Taglines are mysterious little buggers. And that's what I love about them. Some of the most unexpected can stick around for generations.

• "All the news that's fit to print." was created in 1896 for The New York Times
• "Good to the last drop." 1926, Maxwell House
• "The breakfast of champions." 1935, Wheaties

There are no formulas, many of them are terribly boring, and yet a few defy the odds. Mountains of money can be spent trying to get one BIG message into a few small words – and it is no easy task. But owning a quick, memorable message in the consumer's mind can be an incredibly effective way to get to the point of a brand. Good taglines leave the consumer with the beginnings of what a brand actually does and what makes that brand unique.

If there is anything scientific about them – its that they need to communicate a singular idea and somehow be both descriptive & emotional. Short is great but it doesn't have to be three words, especially not three words separated by periods (an incomplete thought and a short cut at best): Ex: Real. Tough. Jeans.

Some of my personal favorites:

• BMW: The ultimate driving machine.
• Hebrew National: We answer to a higher authority.
• Bounty: The quicker picker-upper.
• National Pork Board: Pork. The other white meat.
• Taco Bell: Think outside the bun.
• Smuckers: With a name like Smuckers, it's got to be good.
• Visa: It’s everywhere you want to be.
• British Airways: The world’s favourite airline.

Any of your own favorites I'm missing here that get the job done?

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