9 Best & Worst Brand Taglines & Lessons From Them

Do the words, “Just do it” make you think of a brand? Did you think of Nike? No prizes for guessing! See how just three words achieved an instant brand recall? That’s the power of brand taglines. And that’s exactly what we are going to discuss today! 

We’ll take a look at some of the iconic brand taglines from around the world. Let’s see the idea behind these taglines and how these brands make them work. That will be a good way to find some inspiration for your brand taglines, don’t you think? So, without further ado, let’s dive right in. 

Brand Taglines – the Secret Sauce in Branding 

Have you ever felt like there was something missing in your branding strategy? Ever looked for that one little thing you could add to make things better? Your answer might perhaps be in taglines. Brand taglines are an age-old concept but something we never get bored of. Something that customers never get bored of. Here are a few reasons why they work, even for a small business that’s just starting out. 

• Brand taglines represent your vision. The fact that you have a clear vision for your business can increase the respect customers have for your brand. 
• Nearly 89% of customers tend to stay loyal to brands that share their values. And taglines help you do that effectively. 
• Taglines are great ways to define your brand personality and show authentic your brand is. 90% of consumers consider authenticity a distinguishing factor when they have to choose between brands. 

So, yes taglines can add more power to your branding strategy. Looking for inspiration? Here are the taglines of famous brands. 

7 Memorable Brand Taglines That Inspire 

1. Nike – “Just Do it” 

Let’s start the list with one of the most popular taglines – “Just do it”, for Nike. It might sound simple but it’s on point and over the years it has perfectly aligned with what the brand stands for. Nike even has a trademark for it. 

The tagline was introduced in the year 1988 and it has contributed a great deal to the brand’s growth. 

The brand’s personality has always been portrayed as exciting, energetic, and full of life. So, the tagline “just do it” perfectly goes with the personality. And the audience that the brand targets are people young and old, particularly sports and fitness enthusiasts. To them, the tagline appears motivating and full of positivity. A tagline that resonates with your audience and represents what your brand stands for makes a great tagline. 

2. Apple – “Think different” 

“Think Different” is an apt personification of a brand that has emerged as a trendsetter in the world of technology. 

While Apple has not used the tagline much recently, it has stuck with us. Most Apple users and even people who follow technology instantly relate the tagline with the brand. That’s how memorable a tagline can become when you use it consistently. 

From TV commercials to print ads in newspapers, Apple started projecting its Think Different campaign consistently. And that’s why we still remember it. 

Kimp Tip: One of the best ways to create memorability for your tagline is to create powerful ads that add more depth to the tagline. Whether it is a print ad or a digital ad or a video campaign, your ad should tell a story. And this story should give a whole new meaning to your tagline. That’s how people will better understand why you chose the tagline and how it connects with your brand. 

To create consistent-looking ads for all your marketing channels, choose a Kimp subscription today. 

3. Adidas – “Impossible is Nothing”

Adidas and Nike are the biggest names in the world of sports. Since Adidas also means to inspire, excite and motivate its audience, it has a very positive tagline. Well, grammatically the tagline might not make any sense at first. But if you have been following the brand or if you have engaged with the brand on social media you will see how the brand adds meaning to the words. 

You will see the tagline on many social media images and videos from Adidas. The brand also uses the hashtag #ImpossibleIsNothing in several of its campaigns. That’s a great way to use your tagline and make people remember it. 

Want to learn more about coming up with a hashtag strategy for your brand, check out our blog here. 

4. McDonald’s – “I’m lovin’ it” 

Besides the regular tagline, the brand also uses slogans for different product lines like the “Some fun, some food” slogan for Happy Meal. This is a good example of the difference between slogans and taglines. And also an example of how a brand can use them both. 

A slogan is particular to a campaign or a product line or collection. But a tagline is a common one for the brand. Both these, however, align with the brand’s persona. The slogan digs a little deeper into what that particular product line or collection is about. But the tagline captures what the brand stands for. So, if you have more than one idea you wish to try, you can come up with relevant slogans for your collections. But yes, people might find it difficult to remember them all. Even in the case of McDonald’s, not everyone who associates the brand with the tagline “I’m lovin’ it” will be able to connect the “Some fun, some food” slogan to the brand. 

5. De Beers – “A diamond is forever”

Marketing in the premium segment is always like walking on thin ice. You need to showcase how sophisticated you are and still appear approachable so that customers do not fear your brand. But brands like De Beers do that perfectly through their smart taglines. 

The brand connects the tagline to the history behind diamonds. The word diamond is said to have evolved from the Greek word “adamas” which represents “invincible” or something that lasts forever. When the brand tagline directly connects the brand to the product it specializes in, it is difficult to forget the brand. 

6. Walmart – “Save money, live better”

The Walmart tagline is one good example that shows how you can use your USP (unique selling point) to create the best tagline. Your tagline should align with your brand’s ultimate objective. And consistently Walmart has projected itself as a retailer that helps customers save money while shopping. 

Walmart continues to help people associate the brand name with the word “savings” by creating ads that connect with the tagline. Like the one you see on the billboard below. 

Kimp Tip: When you create your tagline, identify the focus word in it. Repeatedly using this focus word in your marketing copy in various campaigns keeps reminding people of your brand itself and your brand tagline too. This is one other way to make your tagline more memorable. Like Walmart uses the word “save” and “savings” in most of its ads. 

7. KitKat – “Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat”

We saw how brands connect their taglines to the products they offer, the ideologies that brands stand for, or even history that the brand relates with. But one other example of where to look for tagline inspiration is the Kitkat tagline. “Have a break, have a KitKat” is something catchy and very memorable too. 

The tagline makes you associate breaks with KitKat. Even people who have not tried the treats from the brand will be curious to try what the fuss is about. It establishes a contextual relevance for a product as simple as chocolate. When you use your tagline to get people to think of you on different occasions, it becomes a norm. It creates a whole new trend. And that’s exactly what KitKat did with its tagline. And its ads have consistently spoken about the need for a break. These relatable ads have made the tagline so popular. 

Looking at the above ad design, did you quickly interpret that the Kitkat in between Zoom calls actually indicates a break? That shows that the tagline works! 

Want to create such simple ads that get people talking about your brand? The Kimp team is here to help. 

Worst Taglines That Bring Their Lessons Too 

After all, when you learn from others’ mistakes you reduce the risk and save some time as well. So, here are some taglines that did not work for brands. 

1. Pretzel Crisps – “You can never be too thin”

When you are looking for ideas, it is best to stay away from anything that touches the sensitive boundaries of body image even slightly. The backlash that Pretzel Crisps received for its tagline is the perfect example. 

The copy was meant to describe the product but it did not go well with the anorexics and the general public who found this tagline to be insensitive. The brand removed the campaign after the negative response it received. 

This tagline shows the need for framing your tagline cautiously. Before you finalize the copy, ensure that you get the opinions of people from various age groups and demographics. This way you will have different perspectives to compare and understand if the tagline is misleading or insensitive to any demographic. 

2. Uzbekistan Airways – “Good Luck” 

“Good luck” isn’t exactly the kind of message you would like to see just before you board a flight! But the intentions were different here. The “Good Luck” here refers to the national symbol of Uzbekistan. It is the translation of the phrase ”Ok yul”  in Uzbek which translates to “good luck”. 

In this example, the purpose of the tagline or the story behind it is pretty good. But the fact that the tagline does not really feel relevant to the brand is what puts it under scrutiny. Always consider the contextual meaning of your chosen tagline to see if it would work for your brand. 

Building Your Marketing Designs With Your Taglines In The Picture 

Coming up with a tagline is one thing. But what really matters is how you familiarize your customers with your tagline. And how you consistently use it in your marketing designs so that people will start remembering your tagline. 

Some brands start by incorporating the tagline in the logo design. But when you do add your tagline to your logo, ensure that you do not mess with the harmony of the overall design or the aesthetics of the logo. 60% of consumers reportedly avoid brands that have a strange unappealing logo. 

Even if you do not want to add your tagline to your logo, you can still use it across other marketing graphics like digital and print ads. And even on your social media page. For example, your logo can be the profile picture on your brand page while a brand-relevant design with the tagline can be used as the cover image. Adidas does this. Here’s what the Adidas Twitter page looks like. See how the brand places the tagline in the cover image, on a visible spot so all customers and leads will notice and remember it. 

Use Your Taglines in Branding With Kimp 

Does your brand have a tagline? If not, then now is a good time to come up with one. And when you do, use your marketing designs to introduce your tagline to your customers. Need help with that? No problem. The Kimp team is here to create on-brand designs for you to promote your tagline and eventually make your customers fall in love with it. 

Want to give it a try? We have a risk-free 7-day free trial. Register now!