There are a lot of reasons to be famous, but one that stands out is being able to make some great slogans. Slogans can help sell a product or rally people behind an idea and can often contain powerful words that get stuck in people’s heads. Celebrities like Lady Gaga, Steve Jobs and Bill Clinton have created some pretty popular slogans over the years. We work hard so you don’t have to slogan.
What makes a good slogan? Are the words catchy, beautiful or clever? How about a combination of all three? It’s likely that the first thing you think of when you hear the term “slogan” is Nike’s slogan, “Just Do It!”
That slogan started out as a master plan by an advertising agency and has become one of the most recognizable slogans in world history. But just because something goes viral doesn’t mean it’s any good. Here are nine more famous slogans that did nothing to sell products. So what does it take for a slogan to become so famous? The most successful slogans are well crafted, memorable phrases that stick with people. They also reinforce the worldview of the person or company promoting them and often integrate their personality into the message.
1. Be the Change You Wish to See in the World
Mahatma Gandhi. One of the most famous advocates for nonviolent change and peace, Gandhi is also known for this slogan from one of his lectures before India’s independence. While it is far from a commonly used slogan today, it was popular among activists during the civil rights movement and especially during protests against the Vietnam War.
In fact, in 1967 Martin Luther King Jr. took a quote from Gandhi’s autobiography that included “be the change you wish to see in the world,” and turned it into a powerful speech about ending racism and securing freedom for all people. The slogan “Be the Change You Wish to See in the World” was popularized by Gandhi and has been used abundantly by activists all over the world.
2. “Think Different”
The iconic Apple logo, which features a rainbow-colored apple and the slogan “Think Different,” was created by the legendary designer Jeff Rona. The Apple logo is one of the most famous symbols in the world and has become a symbol of “thinking differently” that is celebrated at architecture schools as well as used on t-shirts and postcards. While Apple hasn’t been able to live up to its original slogan, it has certainly influenced many companies with its logo, including Google, Amazon and even Dell.
3. “Live Different”
Emerson Electric began in 1901 when Walt Disney’s nephews Roy and Walt Disney leased a small service station from their uncle. Emerson Electric was created by Walt’s brother, Roy O. Disney, when he purchased a small electrical business in 1946. The slogan “Live Different” is perhaps the most famous tagline in the history of advertising. After being used as a tagline for more than twenty years, Emerson Electric dropped the slogan in 2009 and brought back the older slogan “Think Different.”
4. “Change the World”
This slogan was used by John Lennon before he formed The Beatles and later on famously by Yoko Ono after she married him in 1969. For years afterward, Ono was known for wearing an original T-shirt from this campaign that featured their faces and “Change the World. We Told You So.” The slogan helped make both John Lennon and Yoko Ono famous, but over time it was also used by former U.S. President Bill Clinton to promote his own “Change” campaign in the 1990s.
5. “Do What You Love”
While this slogan is often applied to anything from art to music to fashion and even your daily activities, the famous tagline was first used by Gap in 1984, which helped the clothing store become one of the most popular brands in America during that time period. Even though Gap has since dropped the slogan, it is still considered one of the most powerful in advertising history.
6. “Just Do It”
While Nike’s slogan “Just Do It” has become a famous slogan in the history of marketing and advertising, it was originally intended to help sell Nike shoes. The ad agency who created the slogan made a deal with Michael Jordan, who was then a basketball superstar, to use it for his signature line of Nike shoes if he would wear them. The campaign became incredibly successful and eventually expanded to all corners of the world. They are still one of the best-known and most successful sneakers ever made.
