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OOH Media : Best Outdoor Advertising Slogans of All Time
Updated 07/07/2016

Outdoor Advertising Slogans

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Key Information At a Glance

  • Nearly all effective Outdoor (OOH) Advertising is less than seven words long
  • Slogans by definition are very short. The most effective slogans for billboard advertising campaigns are even shorter than that.
  • Two or three words is all many companies need to convey an effective message
  • They'll catch the attention of the reader right away even if you're not familiar with the product
  • After a consumer has been informed, the slogan carries with it even stronger power. The slogans are simple and to the point without divulging too much information.

Memorable Advertsing Slogans

These out of home advertisers were able to brand their names everywhere. They plastered themeselves high on the tallest billboards around. Their campaign slogans were as simple as they were brilliant. They quickly communicated the desired message in a few short words. Billboard advertising is your company's outdoor business card. And these companies made theirs memorable enough to build a brand. Hopefully something can be learned from their examples.

  • "American by Birth. Rebel by Choice" - Harley Davidson imprinted the bad boy image of it's motorcycles and encouraged viewers that a choice for Harley is a choice for America. Their choppers are still viewed in this way, in large part because of their outdoor advertising efforts.
  • "Save money. live better" - Walmart addresses the chief concerns of many shoppers. Effective advertising messages tell viewers the advantages quickly. The advantage that viewers like seeing most is savings. and what are they worried about when something is cheaper? The quality. Walmart addresses both of these concerns with four simple words. They ensure customers contributed savings which will make your whole life better.
  • "Just do it" - Nike launched this campaign surrounding Michael Jordan and conveyed their all go no quit approach to sports. Anyone can absorb a message that is only three words long.
  • "Impossible is nothing" - Adidas has been competing with Nike for years for brand recognition. They compete in many of the same advertising spaces and it seems That adidas shares nikes attitude in many ways. They put a clever spin on this attitude and were able to keep pace with their main competitor and keep their ad short, sweet, and powerful.
  • "between love and madness lies obsession" - Calvin Klein wanted to communicate the romantic side of their products. A series of provocative billboards peppered highways and got viewers attention. It was a rebranding campaign centered around their billboard advertisements.
  • "Quality never goes out of style" - Levi's was trying to make up ground as the denim craze of the early 90s began to wane. Their new face would be the one of a timeless product because quality lasts forever. Though they have struggled to regain the foothold they once had, the outdoor campaign was a marketing success for the household brand.
  • "keeps going and going" energizer launched the marketing campaign we all remember from the 1990s. No matter what your problem was your Energizer batteries would not fail you. That bunny was plastered on billboards in major cities. You could hear the drums from the commercials as you looked at the billboards. Nobody will quickly forget that energizer stands for long lasting batteries.
  • "Success. It's a mind game." - Tag Hauer featured this slogan on numerous billboards with some of the most successful athletes on the planet in the foreground. Tiger Woods, at the height of his powers, calmly held his driver in one hand and his watch on the other. No greater display of pure dominance could have been pictured with that tagline.
  • "when there is no tomorrow" - FedEx doesn't have to do a lot of advertising. Everybody knows that they are quicker. That doesn't stop them. They create urgency in the eyes of the viewers by highlighting the number one quality of their company. They do it every time. They reinforce the brand.even if you already know their service is better, Fed ex is certain to remind you of it with their billboards.
  • "The happiest place on earth" - Disneyland has told customers what to expect the moment they walk in their doors. Happiness. It's that simple. For parents looking to escape The monotony of the daily routine, there dances The promise of a happy vacation at the world-famous Disneyland. Billboard advertisement are only a small part of their strategy but key to every marketing strategy is a short poignant slogan like this one.
  • "I'm loving it" - We are not sure if we should include the "bada-ba-ba- ba" since those words never actually appear in the slogan but everybody hears them just the same. Supplemental outdoor advertising continually boosts awareness near McDonald's franchises. If you are near a McDonald's store, chances are you will be alerted by several billboards.The catch slogan is short enough for McDonald's to also include directions to its nearest location. They provide actionable content when users are most likely to be persuaded and I do it with a friendly image of love and dancing french fries.
  • "Have it your way" - You don't see many Burger King billboards anymore. The company has had its share of struggles. There is a mom and pop burger stand on just about every corner today. But in their heyday, the Burger King slogan was a brand in and of itself. Promoting user choice in a world where everything was pre-made.
  • "finger lickin' good" - KFC didn't back away from the fact their product may be seen as unhealthy. They embraced it. They developed the slogan to put people in mind of a greasy, delicious piece of chicken that left you certainly needing a napkin.
  • "Run for the border" - Taco Bell launched this outdoor advertising campaign slogan in conjunction with a series of commercials that rallied customers to get off the couch and not walk, but run to the nearest Taco Bell location. It was almost of some sort hysteria had taken over as the piano player urged you on. Talk about limits most of its marketing budget today to smaller outdoor advertising campaigns because this campaign sealed their place with the consumer.
  • "Melts in your mouth, not in your hands" M & M's brilliantly promoted their product with this campaign. Chocolate lovers know it's weaknesses. It can't stand even the slightest rise in temperature. M & M's are different. The light candy coating surrounding the chocolate allows them to be consumed much more enjoyably. No more needless wasting of napkins and smearing chocolate remnants all over the car seat. The company addressed The concerns of the chocolate lover and communicated just how delicious they are mouthwatering candy is.

Coca-Cola

Coca Cola deserves a category all it's own because they have had so many successful campaigns. These are the people who somehow made us crave a coke at Christmas. The holiday once dominated by egg, beer, bad sweaters and football games now suddenly had a Polar Bear drinking a coke to compete with. The Christmas campaign was just one of several of their brand's outdoor advertising campaigns. They have attempted to dominate every season and every reason in their slogans. A product that delivers refreshment can be good year round.

  • "Enjoy" - Now that is simple. We've done all the work, all you've got to do is go get one. Crack it open and enjoy yourself. There's no mention of anything else. Simplistically brilliant and by far their most effective OOH advertising message. It's short and it's action driven.
  • "You can't beat the real thing" - So many imitation drinks, knockoff brands, and diet drink crazes had begun to take their piece of Coca Cola's consumer base. They hoped to reinforce their brand-name quality with the "real thing" image. It wasn't an action message though. It was a branding message. As such, it wasn't their best campaign for billboards. It did leave a lasting impression with the consumers nevertheless through tv and radio advertisements.
  • "Twist the Cap to Refreshment" - Coke comes in a can or a bottle. Neither of which are twistoffs and many consumers wanted the convenience of a resealable lid. This tagline was displayed on billboards throughout the country to create awareness that Coca Cola had listened to consumer demands. It was only a short campaign driven at increasing awareness but it was effective at showing that the company was changing with the times.
  • "Open Happiness" - The tagline for one of the Christmas campaign strategies featured smiles during a time of year when they may be hard to come by. Nobody knows why Polar Bears are so darn loveable. Then can definitely kill us. They may want to. But for some reason they aptly convey a loving message of happiness in the winter time.

The list goes on but we had to take time to single out Coca-Cola. Few giants have launched as many successful campaigns as they have.

More Memorable Slogans

  • "Lego my Eggo" - Eggo waffles are a household name that was built on this one slogan. The desirability of this conveniently sweet breakfast would be fought over once people realize how good it was. Normal families could bond
  • "Zoom Zoom." - Who would've thought those two simple words could propel Mazdas marketing campaign. Surely they're outdoor advertising campaign wouldn't have succeeded without supplemental TV ads. The cinematic affect of the advertisement could not have been heard without listening to that girl whisper those two now-iconic words. Once that was solidified and consumers mines, Mazda push forward with their campaign and expanded to out of home. It was the brilliant implementation of a Marketing strategy that seemed like a longshot. Well done Mazda.
  • "Think Different" Apple branded themselves with clean pictures of a simple apple with a bite taken out of it. Their tagline was simple and powerful. Promoting innovation and classic clean lines in a sharp product display. Today they are a success by any companies ratings and boast a bottom line larger than the GDP of most countries.
  • "Share moments. Share life" Kodak was the face of picture quality in America. Don't miss anything and make sure the ones you love share in the joy. Take pictures with your Kodak camera and you can share your life. Every picture is worth 1000 words. They were all over the emotions of consumers and tapping into that worked.
  • "There is no substitute" - Porsche created desire in the minds of those people who could afford their cars and just about anything else they wanted. their strategy rested on the Allure The Porsche offered something that money could not buy. there's was the original. A classic never dies. There is no substitute for the original speed car.
  • "Improving Home Improvement"what was wanted to break into the market of home-improvement. A space previously dominated by Home Depot. Their message was simple and told the customer everything. What do we do? Home-improvement. How do we do it? Better. Lowes billboard advertisements featured clean images with their soft blue and white colors and a simple message. I've become a fierce competitor for Home Depot I have taken a considerable share of the marketplace.
  • "Think small" - Volkswagen was trying to promote the fact their cars were more compact than ever before. The days of clunky space hogging gas guzzling and environmentally unfriendly cars reflected the Volkswagen of the past. Their marketing campaign highlighted these points. They targeted billboards near dealerships where their message was likely to be put into action.
  • "Power, beauty, soul" - The Aston Martin marketing campaign showed the car as the regal automobile of the times. Well rounded in both it's beauty and performance, it was marketed as the car of the future.
  • "Solutions for a smart planet" IBM makes smart machines. Their marketing strategy has been launched around their new line of computers to reinforce this fact once more. With Apple taking so much of the market share, and out of home advertising campaign was a must to create awareness.
  • "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" - The city of Las Vegas has undergone several facelifts since the late 80s. It started off as sin city and tried to shift its appeal in the mid 90s to a more family oriented audience. Hotels like Circus Circus popped up in the city had lost it's devilish allure. When that campaign didn't work in many cities began to legalize gambling, Las Vegas was desperate to get back it's sin city reputation. The "what happens in Vegas" campaign is still running today and has become a staple in pop culture.
  • "Got Milk" - The war on dairy products took it's toll on farmers. The California milk processor board took to Billboard advertising to when back consumers. This simple advertisements featured milk as a bedrock ingredient to. a healthy American diet. The campaign was effective in both it's TV and outdoor advertising strategies and help resurrect the once dying dairy farmer.
  • "Eat fresh" Subway also noticed the trend towards lower calorie food. Instead of marketing their product more feverishly, they tried to change their product to fit the needs of the consumer. Low-calorie 6 inch sandwiches were offered with loads of fresh vegetables on the side. Two simple words address to Cravings consumers had had for years. Sandwiches without the guilt.

What Does All Great OOH Adverising Have in Common?

You may notice that all of these slogans have one thing in common. They're all less than seven words long. Slogans by definition are very short. The most effective slogans for billboard advertising campaigns are even shorter than that. Two or three words is all many companies need to convey an effective message. They'll catch the attention of the reader right away even if you're not familiar with the product. After a consumer has been informed, the slogan carries with it even stronger power. The slogan are simple and to the point without divulging too much information.

Simplicity is a somewhat obvious strategy. But equally important is to get to the center of your point very quickly. The nucleus. The essence. No flimflam or minced words. Great slogans are uncluttered and can translate across all advertising mediums. You've got a few seconds in any advertising spot to make your message stick. Most billboard viewers are driving 70 miles an hour when they read the message. All wiewers take in a only small amount of information when they are presented a product. Short, quick bursts of information are the only way to be sure you will reach them in the allotted time. Drive the point home (pardon the pun) as quickly as you can.

It's OK to change. Great companies carefully consider the meaning of each word in their slogan. The meaning is evaluated based on every connotation of the included words or phrases. Sometimes they get it wrong. The key is to recognize when your message isn't resonating with your audience and change it accordingly. Keep in mind that some of the biggest companies change their slogan all the time. Taco Bell has used "Run for the Border" and "Think outside the Bun" along with several other slogans. Coca-Cola, as mentioned above, develops new slogans regularly to stay current with the times. They are always fighting for more market share and you should too.

Know your audience. Know what they want even if they don't know what they want. Here are some final keys to keep in mind if you're trying to compete with the big boys.

  • Message clarity - Increased message clarity highly correlates with slogan liking.
  • Benefit - All great slogans highlight the benefits of the product.
  • Creativity - users tend to like creative slogans.
  • Rhyming - Slogans that rhyme tend poll better with consumers. Many slogans break this rule but the ones that rhyme are, without a doubt, the toughest to get out of your head.
  • Length - Shorter length shorter slogans rate highest among consumers
  • Age - Slogans that of been around a long time tend to garner more favor with viewers. Also, the younger the viewer is the greater the tendency for them to like the advertisement.
  • Budget - Outdoor advertising campaigns with a higher budget produce better results for memorability with consumers.
  • Gender - Male viewers tend to react better to catch phrases and slogans than female viewers.

These are the basic strategies the companies that made the most memorable advertising slogans on our list employed. Great slogans can be used across all mediums and leave a lasting impression on the viewer in a short period of time. Many household brands were able to use their slogans as a springboard to brand recognition across the marketplace. It takes the tools and the know-how to get it done. If one company can do it, another can do it. We can't wait to see what slogans come out in the future. It seems like we always think the slogans of yesteryear will never be surpassed. As many more people understand what goes into a good advertising campaign and slogan, we expect new innovations will still manage to keep viewer's attention and brand entire companies.

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