How a copywriter can help you write an iconic strapline

From Nike to Subway, global mega-brands have straplines that everyone is envious of.

They’re simple, powerful and everyone recognises them out in the wild. You might be thinking ‘sure, Nike can afford an all-singing, all-dancing strapline because they’re the most dominant athletic brand in the world.’ Or that Subway or Spotify have endless budgets for copywriting, because they’re world-famous already.

And that’s where you’re right and you’re wrong. Mega-brands do have larger budgets and more capability. But innovation and inspiration aren’t expensive when you’re talking to the right freelance copywriter.

I’ve created straplines for global mega-brands, and they all have one thing in common - they’re unforgettable, timeless and make people feel something. Whether that something is ‘I need a new printer’, ‘I want pizza right now’ or ‘I should secure my home / trim my grass / vaccinate my cat’, every strapline created by a freelance copywriter tugs on the heartstrings of the human pysche, offering solutions to people’s problems.

A strapline can be informative or abstract, fun or functional.

Subway’s ‘Eat Fresh’ paints a picture in the mind before you even enter the store. Those vibrant red juicy tomatoes, just-picked crisp lettuce leaves and succulent fillings hit the spot. You can taste them before you’ve even ordered, all because of the power behind those two words.

Now imagine if you’d have said those two words differently.

Would that fresh image still be as strong in your mind if their strapline was more informative, like ‘Feed Your Cravings’? or ‘Fill Up On Goodness’? No, because those straplines feel grey and corporate in comparison. They lack the vibrancy and imagination of ‘Eat Fresh’ and they don’t get to the point straight away, with a simple, unforgettable offering.

It’s the same with Nike.

‘Just Do It’ was created by the co-founder of world-famous advertising agency Wieden & Kennedy in 1988. The strapline was created to compete with Reebok, who took the market share at the time, and has remained unchanged since that day. You could argue that this strapline can be applied to anything - it’s not even sport-specific.

But that’s where its power lies. It’s unapologetic, bold and demanding. Whatever your journey, whatever struggle you’re facing - whether that’s mile 25 in the marathon or juggling life in general, ‘Just Do It’ supercharges ambition and reminds you that you’re unstoppable.

A freelance copywriter can help you create a strapline that fits your brand, your vision and your mission. It can filter through the noise and take you to first place of a customer’s priority list, aligning your brand voice in just a few powerful words. A well written strapline is one of the most significant copywriting projects that your freelance copywriter will work on with you.

Mine speaks for itself - Global Copywriting Excellence.

Talk to me today about what that means.