Why is the “Got Milk?” Slogan So Popular?

by Darren Steele

I was out of town recently trying to pass a cement truck with a large sticker on the back that read “Got Cement?” Hmmm… had a familiar ring. In the same trip, I observed a few billboards and storefronts with everything from “Got Cavities?” to “Got Termites?” and mused about the sincerest form of flattery. Why has this 1993 brainchild of ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners spawned an entire industry of “Got…” marketing slogans? Among other things, it took guts. If you have the Giuliani’s to take a leap into the unknown with some fresh creative, you might give birth one of these slogans that work their way into the vernacular like an SNL sketch (back when it was still funny).

It took real fortitude (and considerable cash) for the California Milk Processor Board to sit in that boardroom and give the nod to two words that at the time did not roll off the tongue like they do now. Fast forward millions of dollars and 17 years and you’ll find a nation of startup founders jumping out of their chairs at the brilliance of the “Got Asbestos?” slogan on the whiteboard. I’m convinced many of these folks feel they have created something original, but alas…

Slogan’s are kind of like fashion and have the same trickle-down effect. From the coastal boutiques (that make me very uncomfortable) on down to Nordstrom’s, then Kohl’s and ultimately Sears, the erosion and ubiquity of good fashion is an unstoppable force. Good ad creative follows the same path.

The open question slogan is another favorite. Microsoft’s “Where do you want to go today?” has generated thousands of “Where do you want to shop today?” and “Where do you want to eat today?” slogans and more familiar derivatives like “What’s in your wallet?” (CapitalOne), “What will you celebrate?” (Disney) and “Where will it take you?” (Sony Ericsson). Trust me, you’ll start noticing these everywhere  now.

I’m also a big fan of the “Made Simple” slogans popping up the past few years. From Jobs Made Simple (Simplyhired.com) to File Hosting Made Simple (Mediafire.com) to cooking, golf, CMS and literally thousands of others.

If a slogan grabs you the first time you hear it, there is a good chance it is familiar. Familiarity breeds fondness. It will remind your subconscious of a play on words, a double entendre or—if you’re not careful—a campaign developed elsewhere. The moral of the story? If you want to innovate, have the guts to make something different into a household phrase. Trust that with the right campaign and commitment, one day you’ll pass a cement truck drafting off your ingenuity.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 11:35 am and is filed under Branding, Copywriting, Marketing, Writing, tag line. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.