When it comes to advertising, it takes a lot of creativity to come up with something different – something that hasn’t been done. I’ve touched on this matter in my post about taglines. Taglines are everywhere but few truly stand out. The same goes for TV commercials. We are exposed to many, many TV commercials each year. Some are just there, but some are unique, powerful, and memorable.
The bar has been set for 2009. On January 6th, a campaign for Kaplan University was rolled out, leaving me inspired and motivated. Being a copywriter, I appreciate and admire great concepts in advertising. My hat is off to Ogilvy & Mather for showing that they’ve still got it when it comes to producing amazing campaigns.
You know when you see one of those great commercials or print ads and wish you had come up with it? This is one of those ads. This is the type of campaign that I hope to conceptualize someday. It’s motivating. The writing, visuals, and acting are great (love James Avery, he was perfect for this spot) and it conveys the message in a powerful way. I would love the chance to talk to the copywriter or group who came up with this commercial.
As of late, the necessity of a good tagline seems to be up for debate. It’s true, taglines are a dime a dozen, however, a GREAT tagline is rare, refreshing, and powerful.
As stated by Jim Morris in a guest post on The Marketing Spot, even the advertising industry’s brightest minds are denouncing the tagline as an irrelevant part of a marketing campaign or brand image. It saddens me to see that Luke Sullivan, the man who literally wrote the book on copywriting, is expressing his own disinterest in the once powerful tagline. While I look up to Mr. Sullivan, twice purchased his book Hey Whipple, Squeeze This, and refer back to it often, I disagree with him on this issue.
A tagline that captures the essence of your brand in a few words or less is both powerful and invaluable. Value is sometimes attributed to availability. If something is common, it’s not highly priced, but being rare increases its value. This is true with taglines. You probably see taglines on t-shirts, commercials, and products that use the same tired clichés you’ve become immune to and I completely understand. I see taglines all the time that just don’t do it. I understand that some taglines are simply there. They aren’t special, they don’t create any kind of interest, and they’re just bland. But every so often, you come across a rare tagline that grabs you. One that sums up the brand it represents and wraps it up into a sentence or less. Those are the GOOD taglines. Some are GREAT taglines.
An advocate of the tagline is author Steve Cone, chief marketing officer at Epsilon. Cone has written two popular marketing books: Steal These Ideas and Powerlines. In Powerlines, Cone urges us to bring back the tagline and help return it to its glory days. Personally, I’m all for it and I bought the book.
Andy Beaupre believes taglines are more important than ever, and my thinking is in line with his. Taglines need a resurgence. I believe in a good, creative tagline. It’s amazing how the right tagline can represent a brand precisely and stand out amongst the crowd and clutter. They are strong, intriguing, and memorable. So, what say you? Do you see it as a thing of the past or do you respect the role a powerful tagline can play? What are some of your favorite taglines?
Posted by Michael Bertoldi 
As of late, the necessity of a good tagline seems to be up for debate. It’s true, taglines are a dime a dozen, however, a GREAT tagline is rare, refreshing, and powerful.
Posted by Michael Bertoldi 
