How do you create a good slogan?

Successful slogans aren’t just a blend of a few words. They’re one of the most important elements of an advertising campaign and can turn an ordinary, forgettable message into something worth remembering since the best slogans stay in the memory of consumers for years.

Of course creating a great slogan is an extremely difficult task and often whole teams of copywriters are engaged to work on it. The best slogans cost quite a bit. So what should you do if you want to come up with a great slogan and you don’t want to spend a half of your budget to hire a naming agency?

First of all you should focus on a few fundamental features on which good slogans are based. Some could have more relevance than others in your case. Sometimes, following just one of them can make all the difference between a good slogan and a great one.Here they are:

Simplicity

The best slogans contain just a handful of words, maybe six or seven at most. Some are limited to two or three words. Of course there are memorable exceptions but short slogans are much easier to memorize. Examples: “Connecting people” (Nokia), “You shop, we drop.” (Tesco), “Volkswagen. Das Auto.” (Volkswagen).

Originality

Anyone can come up with slogans like “The best taste on your table” or “Be beautiful every day” which means that no one will be impressed by them. And even if they do manage to catch someone’s attention, no one will remember them. Be different, original and forget about routine. Examples: “Imagination at work” (General Electric), “Make the most of now.” (Vodafone), “Expect the unexpected” (Ikea).

Consistency

A slogan has to be consistent with your brand, product and target. You can’t let yourself create slogan that’s too laid back while selling, for example, financial services for pensioners or a slogan that’s too stiff and uptight for an advertisement campaign for teenagers. Examples: “Strong foundation, secure future.” (Anelik Bank), “Fly the American way” (American Airlines), “Say it with flowers.” (Interflora).

Highlight the key characteristics

If your product has something that the competition doesn’t have you should definitely put an accent on it in your slogan (slogans). If you don’t have something like this to work with, put an emphasis on the main benefit of your product’s purchase and use. Examples: “Soup is good food” (Campbell’s Condensed Soup), “The totally tropical taste.” (Lilt), “Say no to dandruff” (Clear).

Credibility

Even if your slogan sounds great it could be unsuccessful if you are not credible. Your subscribers have to believe that the slogan fits. If for example you run a small company producing inexpensive wrist watches you can’t write that you offer “The Best Watches on Earth!”. You can definitely boast about who you are and what you do but be careful not exaggerate too much.

Even with these tips, I know that the process of creating a catchy slogan can take you hours or even days.

That’s why I’ve put together a list of great slogans - some are advertising campaigns slogans while some are just brand or company slogans - to inspire you and stimulate your creativity!

So while coming up with a great slogan is definitely a creative process, these are a few general rules to keep you on the right path. Remember that your slogan will be your identity in the minds of your customers - both current and future - so go into the process with this in mind.

You shouldn’t expect to come up with the perfect phrase or sentence right away but that doesn’t mean you need to clear your calendar for the next two weeks and lock yourself away with your creative team until you have the perfect slogan. Following the guidelines above and keep at it until you get that great feeling that tells you that you’ve found “the one”.