Just do it? Most taglines don't
ADVERTISING | Art of writing punchy phrase that sells brand is lost, author says
We don't agree with everything savvy author Steve Cone puts forth in his (mostly) absorbing Powerlines: Words That Sell Brands, Grip Fans & Sometimes Change History (Bloomberg Press, 251 pages, $22.95), but Cone demonstrates a firm grasp of the importance of what is increasingly an afterthought in most ad campaigns.
We're talking, of course, about the art and science of the tagline -- that too-often-forgettable phrase at the end of a television commercial or printed beneath the brand name in print ads and outdoor executions. Done right -- and most aren't, as Cone will tell you -- a great tagline can in a few choice words convey a brand's essence with a dollop of personality and attitude. Done right, a great tagline will forge a lasting connection between brand and consumer.
But how many taglines from ad campaigns of recent vintage make the grade? Very few, if any. One that Cone does like a lot is the now (in)famous tagline coined to describe a Vegas that was ready to return to its roots as an adult sin city -- "Las Vegas: What Happens Here Stays Here." Compare the superb Vegas tagline with one introduced by Sears last year -- "Where It Begins" -- which isn't referenced in Cone's book. Could a tagline be any more vague or devoid of personality? The truly abysmal Sears tagline lasted but a few months before the retailer and its ad agency, Young & Rubicam/Chicago, began inserting instantly disposable "seasonal" tags.
Why can't the ad industry do great taglines anymore? Cone says the principal reason is lack of good training among new recruits to the ad industry. The author says there's plenty of raw talent, but little of it has been properly schooled about what makes for compelling advertising. He also blames senior marketing executives for not insisting on great taglines from ad agencies.
Cone includes in his book a list of what he calls the 10 greatest commercial taglines of all time. First is "A Diamond is Forever," created by the N.W. Ayer agency in 1949, followed by "Come To Marlboro Country," the iconic line created by Chicago's very own Leo Burnett shop in 1955. But the truly sad thing about Cone's list is that none of his choices for great tags was created after 1988, when Nike and its agency Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore. introduced "Just Do It."
That was 20 years ago, folks. Isn't it time agencies and senior marketers rediscovered the glory of great taglines? Cone thinks so. And so do we.
Lew's view: B+
