‘Just do it’, ‘I’m lovin’ it’, ‘g-r-r-r-eat’ – take your pick from the many thousands of slogans that have emanated from marketing circles over the past century. Some have been great and some have been, well, not so great.

And some have been so good they have been passed down through the generations and become ingrained in society – where people no longer remember where the slogan actually came from. Whilst the not-so-great ones fade into obscurity, never getting so much as a token mention in the footnotes of history.

But it’s worth considering this for a second: what makes a good slogan? You may be a Nobel Prize-winning author, but does that mean you have what it takes to churn out the perfect three-word combo to sell a cereal-brand to millions? Not necessarily.

Different writers excel at different type of text.  Some copywriters are excellent at long-copy, be it brochures, case studies or website text. Others are more geared towards the short and the snappy, whether that’s AdWords or, indeed, slogans.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t hone your skills and learn to write different kinds of copy. So what does make a good slogan?

Firstly, it’s a myth that slogans must be short. Some slogans are indeed short, but some are so short they seem just a little…lame. By ‘short’ we mean a few words. And whilst it’s great if you can create the ultimate slogan consisting of two or three words (less is often more, after all), this shouldn’t be your main focus.

Rather than worrying about ‘short’ or ‘long’ when crafting your slogan, worry about emotion. Worry about capturing your brand identity whilst simultaneously tapping into what the consumer thinks, wants and needs. And don’t assume you’ll lose your audience just because you slip a few extra words in there…believe it or not, MORE sometimes is more too.

Whilst there’s no right or wrong answer as to what the best slogans are – as with anything in life, it’s entirely subjective – here’s a selection of some of some of the most effective straplines  in recent and not-so-recent times.

Adidas: Impossible is nothing

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” Muhammad Ali

Inspirational words from the king of the ring, Muhammad Ali. So what better role model for Adidas to pinch a line from?

‘Impossible is nothing’ is one of the better short slogans in recent years, for a number of reasons. Firstly, Adidas align themselves with a sporting great.

But more importantly, the slogan makes you think. The more common version of the expression is ‘nothing is impossible’ – a well-worn cliché. By subverting the phrase, it jolts the audience into paying attention, because it doesn’t sound quite…right. And when you notice the words are the wrong way around, you then realise the meaning roughly remains the same. Sort of.

Sony: make.believe

Similar to logo-design, some of the best slogans are the simplest ones. Sony unleashed ‘make.believe’ on the world in 2009 and here’s why it’s a goodie.

As Adidas did with ‘impossible is nothing’ Sony take ‘make believe’ – a well-known phrase that means ‘fanciful pretence’ – and stick a dot in between the two words. Incredibly simple, but incredibly effective, and here’s why.

This slogan really is all about the dot, as it separates out two concepts that Sony wish to associate itself with. ‘Make’ is all about action, building, designing and creativity. ‘Believe’ is imagining, dreaming and thinking.

And given this slogan is used across all its products – both entertainment and electronics – it helps deliver a unified message that Sony is a creative, innovative brand.

Another subtlety is the slogan uses lower-case throughout. By doing so, it’s a little more reserved and understated – a classy and confident exclamation that doesn’t shout at you. It knows what it is and invites you to buy into it.

Ronseal: it does exactly what it says on the tin

Unlike Sony and Adidas, Ronseal isn’t a sexy global brand. Ronseal is a British company that specialises in wood-care products, such as varnish. And that is partly why this slogan has proven to be one of the most effective ones in recent times…in the UK and Ireland, at least.

The slogan ‘it does exactly what it says on the tin’ has been used in Ronseal TV ads since the mid 90s and it’s effective because its no-nonsense, practical approach goes against much of the over-selling that goes on in many campaigns.

Ronseal won’t get you hot chicks, but it will remove stains from your garden furniture…exactly as described on the tin.

This slogan is also a good example of how longer slogans can work. Using nine words defies conventional wisdom that slogans absolutely, positively must be short. It even uses the word ‘exactly’ when it doesn’t have to – but by doing so, it makes it more conversational and places emphasis on its practical use.

And now the phrase has entered UK society and is used colloquially by people in any number of circumstances. “Here’s that ‘five-speed food-blender’ I promised you. It, er, does exactly what it says on the tin”.

Most consumers couldn’t name a single competitor to this brand. Job done, Ronseal.

Stella Artois: Reassuringly expensive

Whilst a lot of advertising focuses on low-price (affordability), features, service or the products ability to help you ‘cement’ relations with the opposite gender, some brands place focus on quality as a way of justifying high price. And this works.

Stella Artois’ ‘Reassuringly expensive’ slogan was a bit of a curve-ball in the alcohol industry – or any industry, for that matter.

To actively say in your slogan that you are expensive was a bold move by Stella, but by doing so it built itself a niche as a quality lager for people with taste. Whilst a glass of beer was never traditionally a classy beverage in the same way as a glass of red wine, Stella’s slogan and accompanying adverts shifted the goalposts. Genius.

De Beers: A diamond is forever

In 2000, ‘A diamond is forever’ was voted the top advertising slogan of the twentieth century by ‘Advertising Age’ magazine.

De Beers – a South African diamond mining and trading company – launched the slogan in 1947 as a way of associating diamonds with love and commitment. De Beers went a long way towards making diamond the de facto choice for engagement rings.

Ever wonder where the notion of spending 2-3 months’ salary on an engagement ring came from? Yup, you guessed it…De Beers.

‘A diamond is forever’ is now engrained in society, and even spawned the title of  a James Bond book and film. The young copywriter at N. W. Ayer & Son, the US advertising agency responsible for the campaign, must’ve been incredibly proud of those four words.

So if you’re striving to come up with an Earth-shattering slogan, think about some of the above points. And whilst rhyming and alliteration are all good starting points for developing the ultimate strapline, think about how, exactly, you are going to tap into your target market’s mindset. And remember – short isn’t always best.