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A great slogan immediately conjures the name of the product
or advertiser. The ones that eclipse all others stand out
over time, becoming cultural touchstones or even cultural
reference points.
We purposely placed the slogan in bold without listing the
product or advertiser next to it. As you read them, the product
or advertiser should come to mind immediately.
See how our top ten list measures up against your own, and
as usual, here at Pop Culture Madness we offer some insightful
trivia details.
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#10
When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be There Overnight
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Company:
FedEx
Firm: Ally & Gargano
When: 1982
Details: When FedEx shifted its strategy to overnight
shipping, it conducted a flawless ad campaign which made the
company number one in the overnight shipping business. This
slogan has its succintly stated guarantee within it's tagline.
Impressive.
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#9
The Few. The Proud. The Marines
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Organization:
U.S. Marine Corp
Firm: J. Walter Thompson
When: 1977
Details: With four divisions of the armed forces competing
for the best among interested enlisted men, the Marines branded
themselves as the elite when they began this campaign. They
only want the best, and make sure you are the best. It's an
amazing accomplishment from a non-typical marketing client.
Short of the Marines' motto "Semper Fi" (Semper
Fidelis circa 1883), only one term comes to mind when you
think of Marines: "The Few. The Proud. The Marines."
Ultimately this message was the product of evolution: from
"A Few Good Men" came "One of the Few"
and finally, "The Few. the Proud." The founder of
JWT Advertising agency was himself a former Marine in the
Civil War. The firm won the right to be the Marines official
ad agency in 1946.
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#8
What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas
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Organization:
Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA)
Firm: R&R Partners
When: 2003
Details: The slogan appeals to visitors of the city as
an adult playground. The actual slogan is "What happens
here, stays here," but has become a cultural reference
instead and evolved to "What happens in Vegas stays in
Vegas." It's still advertised that way, but the colloquial
form is used more by non-advertisers from people on the street
to use in film. Ironically, the LVCVA paid $321,000 in legal
fees after the $1.00 purchase of the slogan went foul. The LVCVA
eventually retained ownership of the slogan and vendors attempting
to use "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" have
been prohibited by courts as it infringes on the "What
happens here, stays here"
campaign. |
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#7
Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand
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 Organization:
Mars Company
Firm: Ted Bates (Bates 141)
When: 1954
Details: Mystery surrounds the origin of this slogan.
Some sources point to Elizabeth Granberry Hill McKean for
creating "The milk chocolate that melts in your mouth
and not in your hand" around the time of 1954, which
of course varies from "M&Ms melt in your mouth and
not in your hand".
Rather than propogate a false story, we at PCM would warn you that it is not
confirmed that Ms. Mckean did in fact orignate the slogan.
However, we can tell you all about the
history of M&Ms .
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#6
The Greatest Show on Earth
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Organization:
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Author: P.T. Barnum
When: 1879
Details: Originally, this was Barnum & Bailey
Circus. The combined names are a result of mergers between
competitors over time.
While Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus isn't
what it once was (due to the green Earth movement and cultural
changes surrounding the use of animals in a stage show), there
is no disputing the long-lasting ring of their slogan. It
has stood the test of time longer than most. "The Greatest
Show on Earth" is synomous with the name Ringling Brothers
and Barnum & Bailey Circus. You could say you can't think
of one without thinking of the other.
RB & BB are one of the few on our list that have not
relied on an advertising firm. The slogan was coined by P.T.
Barnum himself when his circus merged with his largest competitor
in his time, the Bailey Circus.
The moniker of "The Greatest Show On Earth" has
the dubious honor of also being used as a movie title, a dubious
honor for a slogan.
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on page 2)
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