Mark Twain famously said, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” Most would agree that staying concise is more complicated than it looks, making the haiku the most challenging type of poem to pen and the company tagline often the most difficult element of branding to get just right.
After developing a foundational brand strategy, positioning, and creative guidelines for our client Popilush, Amp Agency set to work on more specific facets of their branding, including a new, global brand tagline. Before we began brainstorming, we sought to set some guidelines for ourselves: a tagline should be no more than ten words, be physically enjoyable to enunciate, and prioritize clarity and emotiveness.
We also sought some initial inspiration and discovered that while it was easy to find online lists ranking “best in class” taglines, no one had ever sorted and organized them by common types and structures – so that’s where we started. After collecting and analyzing over a hundred famous brand taglines, we found that most typically fell into one of five types:
- The Invitation
- Structure: verb + adverb or noun
- Examples: Just Do It (Nike); Open Happiness (Coke); Eat Fresh (Subway); Think Different (Apple)
- Observation: These read less like specific calls to action for an individual and more like open-ended, aspirational invitations for society. They often come from brands that embrace their role as catalysts for cultural change, creativity, and self-improvement.
- The Claim to the Top
- Structure: “the” + superlative + noun
- Examples: The Ultimate Driving Machine (BMW); The Happiest Place on Earth (Disney); The Quicker Picker Upper (Bounty); The Best a Man Can Get (Gillette)
- Observation: Reading like a claim or award the brand has won, this positions a company as a “one and only.” Their influence often comes from a sense of superiority or tech-forward innovation.
- The Promise
- Structure: a guarantee, often made in second-person
- Examples: You’re in Good Hands (Allstate); Because You’re Worth It (L’Oreal); Red Bull Gives You Wings (Red Bull); Have It Your Way (Burger King)
- Observation: Taglines like these are effective in industries that need to reassure or communicate safety & reliability – other examples include Built to Last (Ford) and When It Absolutely, Positively Has to be There Overnight (FedEx). In other cases, like Burger King or L’Oreal, they seek to build up a consumer’s sense of self-worth and empowerment.
- The Iconic Brand Experience
- Structure: hones in on one ownable brand element
- Examples: Snap! Crackle! Pop! (Rice Krispies); Taste the Rainbow (Skittles); What can brown do for you? (UPS); Every kiss begins with Kay (Kay)
- Observation: Often, the brand element these taglines hone in on is sensory, such as the colors, sights, and sounds of consumption, making this a popular choice in Food & Bev. However, this tagline type can also evoke an iconic experience, such as Betcha Can’t Eat Just One (Lay’s) or What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas (LV Convention & Visitors Authority).
- The Mission
- Structure: usually a gerund phrase
- Examples: Connecting People (Nokia); Delighting You Always (Canon); Enriching Women’s Lives (Mary Kay); Designed to be Deleted (Hinge)
- Observations: These taglines read as brand mission statements and depict a brand taking clear action to make the world a better place or improve its customers’ lives. They often position a brand as earnest, humble, focused on the end goal, and fundamentally built to serve.
So, what did we ultimately develop for Popilush – pioneers of apparel with built-in shapewear – who believe that women are limitless when they feel their best?
We ultimately categorize It All Starts Inside as an “Iconic Brand Experience” tagline. The word “inside” works hard here – speaking to the literal, signature layer of shapewear sewn inside Popilush products, but also the “happy dance” all customers tend to do when they see themselves in the mirror, as well as customers’ inner sense of self, where true confidence shines through. While Popilush is an early-stage brand and all of this meaning won’t yet be understood by new consumers, the tagline begins to build equity for the brand around their iconic built-in shapewear. This association will continue to grow with Popilush over time.
We love that the tagline can also function as a “Promise” type since it still holds meaning even to consumers who aren’t yet aware of Popilush’s product design. It All Starts Inside then reads as a brand statement of belief, ripe with the possibility of a woman stepping into her power and tapping her inner confidence, beauty, and strength.
If you enjoyed learning about our work with Popilush, check out more of our strategic brand services.
