January 30th, 2022

The Advertising Concept Book: Page 104 “Taglines”

Pete Barry

Taglines have often been used by companies to deepen the understanding of the company for the audience. Taglines offer another line of communicative dialogue that adds character but also informs those unaware of what the brand does.

In the past, Taglines have been a major part of Brand Development. In fact, some individuals recognize and remember companies simply based on their iconic tagline. Below are some taglines that are infamously assigned to modern-day organizations.

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Disneyland: “The Happiest Place on Earth”

Nike: “Just Do It”

Kay “Jewelers: Every Kiss Begins With Kay”

McDonald’s: “We Love to See You Smile”

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While taglines are effective, modern-day brand designers and marketing professionals have since become aware that the practice of reductionism is highly valuable. Reductionism is the belief and action of removing unnecessary elements in order to achieve a more streamlined and straightforward result.

In terms of brand design and taglines specifically, designers have begun to apply this belief to their secondary headlines. Even famous taglines have become victims of the reductionist’s knife due to the belief that the message, brand, and idea are so powerful that little to nothing can be lost by reducing elements of the tagline itself. As a result, the organization, marketing department, and culture take in an easier and more simple version of a saying that hasn’t skipped a beat. Below are some examples of taglines that have been refined and reduced. 

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McDonald’s: “We Love to See You Smile” —-> “Smile”

Heineken: “Heineken Refreshes the Parts Other Beers Can’t Reach” —-> “Only Heineken Can Do This”

Budweiser: “The Genuine Article” —-> “True”

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