Can Slogans Make You Sad?
The power of words in adverts explored.
Right Intentions, Wrong Words?
It’s only Wednesday as I write this, but already I’ve seen two negative slogans used by big brands this week.
I remember being given advice by an established copywriter when I was starting out to avoid negativity as it helps people to associate your brand with bad stuff subconsciously.
In this article I want to look at the examples and explain why I think they just don’t work.
Unfortunately I don’t have an image of the first one but it was an electronic billboard advert in my local train station for EasyJet.
It said “We Hate Late”.
My reasons for not liking this are:
- “We” demonstrates looking at things from the company perspective rather than that of their customers.
- “Hate” is a very strong word with lots of negative connotations.
- “Late” is another negative word and shouldn’t be associated with an airline.
When you put the three words together I actually think it’s an off-putting message, although it was clearly well-intentioned.
Of course no airline likes being late but there are times when they will be and people may use this slogan when they complain.
Since no airline can guarantee all its flights will land and depart on time, I would have stayed away from the whole late thing completely.
The second example is from a TV advert I saw last night (picture below):
I was surprised to see the words “Restart Your Heart” associated with a car. It made me immediately think of having a heart attack, heart failure or being in a bad car accident. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think it’s the most suitable choice of words.
On its own, the word “restart” suggests the car has stopped for some reason already.
Again I can see what they were trying to do, but the phrase has a negative connotation which I feel doesn’t really tie in with the product.
Summary
In my opinion when you’re trying to get people to part with their hard-earned money, the message should be a positive one that makes them feel a good emotional connection.
