Taglines: Can You Hear Me Now?

“Believe it or not.”—Robert L. Ripley

From products to movies to TV shows to authors to books, a believable tagline goes a long way to being remembered. Ever heard of “Bundy Very Used Cars?” No? How about “Rent-a-Wreck?” Bundy’s changed tagline made their business standout. I wish I could think up an author tagline that readers remember, even with a lobotomy.

Taglines are supposed to be like the “It’s a Small World” ride at Disneyland. Once you take the ride and hear the tune, it keeps playing repeatedly in your mind. Studying taglines may trigger an idea for your tagline.

ABC Taglines
Ajax: Stronger Than Dirt
Alien: In Space No One Can Hear You Scream.
Alka-Seltzer: I Can’t Believe I Ate The Whole Thing.
Allstate Insurance: You’re In Good Hands With Allstate.
Altoids: Curiously Strong Peppermints
American Express: Don’t Leave Home Without It.
Apollo 13: Houston, We Have A Problem
AT&T: Reach Out And Touch Someone.
Avis: We Try Harder.
Bic: Flick My Bic.
Blue Bonnet Margarine: Everything's Better With Blue Bonnet On It.
Budweiser: Wassup?!
Burger King: Have It Your Way.
BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine
California Milk Processor Board: Got Milk?
Calvin Klein Jeans: Nothing Comes Between Me And My Calvins.
Camel Cigerettes: I’d Walk A Mile For A Camel.
Capital One: What’s In Your Wallet?
Chiffon Margarine: It’s Not Nice To Fool Mother Nature.
Chrysler: Inspiration Comes Standard.
CNN: The Most Trusted Name In News.
Coca-Cola: It's The Real Thing!
Crest: Look, Ma, No Cavities!
DeBeers: A Diamond Is Forever.
Disneyland: The Happiest Place On Earth.
Dr. Pepper: The Friendly Pepper Upper.
Ebay: The World’s Online Marketplace.
EF Hutton: When EF Hutton Talks, People Listen.
Fed-Ex: Relax, It’s Fed-Ex.
Fox News: Fair And Balanced.
Friends Of The Animals: Extinct Is Forever.
FTD: Say It With Flowers.
General Electric: We Bring Good Things To Life.
Gerber: Babies Are Our Business.
GLAD: Don’t Get Mad. Get GLAD.
Greyhound: Leave The Driving To Us.
Grey Poupon: Pardon Me, Do You Have Any Grey Poupon?
Hebrew National: We Answer To A Higher Authority.
Hertz: We Try Harder.
In And Out Burger: In And Out, In And Out, That's What A Hamburger Is All About.
International Coffee: Celebrate The Moments Of Your Life
Ivory Soap: 99.44% Pure.
Jaws II: Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Back In The Water...
Jimmy Dean Sausage: Breakfast Never Sounded So Good.
Kay Jewelers: Every Kiss Begins With Kay.
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes: They’re G-R-R-R-Eat!
Kellogg’s Smart Start: Start Aging Smart.
Kentucky Fried Chicken: Finger-Lickin’ Good!
Las Vegas Convention And Visitors Authority: What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas.
Lay’s Potato Chips: Betcha Can’t Eat Just One.
M&Ms: Melts In Your Mouth, Not In Your Hands.
McDonald’s: I’m Lovin’ It
Memorex: Is It Live Or Is It Memorex?
Merrill-Lynch: Merrill-Lynch Is Bullish On America.
Morton Salt: When It Rains, It Pours.
Mountain Dew: Do The Dew.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association: Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.
National Crime Prevention Council: Take A Bite Out Of Crime.
National Pork Board: Pork. The Other White Meat.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: You Could Learn A Lot From A Dummy. Buckle Up!
Nike: Just Do It.
Nikon: At The Heart Of The Image.
Oldsmobile: It’s Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile Anymore.
Ore-Ida: Ore-Ida! It’s All-Righta!
Parkay Margarine: The Flavor Says Butter.
Partnership For A Drug-Free America: This Is Your Brain. This Is Your Brain On Drugs. Any Questions?
Paul Masson: We Will Sell No Wine Before Its Time.
Pep Boys: Cars Like Us. People Love Us.
Petco: Where The Pets Go.
Quiznos: M’m, M’m, M’m, M’m, M’m...Toasty!
RAID: RAID Kills Bugs Dead.
Reebok Athletic Shoes: Because Life Is Not A Spectator Sport.
Rolaids: How Do You Spell Relief? R-O-L-A-I-D-S.
Secret Deodorant: Strong Enough For A Man, But Made For A Woman.
7-Up: The Uncola.
Star Trek: To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before
Star Wars: A Long Time Ago, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away...
Surprise By Design TV Show: We're Not Just Changing Rooms. We're Changing Lives.
Taco Bell: Think Outside The Bun.
Target: Expect More. Pay Less.
The New York Times: All The News That’s Fit To Print.
The X-Files: The Truth Is Out There.
Timex: Takes A Licking And Keeps On Ticking.
United Negro College Fund: A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste
UPS: See What Brown Can Do For You
U.S. Army: Be All That You Can Be.
U.S. Dept. Of Transportation: Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.
U.S. Forest Service: Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires.
U.S. Forest Service: Give A Hoot, Don’t Pollute.
U.S. Marines: We’re Looking For A Few Good Men.
U.S. Peace Corps: The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love.
Verizon Wireless: Can You Hear Me Now?...Good!
Visine Eye Drops: Gets The Red Out.
Volkswagen: Drivers Wanted
Wal-Mart: Always Low Prices. Always.
Wall Street Journal: The Daily Diary Of The American Dream.
Waterford Glass: Every Piece Is A Work Of Art.
Wendy’s: Where’s The Beef?
Wheaties: The Breakfast Of Champions
Wisk Laundry Detergent: Ring Around The Collar.
Wrigley's Chewing Gum: Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun.
Xerox: The Document Company.
Xerox: We’re Moving Beyond Documents.
Yellow Pages: Let Your Fingers Do The Walking
Zenith: The Quality Goes In Before The Name Goes On.

Taglines are reader oriented. What do you feel when you read a tagline? What benefit or promise do you perceive?