A few words about me, you and us. These little words cause big headaches for marketing teams. Should they use “we” to sound friendly and inclusive? Trying to identify with you through “I” or, like the ABC, being rather presumptuous and using “you” and “your”? Dear ABC, I am not yours and you are not mine; in the words of Groucho Marx, I refuse to join any club that wants me as a member.
In some cases, like auto insurance company Youi, they’ve put you and me in the name itself, merging our separate identities so we know longer if we’re you or I’m me. This assumes that the “i” stands for the first person singular or is in fact a sad little abbreviation for the word “insurance”. Whatever the intent, when you say the name out loud, it sounds like you’re dropping a U-ey and hitting the road. Which sounds dangerous. May need insurance.
But back to the slogan phrase. It may not be slick and sexy, but there’s no ambiguity in the ideal slogan, no filling in the missing words, no guesswork, no doubt, no crazy stuff. In fact, it is an example of perfect grammar that will not surprise the gamblers.
Let’s give it a try. I suspect you’ll remember these good old slogans better than their reincarnations. To compare It’s the fish that John West rejects that make John West the best with today’s It’s a no from John West. (He went vegan?) Or compare There is no other store quite like David Jones with the desert dry A name. Endless possibilities. Even the sublime Beanz Meanz Heinz is now a smaller entity: Beanz means more.
Unfortunately, the award for the worst sliced and diced slogan has to go to our beloved Vegemite. How proud they were We sing along We are happy little Vegemites like it’s our national anthem! Well, we’re not happy anymore. They have a new slogan and it sounds like the creatives have gone on strike or Kevin from Supplies has been asked for his opinion: Tastes like Australia.
I just feel like Snap! Crackle! And Dad!
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