Slogan
A short, catchy phrase designed to be remembered and repeated in the service of a cause, brand, or campaign.
A slogan is a phrase engineered for repetition. The word entered English from the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm, 'a battle cry of a Highland clan', and the martial origin is still audible: a slogan is a call meant to gather people around a single, portable idea.
Modern slogans serve three main hosts: political movements ('Yes, we can'; 'Better Together'), commercial brands ('Just do it'; 'Think different'), and public information campaigns ('Click it or ticket'). All three rely on the same craft — one clear promise or command, rhythm that fits a breath, and language plain enough to survive translation into shouting.
A slogan is not a motto. A motto declares a standing commitment; a slogan is optimised for the current campaign and is often quietly retired when the campaign ends. A slogan is also not an aphorism: it does not aspire to be true in general, only to be effective in context.
Common mistakes: writing a slogan longer than the audience will bother to repeat, filling it with abstract nouns ('excellence', 'innovation', 'solutions') that fit any organisation and therefore none, and confusing cleverness with memorability. The test of a slogan is not whether people admire it but whether they say it, unprompted, a week later.
“Think different.”
Keep reading the glossary
A short phrase adopted by a person, family, or institution as an expression of guiding principle.
A short phrase, usually attached to a brand or work, that sits under the name to condense its promise.
A short phrase strongly associated with one speaker, character, or campaign.
A short, vivid extract from a longer speech, designed to be repeated by news media.