Definition
A tagline is a short, memorable phrase associated with a brand that captures its promise, personality or differentiation in a form that's quotable and durable.
Great taglines are durable. 'Just Do It' (Nike, 1988) outlived four CMOs. 'Think Different' (Apple, 1997-2002) is quoted decades after retirement. 'Because You're Worth It' (L'Oréal, 1971) ran in 50+ countries. The longevity comes from getting the brand's actual promise into a phrase the audience can keep.
Most taglines fail because they say something true but unmemorable. 'Innovative solutions for modern businesses' is true for thousands of companies — and useful to none. The discipline is to write a phrase that's specific to one brand and durable across decades. That's hard, and most attempts produce greeting-card prose.
Origin
Slogans are an ancient marketing form; the modern tagline as a strategic asset emerged through 1960s-70s advertising — DDB's 'Think Small' for Volkswagen (1959) is often cited as the first tagline-as-strategy.
How it works
- Articulate the brand's actual promise in plain prose (one paragraph).
- Compress the promise into a single sentence.
- Compress the sentence into a phrase of 2–6 words.
- Generate 30–100 candidates from variations on that phrase.
- Stress-test: does it survive translation? does it survive a competitor saying it? does it survive 10 years?
- Trademark the finalist, then ship.
When to use it
Use when
- When a brand's promise is clear but its expression is muddled.
- Alongside a major brand launch or refresh.
- When the marketing system needs a recurring anchor.
Skip when
- Without a clear brand promise. The tagline can't say what isn't there.
- Annually. Taglines need to last; constant change destroys recall.
Key metrics
- Aided recall — when prompted with the tagline, do audiences associate it with the brand?
- Unaided recall — when prompted with the brand, do audiences quote the tagline?
- Cultural penetration — does it leave the brand and enter language?
- Longevity — does it survive a CMO change?
Examples
- 'Just Do It' is Nike's promise to the customer, not a description of the product.
- We've changed our tagline three times in two years. None of them stuck because none of them meant anything.
- A great tagline you keep is worth ten clever ones you swap.
In practice at Makreate
Makreate's branding engagements include tagline as a deliverable — but only when the strategic case is clear. We've turned down tagline projects when the brand's actual promise isn't articulated. With a recent enterprise client, we ran a five-week positioning sprint before any tagline work, then generated 78 candidates, narrowed to 6 finalists, tested with audience, and shipped one. The client has used it for three years without revising. The pre-work made the difference.
Branding →Common mistakes
- Writing the tagline before the positioning. The tagline is the compression; you need something to compress.
- Optimising for cleverness over truth. Clever taglines fade; true ones endure.
- Using two taglines simultaneously. Pick one.
- Translating literally. Taglines need creative translation per market.
Frequently asked
How long should a tagline be?
2–6 words for the most durable. Up to 8 words can work but each extra word weakens recall.
Can a tagline be trademarked?
Yes — but it requires distinctiveness. Generic taglines can't be trademarked; specific, brand-attached ones can.
Tagline vs slogan?
Often used interchangeably. Strictly: a slogan is shorter-term and campaign-specific; a tagline is durable and brand-level.