The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a slogan as a war cry especially of a Scottish clan or a brief attention-getting phrase used in advertising or promotion. While I don’t know how often one sees Scottish war cries in advertisements or civic artifacts, slogans are some of the most well-known aspects of any advertisement. The components of a slogan are straightforward; it needs to be short, simple, and memorable. Slogans try to accomplish a few goals: they can advertise the product in a straightforward manner (Eat Mor Chikin), make the product seem superior to others (Shave Time Shave Money) or associate an emotion with the product (Happiest Place on Earth). Look at Dunkin Donuts for example. Their slogan, America runs on Dunkin, implies that the entirety of the United States uses Dunkin Donuts as fuel for its daily life. It tells the viewers and customers that they should buy a product from Dunkin Donuts to help start their day. The phrase only consists of four words, yet it is ingrained in the minds of millions of people in the United States. This slogan tries to make Dunkin Donuts look better than other breakfast chains by implying that their food is to people as gas is to your car. Not only is it one of the most recognizable food chains, it has one of the most recognizable slogans as well. Another popular slogan is, “let’s go places” used by Toyota. Like Dunkin Donuts, it only uses a few words to convey their message. The point Toyota is making is that the viewer should go places in a Toyota car. After showing off the new car models, the add tries to convince the audience to purchase a Toyota car and “go places”. The point of having a slogan is to have a simple message that people can associate with a product or place. Any advertisement you see on TV, whether it is an insurance add, an airline company, or a clothing retailer uses slogans to persuade their audience to purchase their product. In conclusion, slogans are the backbone to any advertisement. They seek to influence the minds of the viewers to purchase a certain product over others with simple, catchy, and memorable rhetoric.
I agree completely I that the most memorable slogans are those that are short and concise, one that is easy to remember. These lasting impressions are what businesses hope to convey when using advertisements and slogans. PS… I love Dunkin!!! 🙂
I like the analogy to the idea that Dunkin wants you to think that “America Runs on Dunkin” as if it is gasoline. I agree that the slogan is a selling point to making the chain iconic.
I like that you used mulitiple examples from very different corporations but tied in their slogans to make everything seem well connected.
Great take on slogans and advertisements. It’s the subliminals behind the slogan. The most successful ones are the shortest with the most to say.