So here I was watching TV and along came a T-Mobile commercial.

I thought about how their brand has become generic since the days of Catherine Zeta-Jones. She was a celebrity spokesperson and more. Her manner and style made her likable as well as watchable. She got our attention and represented T-Mobile well. At least that’s my opinion.

Then as this newest commercial closed, a voice over spouted their latest slogan:

Stick Together.

What was that? Stick Together?

What does that mean? How does that differentiate T-Mobile? How does “Stick Together” imply a benefit of the system? How is it relevant?

Desperate companies in desperate times sometimes panic. Is this what’s happening at T-Mobile? Has desperation caused execs there to lose perspective? What’s important about T-Mobile that would compel someone to buy? It’s not “Stick Together”, the one thing, although poorly expressed, that every mobile phone company offers. The might just as well have a slogan like “Communicate”.

And shame on the ad agency who let their T-Mobile account exec take this tepid tagline to T-Mobile for approval. It would have never gotten out of my shop.

Martin Jelsema
303-242-5975
 

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4. What makes a strong tagline?
5. Why taglines go astray