Presidential Branding

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

The Few, the Proud, the Marines. What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas. Got Milk? Isn’t it amazing how one line of words can galvanize an entire brand personality?   

Presidential candidates have been hip to the power of taglines for a while.  Here are some goodies:

The Name Game:
Tippecanoe and Tyler Too (William Henry Harrison – 1840)
Keep Cool with Coolidge (Calvin Coolidge – 1924)
I Like Ike (Dwight Eisenhower – 1952)

What Real People Want:
A Full Dinner Pail (William McKinley – 1900) 
A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage (Herbert Hoover – 1928)
Happy Days Are Here Again (FDR – 1932)

Sticking to the Issues:
54-40 or Fight! (James K Polk – 1844)  
He Kept Us Out of War (Woodrow Wilson – 1916)
Cox and Cocktails  (Warren Harding – 1920).

Promise of A New Day:
For the Future (Richard Nixon – 1960)
A Leader, for a Change (Jimmy Carter – 1976)
Its Morning Again in America (Ronald Reagan – 1984)

So how do the current presidential candidates measure up?

•  Hillary Clinton has a range of taglines, including Turn Up the Heat, Ready on Day One and The Strength and Experience to Bring Real Change.
• John McCain is essentially slogan-less; using only his name, occasionally paired with the words Honor or Integrity, on campaign signs.
• Barack Obama has utilized two main slogans, both which fall into the ‘new day’ camp:  Yes We Can and Change We Can Believe In.

Contributed by: Maghan Cook