaining or that a customer would have to look up.
Test Before You Commit
- Share your top choices with real customers or people in your target audience and ask what they think it means.
- Check that the phrase isn’t already trademarked or heavily associated with another business.
Checklist for Creating a Tagline
- Define your audience
- Know who you’re trying to reach before you write a single word.
- Identify your core benefit
- Choose the single biggest reason a customer should pick you.
- Keep it short and simple
- Use plain, everyday words — skip anything that needs a dictionary.
- Add personality
- Reflect your brand’s tone, whether that’s playful, serious, or somewhere in between.
- Test it with real people
- Get feedback before you print it or put it in your marketing.
FAQ: Taglines and Slogans
What’s the difference between a tagline and a slogan?
- A tagline is a lasting phrase tied to your brand identity and generally stays the same for years. A slogan is usually tied to a specific ad campaign and can change more often.
Does my small business need a tagline?
- Not every business needs one, but a good tagline can help customers remember you and understand what you offer at a glance.
How long should a tagline be?
- Most effective taglines are just a few words. The shorter and clearer it is, the easier it is for customers to remember.
Can I change my tagline later?
- Yes. Many well-known brands have updated or retired taglines over time as their business or audience changed.
Do I need to hire an agency to write a tagline?
- No. As a small business owner, you know your company better than an outside agency would, and that insight is a strong starting point for writing your own tagline.
References:
- How to Write a Tagline that Truly Works — Copyblogger
- 9 Tagline Generators that Help You Create the Perfect Business Slogan — Small Business Sense
- Free Slogan Maker – Business Slogan Generator — Shopify
- Free Slogan Generator — Copy.ai
- 31 Companies With Really Catchy Slogans & Brand Taglines — HubSpot
- 30 Catchy Business Tagline Examples & How to Create Your Own — Bluleadz