TL;DR:A catchy slogan is a powerful way to convey your brand’s unique message, values, and personality. Slogans offer more flexibility than a brand name, giving you the room to be fun, playful, or deeply meaningful. Just like your company name or logo, a great slogan can—and should—be protected as a registered trademark.
A catchy slogan is a fantastic way to convey a message about your brand. While a business name has to be relatively short, a slogan gives you a little more freedom and flexibility. You have the space to be playful, memorable, and clear about what makes your product or service unique.
To inspire your own branding efforts, we have rounded up 25 of the greatest slogans of all time. We’ve broken them down into iconic household names and incredibly clever local businesses to show you exactly what makes a slogan work.
Iconic Consumer Brands
These classic slogans have stood the test of time by using rhyme, alliteration, or a brilliant call to action.
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Nike: Just do it. (Iconic, classic, and acts as a direct call to action.)
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De Beers: A diamond is forever. (Named the single most recognized slogan of the 20th century by Advertising Age. It beautifully links the enduring nature of a diamond to the concept of everlasting love.)
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American Express: Don’t leave home without it. (An iconic message that perfectly captured the necessity of having your card on hand.)
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MasterCard: There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard. (A brilliant psychological angle that suggests credit is about more than just paying for things later.)
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HBO: It’s not TV, it’s HBO. (A bold statement that separated the network from standard television, creating its own premium category.)
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Timex: It takes a licking and keeps on ticking. (Fun, rhymes perfectly, and conveys a strong message of durability.)
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Bounty: The quicker picker upper. (Incredibly fun to say, using both alliteration and rhyme.)
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State Farm: Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. (Tells you exactly what the company’s core values and goals are.)
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Geico: So easy a caveman can do it. (Brilliant, funny, and highlights the ease of their service.)
Food & Beverage Favorites
Food brands often rely on sensory words, playfulness, and literal descriptions to make their slogans memorable.
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Taco Bell: Think outside the bun. (A literal and figurative play on “thinking outside the box.”)
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M&Ms: Melts in your mouth, not in your hand. (Highlights a unique product benefit clearly and simply.)
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Dunkin’: America runs on Dunkin’. (Short, succinct, and drives home the idea that their coffee fuels the nation.)
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Rice Krispies: Snap, crackle, pop. (Famous for utilizing onomatopoeia to describe the product experience.)
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Smucker’s: With a name like Smucker’s, it has to be good. (A highly memorable slogan that leans into the quirkiness of the brand name.)
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Campbell’s Soup: Mmm! Mmm! Good! (Simple, warm, and highly effective.)
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Lay’s: Bet you can’t eat just one. (A playful challenge that highlights how addictive their chips are.)
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Meow Mix: Tastes so good, cats ask for it by name. (So silly and ridiculous that it works perfectly.)
Brilliant Small Business Slogans
You do not have to be a multi-billion dollar brand to have a fantastic slogan. Many of our clients and colleagues have crafted brilliant, trademark-worthy taglines.
Here are a few of our favorites that prove clever wordplay wins every time:
| Brand / Business Type | Slogan | Why It Works |
| Northern Virginia Ax Throwing Venue | Chop Local. | A brilliant, highly memorable twist on the popular phrase “Shop Local.” |
| Fitness Video Creator | Where every body fits. | A fantastic double-meaning playing on both “everybody” and a physical “body.” |
| Chad Barr (Video Editor) | Raising the Barr. | A clever, personalized play on words using his last name. |
| Gary Furr (Consultant) | Turning complexity into simplicity. | It rhymes, it’s fun to say, and it perfectly explains the value he brings to clients. |
| New Orleans Waste Management Co. | Our business stinks, but it’s picking up. | Entertaining, playful, and pokes fun at their own gritty industry. |
| Erik M. Pelton & Associates | Experience is our trademark. Trademark is our experience. | It captures our hyper-focus and makes a play on our specific area of legal expertise. |
Protect Your Brand’s Message
That is how you can use a slogan to capture something special about your business in just a few words. If you have spent the time to craft the perfect tagline, don’t leave it unprotected. Just like your business name, your slogan is a vital piece of your intellectual property. 
Can I legally register a slogan or tagline? Yes, absolutely. As long as your slogan is actively used in commerce to identify your specific goods or services and distinguish them from competitors, it can be registered as a federal trademark. Just like a business name or logo, a slogan is a valuable piece of intellectual property.
Do I need a separate trademark application for my slogan and my logo? Yes. The USPTO requires a separate application and filing fee for each distinct trademark asset you want to protect. If you want to protect your business name, your logo, and your slogan properly and with maximum proetctions, you will need to file three separate trademark applications.
Can two different companies use the exact same slogan? Sometimes, yes. Trademark law is designed to prevent consumer confusion. If two companies use the same slogan but operate in completely different, unrelated industries, the USPTO may allow both trademarks to exist because consumers are unlikely to confuse the two businesses.
