You can still learn from institutional advertisers and still be a direct-response marketer

You've seen them, you love them (or hate them), and you recognize them because MILLIONS of dollars have been spent burning them into your brains.

Now, Advertising Week, the newspaper for institutional advertising, announces its 2009 Advertising Week Walk of Fame Candidates for Icons and Slogans.

Previous winners in the Icons Category include:

Chick-fil-A "Eat Mor Chikin" Cow, Orville Redenbacher, Geico Caveman, Serta Sheep

Geico Gecko, Juan Valdez, Colonel Sanders, Kool-Aid Man

Aflac Duck, M&M's Mr. Peanut, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and Tony the Tiger

Previous winners in the Slogan Category include:

"Ding! You are now free to move about the country." Southwest Airlines

"The few. The proud. The Marines." US Marine Corps

"We deliver for you." US Postal Service

"What can brown do for you?" UPS

"Imagination at work." GE

"When you care enough to send the very best." Hallmark

"Don't mess with Texas" State of Texas Dept of Transportation

"When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight." FedEx

"A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste" – United Negro College Fund

"Can You Hear Me Now" – Verizon

"Melts in your mouth, not in your hands." M&M's

"Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't." Almond Joy, Mounds

"Where's the beef?" Wendy's

2009 Candidates Announced – Icons

Mr. Clean – Proctor & Gamble

Smokey Bear – US Forest Service

Vlasic Stork – Pinnacle Foods Group

Mr. Mucus – Mucinex

Snap, Crackle, Pop – Kellogg Co., Morning Food Division

Maytag Repairman – Whirlpool Corp, Maytag Home Appliances

MSN Butterfly

Subway Jared – Subway Corp

McGruff the Crime Dog – National Crime Prevention Council

Roaming Gnome – Travelocity

Test Man – Verizon Wireless

Michelin Man – Michelin North America

Ronald McDonald – McDonald's Corp

Toucan Sam – Kellogg Co

Budweiser Clydesdales – Anheuser-Busch Cos

Crash Test Dummies – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Keebler Elves – Kellogg Co.

Burger King – Burger King Corp.

Doublemint Twins – Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.

Little Debbie – McKee Foods

AOL Running Man – AOL

California Raisins – California Raisin Advisory Board

Fruit of the Loom Guys – Fruit of the Loom

Big Boy – Big Boy Restaurants International

Captain Morgan – Diageo

Jolly Green Giant – General Mills

2009 Candidates Announced – Slogans

"Just do it." Nike

"Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there." State Farm

"Only you can prevent forest fires." US Forest Service

"Priceless." MasterCard

"Six Flags! More flags! More fun!" Six Flags

"Take a bite out of crime" National Crime Prevention Council

"These guys are good." PGA Tour

"Think outside the bun." Taco Bell

"This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs." Partnership for a Drug-Free America

"Time to make the donuts." Dunkin' Donuts

"Virginia is for lovers." Virginia State Tourism Office

"What happens here, stays here." Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

"Have it your way." Burger King

"I love New York." New York State Dept of Economic Development

"I want my MTV." MTV

"Ideas for life." Panasonic

"If you see something, say something." New York Metropolitan Transit Authority

"I'm lovin' it." McDonald's

"Intel inside." Intel

"It's in the game." Electronic Arts

"All the news that's fit to print." The New York Times

"Because you're worth it." L'Oreal

"Friends don't let friends drive drunk." US Dept of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

"Give a hoot. Don't pollute." US Forest Service

"Got Milk?" California Milk Processor Board

What Can You Learn From These?

You don't have millions to spend on institutional advertising, so why do I even bring these up to you?

Because they're memorable (well, most of them are: "These guys are good" could apply to anything and "Ideas for life" really doesn't set the world on fire). Those you recognized immediately have worked. Those you recognized and knew what the PRODUCT or SERVICE was worked WELL. And those you knew the product, service, AND who sponsored it work VERY well.

Keep that in mind when building your own slogans or graphics to work with your materials.

Don't confuse SLOGANS with Unique Selling Propositions: "Time to make the donuts," "Think outside the bun," and "Virginia is for lovers" are NOT USPs. "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight" IS. "Melts in your mouth, not in your hands" is close.

Many people confuse coming up with a tagline or slogan as their whole "reason for being." It's not. You still need a powerful reason for existing… and perhaps a tagline/slogan can help get your message across quickly and easily.

Oh, and one more thing: repetition really DOES work! YOU get tired of your own materials MUCH faster than your prospects, clients, and customers do… so keep with it for a while: changing your look, statements, logos, slogans too quickly leave a prospect confused, and a "Confused Mind Always Says NO!"

By The Way… if you want to vote, go here: Advertising Week Walk of Fame Voting – Click Here!

To learn more, stay in touch with my blog – I'll keep you informed so that YOU won't have to do the heavy lifting. Charlie Seymour Jr's Blog – Click HERE To See More!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad since 1983, succeeding in this economy

PS: You can find me here:

http://twitter.com/UltimateWAHDads

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Keep this with this article, please:

Charlie Seymour Jr is an entrepreneurial evangelist and marketing-success coach helping individuals and companies (up to $100MM) explode their success through online and direct-response marketing. He specializes in blogging, podcasting, photography, video, and Facebook applications. Visit his blog at http://bit.ly/24eYTO to learn more about his successes.

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Icons and Slogans – Advertising Week Walk Of Fame Announced For 2009 – Vote For Your Favorite

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