Some people don’t like them, they feel they are overused and ineffective, giving nothing more than a bland assertion of the service they provide. Personally, I love a good tag line. The carefully crafted collection of words that powerfully represent the intention and personality of the brand are, in my opinion, a great brand asset. From Dr Pepper’s ‘So misunderstood’ to Nike’s ‘Just do it’, tag lines are everywhere. Playstation’s ‘Make.Believe’ is one of the best I’ve come across. It’s imaginative, empowering and just takes you right into their world.

Anyway, the reason I’m writing this is that I am seeing a disturbing rise in emotional tag lines that have little or no bearing on the company using them. Take Subways new ‘Keep discovering’ tag line. Now this is a line that I could understand with something like Land Rover, Nasa or perhaps a travel agency, but seriously, Subway. Filling your sandwich is not a voyage of discovery! Another example is ‘Extra chewing gum’ – ‘Time to Shine’ suggesting that the gum is an enabler for improving your everyday state of mind. Aiming a little high here maybe!

If companies do insist on using a tag line, then please let’s make it count. Let’s look at Nike and Adidas. For years Adidas have been in the shadow of Nike’s ‘Just do it’, a tag line case study of legendary status. ‘Impossible is nothing’ was a great tag line for Adidas, but never quite had the same impact as Nike. Adidas have now hit us with ‘First never follows’.

Wow, just wow! If Nike had the get up and go feel for every couch potato or lazy commuter to don a pair of trainers and hit the road then this new three word wonder from Adidas has that and more. In an age of independence and not wanting to be the same, this is a brilliant example of messaging which fits the company but offers that emotional connection.