The Phelps Group Blog - All Comments

re: Theme lines, tag lines: I’m not so sure anymore.

Grant ONeal — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:08:46 GMT

As a copywriter I've always felt a tagline should perform as a form of copy punctuation. Think of it as the closing line of an ad or benefit copy - serving as a nice, succinct wrap up. But having been at this for close to 40 years, I've become a tagline cynic. Most of them are poorly supported, lack the benefit of a smart positioning strategy (e.g., the campaign du jour lines that vary with each new set of ads), and are not memorable. Marketing gets tired of them long before they've gained equity. And, invariably, when a new CMO brings in a new agency, they are compelled to mark their new territory by changing the tagline. Don't worry about a tagline unless you're prepared to stick with it, measure its recall and will work to make it integral to your communications strategy.

re: Who Gives a Bleep About the Oxford Comma?

Oracle2380 — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 23:41:54 GMT

It is this exclusionary mentality towards grammar which has led to the degradation of the English language. You can't even read through a copy of any newspaper these days with out finding grammatical and spelling errors. Too many people are exiting college, with degrees, and deciding that those old grammar books are too old school and out of date. Guess what, we are turning into a generation of functional illiterates.

re: Facts from the "Old Spice Guy" Campaign

oijyp — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:16:47 GMT

awsome

re: The Phelps Group Blood Drive for City of Hope a Huge Success

Harvey — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 01:21:35 GMT

A worthwhile event supporting a very deserving client. Quick and painless, I might add. Give blood and platelets!

re: The Phelps Group Expands Its Digital Capabilities

dean chamberlain — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:42:32 GMT

dang - that's some serious firepower there.

Patallenand associates | Beyondromance

Patallenand associates | Beyondromance — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:27:35 GMT

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re: Here's to 30 years of success!

joe — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:41:23 GMT

And thanks to all the clients, suppliers and agency friends who helped us celebrate. We're glad you made it! Joe

re: What’s the New What?

Jimmy H. Offa — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:19:21 GMT

bombast, propaganda...but if you have a great product then nothing else is necessary. The BEATLES white album, 1968. double album, grey letters, white cover, sold 30 million units, 19x platinum, Number 1 in the UK and US. One of the all time best selling double album. All it said on the cover was The BEATLES.

re: Great Ad Campaigns Never Die

John Farrar — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:18:44 GMT

Great comments Howie. Enduring campaigns and brand messaging are the most powerful consumer tools available.

re: Hey, what’s that thing?

rox — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:38:41 GMT

very cool. so far i've only noticed it used in reverse fashion (QR code on iphone to scanner) in the very functional application of an electronic boarding pass for a flight. scanners can't read barcodes on iphones because of the screen reflection, but there was no issue with scanning the QR code.

thanks for the info blogger!

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Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:41:08 GMT

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re: Theme lines, tag lines: I’m not so sure anymore.

Thomas Sullivan — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 05:39:06 GMT

It is great to be moving to a post-BS place in where marketing language is expected to be more accurate, personal, and genuine.

On the Web, the tagline has never made sense. People landing on a website want to know where they are and what they can do, not what the marketing dept. thinks is the most clever tagline. And of course it's worse that so many tags are of the "We're the leading provider of X solutions" ilk.

Occasionally. Very occasionally, it seems that a tag makes sense and works for branding on TV, helping to unify the particular advertising messages under a single brand theme. But more often than not, they are a waste of time, money, space, etc.

Even taglines that get a lot of attention for being clever/creative don't actually "work". Like Apple's "Think Different." You might respect the campaign for creative or other reasons, but i'm pretty sure Apple's market share was minuscule at the time and the tag/campaign didn't reverse that -- it was better products and a different consumer strategy that catapulted Apple forward.

Here's an example of taglines for two industry competitors: I think State Farm's "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there" has likely been good at positioning the company as a trusted local partner you can count on. It's close enough to natural language to feel believable. Allstate's "Your in good hands" or "the good hands people" is trying to cover the same ground but is likely to vague and formulaic to resonate as authentic and meaningful.

re: Theme lines, tag lines: I’m not so sure anymore.

Cynthia Clotzman — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 02:40:49 GMT

Oh, and Joe, you asked if you were nuts. I believe the answer is "yes", but it is not because you're a tagline skeptic. ;)

I realized my comment above has lots of spelling errors. Oops! In my frenzy to get my thoughts out on this topic I typed too fast.

re: Theme lines, tag lines: I’m not so sure anymore.

Oliver Carmona — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:27:18 GMT

Tag lines are not essential... but can be one way (and often a very clever one) of reinforcing a brand promise or communicating differentiation. Think "Subway. Eat Fresh" (ahh, the healthier alternative to fast food), BMW. The ultimate driving machine. (If you like sports cars, buy this one.), or Chevy Trucks. Like a Rock. (These trucks are rough, tough, and BTW all-American). And, remember, tag lines serve all different stakeholders (employees, investors, analysts) - not just customers.

re: Theme lines, tag lines: I’m not so sure anymore.

Francisco Letelier — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 22:01:03 GMT

I agree with whoever wrote that a good tagline can be an ad's headline. But those are rare. Most taglines are just about Corporate America talking to itself. Instead of pushing taglines we should put our efforts in guiding brand experiences so participants in different communities can share them with each other using the vast array of tools at their avail. Because that's what people care to share with each other: experiences! Isn't that the reason why we all agree that nowadays brands belong to consumers?

The Phelps Group Blog - All Comments

re: Theme lines, tag lines: I’m not so sure anymore.

re: Who Gives a *Bleep* About the Oxford Comma?

re: Facts from the "Old Spice Guy" Campaign

re: The Phelps Group Blood Drive for City of Hope a Huge Success

re: The Phelps Group Expands Its Digital Capabilities

Patallenand associates | Beyondromance

re: Here's to 30 years of success!

re: What’s the New What?

re: Great Ad Campaigns Never Die

re: Hey, what’s that thing?

Twitter Trackbacks for The Phelps Group named to LABJ's 2011 Book of Lists - The Phelps Group Blog [thephelpsgroup.com] on Topsy.com

re: Theme lines, tag lines: I’m not so sure anymore.

re: Theme lines, tag lines: I’m not so sure anymore.

re: Theme lines, tag lines: I’m not so sure anymore.

re: Theme lines, tag lines: I’m not so sure anymore.

re: Who Gives a Bleep About the Oxford Comma?