Taglines: Brand Focus or Brand Detraction?

Brandweek Magazine keeps me abreast of advertising news and offers food for thought. The Top of Mind Perspectives and Commentary frequently catches my attention. Last week, September 10, 2007, the “Got Tagline?” commentary from Mike McGinty, creative director at Groove 11, caught my attention.

McGinty commented: “Too many companies approach taglines without thinking…. …”if any of these outfits did actually stop for even a second and analyze their own taglines, they’d see just how insipid, inappropriate or indistinctive so many of them truly are.”

In an article that made me laugh out loud, McGinty hammered about what works and what doesn’t. Some of his picks for what works include:

Every kiss begins with Kay – Kay Jewelers; this advertiser marries the brand name with the product benefits and the emotion behind it.

OR, You are now free to move about the country – Southwest Airlines; Here’s a tagline that offers a relevant twist on a familiar phrase.

AND, Get the door. It’s Domino’s; As McGinty points out, this is a pure, simple experience-driven tagline.

The laughing part came as McGinty discussed fast food taglines. He pointed out that Church’s Chicken uses: Gotta love it; McDonald’s I’m loving it, and suggested that you check competitor taglines before you finalize yours.

I find most taglines to be vague and non-descriptive; here are some such samples from local publications:

Compass Bank, Just a little better
Martha’s Body Bueno, THE place to shop
Casa de Rosa Assisted Living, This is living
Dillard’s, The style of your life
Bank of Albuquerque, The banker makes the bank

Here is a list of the Top 100 Taglines of all time. Taglines clearly say what you do and should tell users why they care. Check yours. My rule is, if you can substitute your competitor’s name for yours and the statement is true, then you have a problem.