These 8 Slogans Made History. Here’s Why

The only thing harder than getting your business set up, creating a website and perfecting your logo, is creating a slogan that’s memorable and truly telling of your brand.

So what is a slogan? You might say a slogan is a (very) summed up version of your brand’s mission statement. It should be short, catchy, but most of all, memorable. If your logo is your business in image form, your slogan is your business in word form.

A good way to get your own creative wheels turning for some inspiration is to look at the best of the best. Take a look at this list of some of the most famous, long-standing slogans around.

Las Vegas — “Whatever happens here, stays here”

Whether you’ve ever been to Las Vegas or not, its slogan, “Whatever happens here, stays here” has been conjuring up thoughts of ‘anything goes’ freedom since it was originally crafted in 1998 by Mark E. Brown of R&R Partners. The city of Vegas begs for living in excess. Party all night, eat what you what, blow a bunch of money at a casino, and be whoever you want to be. Sin City lets you leave your daily life behind and succumb to its whims, whatever they are. The following Monday, you’re back in the office at 9:02 am and no one would be the wiser of the crazy bender you had. And that’s exactly how Vegas is designed to work.

Nike — “Just do it”

Nike’s popular slogan, “Just Do It” is effective because of the way it demands action. The sportswear brand inspires motivation and a ‘keep on moving’ attitude. However, the creation of the slogan was inspired by a rather twisted story. Gary Gilmore, a murderer, uttered ‘let’s do it’ as his last words before being executed. That final phrase inspired advertising executive Dan Weiden to come up with Nike’s now world famous slogan. What’s that saying? Inspiration is all around us — why, yes, it is.

De Beers — “A Diamond Is Forever”

We’re sure you’ve heard the slogan whether you’ve heard of the business behind it or not. In 1938, De Beers hired N.W. Ayer, an advertising agency to make diamonds more attractive. Due to the Great Depression, it comes as no surprise that sales for the rock were at an all-time low, as they are symbols of wealth and extravagance. The campaign set it sights right at your heart, creating that emotional connection between diamonds and eternal love. While it may have all been a ploy, it was a very successful one, at that!

Maybelline — “Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline”

Whether you use makeup or not, there’s a good chance that Maybelline’s slogan is instantly recognizable to you. The cosmetics company was first started by 19 year-old Thomas Lyle Williams in 1915. After he saw his sister mix Vaseline with coal dust and apply it to her eyelashes, Williams set out to create his own “eye beautifier.” Maybelline’s tagline was also dubbed the most recognizable of the past 150 years, thanks to a fill in the blank-style commuter game held by CNBC Outdoor for the London Underground. Now that’s something to be proud of.

Skittles — “Taste the rainbow”

While the candies we have all come to know and love came about in 1974, it wasn’t until 1994 that the famous slogan “Taste the Rainbow” was created. It’s one of the longest running advertising campaigns ever! The slogan accurately depicts their product (the candy itself comes in a variety of fun colors, just like a rainbow). Plus, it ties in with their branding materials which includes a picture of a rainbow on their packaging. Also, sour Skittles rock.

Mastercard — “For everything else, there’s Mastercard”

While it’s evolved over the years, Mastercard’s “Priceless” campaign has some of the best ads around for any financial institution. Created in 1997, they run the gamut of cute, funny, and touching. While every ad has the same setup, they are hard to get bored of. The ads start by listing the prices of everyday items, all within the same theme or category of the ad. The last of the list is a “priceless” moment, ending the ad by saying “There are some things that money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s Mastercard.” The elephant ad is one of our personal favorites.

California Milk Processor Board — “Got Milk?”

If you’ve never seen a “Got Milk?” ad, not only have you likely been living under a rock for the better part of 20 years, but you’re probably lying, as well. What started as an ad campaign to promote the health benefits of milk by the California Milk Processor Board, was later licensed for use by other milk processors and dairy farmers. The most popular pieces of the campaign depicted celebrities, whether it was a person or a puppet, on a print ad with a milk moustache. Each poster would throw in a fun factoid about the benefits of drinking milk.

New York City — “I ❤️ NY”

Found on T-shirts, shot glasses, posters, the ‘I ❤️ NY’ slogan has been around since the late 70’s but still remains insanely popular today. The story goes that Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Department of Commerce, William S. Doyle, hired ad agency Wells Rich Greene and graphic designer, Milton Glaser for a campaign to increase tourism in then crime-ridden New York City. Glaser’s final drawing of the logo was drawn in the back of a taxi with red crayon. Today, it can be found in the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. Milton Glaser did the entire work pro bono. Some say this was in the name of helping the city. Others say it’s because he thought the campaign would only last a couple of months. Whatever the case may be, Glaser created a logo that will forever define the city that never sleeps.

Ready to create your own brand identity? Start by using Wix Logo Maker today!

Originally published at www.wix.com.