Good Slogan Bad Slogan

City of Chicago: "We're Glad You're Here!"

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:53:00 +0000

I love how this "slogan" appears in quotation marks and the new mayor's name is a sticker (already peeling off) on top of the old mayor. As if either of them ever really uttered those words!

Just Call Richard: A Man Outstanding In His Field.

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:38:00 +0000

What a Dick.

Del Mar: Maintain our Turf, Protect our Surf

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 18:34:00 +0000

A good rhyme and a good pun?!? As Borat would say, "Wowaweewow, it's very nice." Good URL too. This slogan is Del-icious & Mar-velous!

U.S. Foodservice: Going Beyond The Plate Means Going Beyond

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:36:00 +0000

I love how this slogan reinforces the notion of going beyond with a (quite literally) circular reference. And incorporating the round plate is the cherry on top! Too bad sundaes don't come on plates or else my commentary would've been just as on point (or on plate!) as this slogan.

Nantucket: Some People Only Live This Way Two Weeks a Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:16:00 +0000

Fellow slogan snob Brooke Watson sent this one in. Gotta hand it to these guys for making Southwest Ohio seem like South Beach. Too bad they couldn't get Lebron James to see it that way!

And speaking of snobs, gotta love the way they

Baconnaise: Isn't It Time Your Tongue Took a Sh*t In Your Mouth?

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:39:00 +0000

Of course, this isn't a real slogan. It's a spoof from The Daily Show. For whatever reason, John Stewart has taken a liking to Baconnaise. Well, he's taken a liking to referencing it. He certainly has taken a disliking to tasting it. Especially when applied to sausage on a stick wrapped in blueberry pancakes. The whole tongue-taking-a-shit quip was spontaneous but has been immortalized in subsequent shows and, this week, was turned into a slogan and presented as a Times Square billboard. Too good to pass up. Just try and wipe the shit-eating grin off your face after watching the clip.

Just Decks: Because When You Do One Thing... You Do It Right.

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:07:00 +0000

Truth is, I don't mind this slogan. In fact, I like it. Only trouble is, the company doesn't do just one thing. As you can see in this ad, it does decks, stairs, patios, and porches. So while the slogan may be good... it ain't right!

Oyster Hotel Reviews: Been There. Slept There.

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:59:00 +0000

As I covered on Good URL Bad URL, Oyster Hotel Reviews was launched yesterday by one of my close friends along with his brother, another friend of theirs (who ironically shares the first name of their 3rd brother) and some 20-odd employees. I brainstormed potential slogans with them and, although I did not come up with this one, I must say I like it. Their whole value prop. is that the site is independent and the reviewers go "undercover" (literally) at the hotels. Unlike some review sites that just swoop in, snap a couple photos and a rating or others that rely solely on user-generated content, Oyster Hotel Reviews actually sends professional writers to scour the grounds and sleep in the rooms.

With that in mind, this slogan really helps differentiate. While I was gung ho on finding a slogan that played off the Oyster name ("We've searched the ocean blue to bring the best hotels to you!" or "The World is Yours."), I do like the play on the "Been There. Done That." phrase -- shows they've done more than "it." It took the Oyster gang a good 6 months to come up with this one -- just goes to show, sometimes a slogan is worth losing sleep over.

Diapers.com: We Deliver Everything But the Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:56:00 +0000

Not this time!

Miami PD Bomb Squad: If You See Us Running, Catch Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:27:00 +0000

@LenKendall turned me on to this one via Twitter. A true sign of a good slogan is that it makes your heart race. Check.

PlentyOfFish.com: We Delete Members Unfit to Date!

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 03:16:00 +0000

This banner ad was originally submitted for Good URL Bad URL due to its Bad URL Display with the letters running together. But I was intrigued by its bold slogan. I'm curious what their criteria is for "unfit to date." And just what do they mean by "delete?" Seems a bit harsh. I've heard of people being rejected by eHarmony -- in fact, Chemistry.com was riffing off that in their TV spots. But being deleted altogether?! And just what do they say to the folks they delete? Sorry, you've been deleted -- don't worry though, there are plenty of fish in the sea... just not at PlentyOfFish.com.

Castrol: It's More Than Just Oil

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:04:00 +0000

I'm finally getting around to posting the slogans from the Super Bowl ads. This one did nothing for me. It's not at all differentiated -- any brand can claim "It's more than just [product category]." This campaign could use a little more elbow grease.

Monster: Your Calling is Calling

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:03:00 +0000

I love when a slogan plays off a word's double-meaning. Kudos to Monster for not just phoning this one in.

Comcast: Fast. It's Not for Everyone.

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:03:00 +0000

I heart the Slowskys. The whole campaign really resonates. Goes to show a good slogan doesn't always have to say what the product does or what the brand's all about -- it can make its point simply by saying what the brand/product is NOT. Although, this technique won't work for everyone...

Nike: Are You A Quitter?
McDonald's: I'm Not Hating It
ATT: Less Bars is More

Coca Cola: Open Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:02:00 +0000

I'm all for emphasizing benefits in slogans. And what better benefit to drinking a Coke than feeling happy? That said, it's all just a bit too grandiose (and obvious) for me. Now, maybe if they were still using the original Coke recipe, I could get behind this one. As it stands, this one's just a bit flat.

Chase: Chase What Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:01:00 +0000

I had never thought of the Chase brand as a verb so, at first, this slogan threw me for a loop. But after thinking about it, I thought it was pretty clever. In general, a brand should make you want to do something. Nothing says "do" more than a verb. It is a bit ironic, though, that a bank is telling you to chase what matters -- as if that were something other than money. Maybe what they're getting as is the thrill of the chase.

Heineken: Give Yourself a Good Name

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:01:00 +0000

Now here's a practical, tangible benefit to drinking a beverage. Drink other beers and people will think you have no class. Drink Heineken and people will be impressed. Seeing as how beer is usually consumed in a social setting, preying on people's desire to improve their social standing is a great angle to play here. This slogan does not fall flat on it's Heinie.

Hulu: An Evil Plot to Destroy the World. Enjoy.

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:59:00 +0000

I loved everything about this spot. Alec Baldwin in character as Jack Donaghy. The idea that a bunch of aliens are trying to turn our brains to mush. And the slogan's ironic punchline. The thing about it, of course, is that we would probably bow to the aliens before giving up our video programming. Hulu could do no evil with this ad.

US Cellular: Believe in Something Better

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:58:00 +0000

Here's another slogan that's mired in delusions of granduer. Last I checked, it was cleanliness that was next to godliness -- not cell-ulous. This slogan doesn't speak to any unique sales proposition. And a mobile phone is not the type of product that's going to make a believer out of anyone. I beleive they missed the boat on this one.

USA Network: Characters Welcome

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:57:00 +0000

Now here's a good tie-in between product and slogan. Similar to Monster, they picked a word that works on 2 levels -- characters is both a noun and adjective here. And, their shows are filled with them. This slogan is a real character-builder.

Bike Friday: Performance That Packs

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 05:42:00 +0000

Been meaning to post this one for a while. Lynette Chiang from Bike Friday sent it in for my stamp of approval. Methinks this slogan is right in their wheelhouse. Hopefully it propels them to the lead of the pack. Or shall I say... to the top of the pack-ing order?

Canadian Club: Damn Right Your Dad Drank It

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 05:32:00 +0000

I love this campaign. The "Damn Right" tag adorns ads showing old school pics of dudes hustling pool and doing the Russian kick dance at parties. It's the antithesis of the "This ain't your father's Oldsmobile" slogan. Being a new dad myself, I'm glad to see pop culture come around and make it cool to aspire to be like your pops again! For what it's worth though, when Eliara grows up, she'll know her Daddy prefers Crown Royal.

Quaker Oatmeal: Every Day Should be this Good

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 13:46:00 +0000

I like how this slogan draws the association between a good day and a good bowl of oatmeal. The fact that it also subtly reminds you that the intended frequency of product usage is daily is the icing, er... brown sugar on top.

Lie to Me: Words Lie. Your Face Doesn't

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 13:24:00 +0000

This one threw me at first. My wife and I looked at each other sure that this had some sort of dirty double meaning. That, of course, is step one of good sloganry -- make 'em stop and think. Step two is to pay off the product attributes -- ok, I get it, this guy reads peoples faces to see if they're lying -- and bonus points for good wordplay. Step three is to make sure people remember your brand -- check. Truthfully, this is one of the best TV show slogans I've seen in a long time. Which reminds me, why don't more TV shows have slogans?

Diet Dr. Pepper: Nothing DIET About It

noreply@blogger.com (Aaron Goldman) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:30:00 +0000

My wife and I actually got in an argument over this one. I don't like this slogan. When I hear it, I think it means that Diet Dr. Pepper has more calories or sugar than most diet sodas. And that's why there's nothing diet about it. My wife connects with the intended meaning -- that the taste is nothing like a diet soda. What do you all think?