How to Create a Compelling Campaign Slogan
A great campaign slogan can make or break a political campaign. In fact, your campaign slogan might be the only thing some voters remember about your campaign.
In this guide, we’ll explore the importance of creating a compelling campaign slogan, outline the key steps to crafting a winning slogan, and take a look at past examples of strong campaign slogans.
The Importance of an Effective Campaign Slogan
A campaign slogan is a short, concise “keyword” summary of a political campaign’s main theme and purpose. The most effective slogan creation sets a candidate apart from other contenders in a political race. This slogan or promotional tagline typically contains about seven words or less.
Voters will encounter a candidate’s political slogan in digital ads and videos, social media posts, email marketing, direct mail, and at campaign events. Repetition is key to getting a campaign slogan to “stick” in voters’ minds.
What makes for a great campaign slogan?
Here are a few key points to consider:
Short and Catchy: A good campaign slogan is short and catchy enough for voters to easily remember. It might even contain a rhyme or other pleasing sound.
Relevant: Your political slogan needs to be relevant to your campaign and to the community that you hope to serve.
Authentic: A great campaign slogan reflects the personality and mission of the person running for office. When crafting a slogan, don’t try to be someone you’re not!
Emotionally Resonant: An outstanding political slogan will trigger an emotional response in voters — perhaps by touching on an issue or cause close to their hearts.
The benefits of crafting an effective slogan include the fact that slogans spread a candidate’s core values and intentions among voters. Due to their brief, concise nature, these taglines can reach more eligible voters in a given locale.
Short, impactful statements of purpose are easy to remember for voters in general. When used widely throughout a campaign, they can propel a good candidate forward toward winning an election.
The Power of a Well-Crafted Campaign Slogan
A carefully created slogan can lend far-reaching benefits to a candidate’s campaign for political office. Consider these benefits:
#1: Building Your Target Audience
A well-crafted political slogan can advertise the purpose and strength of your candidacy and reinforce your political campaign’s branding. Especially if you are an independent or third-party candidate, an impactful, well-composed slogan can be a huge asset in promoting your candidacy. It can get your message across to voters in your area as a powerful extension of your overall political campaign messaging.
#2: Supporting Your Campaign’s Credibility
A strong and empowering slogan can help you expand your campaign’s credibility. A good slogan can help you keep your campaign messaging consistent across different platforms and events. This is especially important as you expand your campaign’s reach. The clearer and more consistent your messaging, the easier it will be for voters to say yes to supporting your campaign.
#3: Making an Emotional Connection
One of the most powerful ways to grab and retain voters’ attention is to make an emotional connection. You can craft your campaign slogan to resonate with voters’ emotions. You can do this by referencing issues that your voter base is passionate about, or by calling back to other people or events that trigger a positive emotional response for voters.
Steps for Creating Quality Campaign Slogans
Follow these steps to create a great campaign slogan:
Brainstorm: The first step to making a strong political slogan is to brainstorm. You can brainstorm with your campaign team, on your own, or with the help of an AI tool like GoodParty.org’s AI Campaign Tool. Our AI Campaign Tool includes a campaign slogan generator that draws on your campaign’s details and top policy priorities to create unique slogans designed exclusively for you.
Edit for Clarity and Simplicity: Once you’ve brainstormed a few options for your campaign slogan, experiment with making each version as clear and simplified as possible. Remember that your slogan needs to quickly and effortlessly communicate your core message to voters.
Seek Feedback: The emotional effect of your slogan is of the utmost importance. Once you’ve settled on one or two options for your campaign slogan, show it to your campaign team, family, or friends, and ask for feedback. Ask about the first impression the slogans give about your campaign.
Refine Your Slogan: Continue refining and tweaking your slogan until you find something you’re satisfied with. Don’t give up until you come up with a slogan you love!
Examples of Strong Political Slogans
Looking for inspiration as you craft your campaign slogan? Consider these examples of political slogans from past campaigns:
#1: “Not me. Us.”
In 2020, Senator Bernie Sanders ran for the Democratic nomination for president with the slogan “Not me. Us.”
As a self-defined democratic socialist and independent candidate, Sanders created a national political cause and movement through a strong political brand identity. Focusing on inequality and healthcare reform as major issues, he promoted an impactful campaign and strongly influenced U.S. voters. Sanders’ campaign slogan echoes the importance of movement building and of grassroots change.
#2: “Yes, we can.”
Former President Barack Obama’s famous campaign slogan “Yes, we can” is one of the most memorable political slogans in recent memory. This slogan resonated with voters because of its short, catchy nature and emotional appeal.
Obama first introduced this slogan during a speech to his supporters in January 2008:
“We know the battle ahead will be long. But always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change…. For when we have faced down impossible odds, when we’ve been told we’re not ready, or that we shouldn’t try, or that we can’t, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.”
#3: “Make America great again.”
Former President Donald Trump created an incredibly memorable slogan during his 2016 presidential campaign. The power of “Make America great again” comes in its resonance with voters who feel left behind by American politics — those who look to a past era for a vision of what America should be.
Since 2016, countless iterations of Trump’s famous slogan have proliferated. These range from more serious parodies like “Make America think again” or “Make America kind again” to more lighthearted versions like “Make America skate again” or “Make America mulch again.”
Generate Your Campaign Slogan Today
Want to get a headstart in generating your campaign slogan? GoodParty.org’s AI Campaign Tool offers a free campaign slogan generator that you can use to draft compelling slogans. Try it out here, and find your best campaign slogan today.
You can also book a meeting with a member of our team to explore the full range of GoodParty.org’s offerings for independent, third-party, and non-partisan candidates. We offer AI campaign content generators, voter insights, and access to a nationwide candidate community at no cost to you. You can also get access to SMS/MMS texting support, voter data, and premium campaign support through GoodParty.org’s Pro offerings.
Photo Credit: L. Allen Brewer on Flickr
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