Does your tagline effectively sell your product?

Yesterday on my way home from work, I drove by a rent-to-own tire shop. As if that concept isn't strange enough, they were celebrating a "Summer BLOWOUT Sale!" (Pause for irony-induced chuckle? I did.)


I wasn't sure if they were blowing out their inventory or if they were having a sale on tires that would blow out any day now. Or perhaps, due to the summer heat, people are having more blowouts than usual, in which case, they decided to have a sale? My head was spinning trying to figure it out. I'm sure the intention behind the promotion was good, and sincerely enthusiastic (the sign was really bold and colorful, after all), but it certainly left me confused and surely I am not alone in my bewilderment. 


Is the well-strategized tagline a dying breed? Have the "Just Do It" and "You're in Good Hands" power houses failed to inspire smaller businesses to strive for succinct and compelling tags or slogans of the same nature? Jim Morris seems to think we may be heading in that direction. 


In an article published in AdWeek, Morris, writer and tagline specialist, says, "There are precious few copywriters left capable of teaching the discipline and, besides, no one's asking them to. As a result, taglines are losing their central role in developing ideas and defining brands. The more brands that opt to go without a tagline, the more it will become the norm." So what is the future of tag lines in advertising?


Morris goes on to say, "Tagline assignments are dwindling, as is the quality of effort devoted to them. The more meaning that has to be jammed into fewer words, the bigger the challenge. The result is even more superficial taglines. As the quality of the taglines that clients are exposed to is degraded, demand is further eroded."


I personally have an affinity for exquisitely creative copywriting and I hope this trend quickly changes course. Or, perhaps, evolves into a new level of copywriting that we've yet to bare witness. We all know how important it is to stay true to your brand, and I hope that even as the digital age continues to impact traditional media, that some things, like plain old good marketing, will adapt to this new environment, but never lose the beauty like that of a solid tagline.


In the meantime, if you're looking for some new tires but aren't ready to commit to ownership, you really can't pass up the rent-to-own Summer BLOWOUT Sale.