A Slogan Was Once a Highland Battle Cry
A slogan is a short memorable phrase. It comes from Scottish Gaelic and originally meant the shout a clan used going into battle.
A slogan is a short phrase built to be remembered and repeated. It began as a war cry: Scottish Gaelic *sluagh-ghairm*, from *sluagh*, an army or host, and *gairm*, a shout — the cry a Highland clan raised as it charged. Advertising took a word for terrifying an enemy and turned it into a way of selling soap.
- A memorable phrase. *A campaign slogan.*
- An advertising line. *The slogan sold the product.*
- A battle cry (historical). *The clan slogan.*
- Sloganeering — using slogans instead of argument. *Empty sloganeering.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | slogan | A catchy slogan. |
| Plural | slogans | Painted slogans. |
| Noun | sloganeering | Political sloganeering. |
| Gaelic source | sluagh-ghairm | Army shout. |
| Related | tagline | A film's tagline. |
- The slogan appeared on every poster.Campaigning.
- Protesters chanted the same slogan for an hour.Close to the original sense.
- The company changed its slogan three times in a year.Marketing.
What makes a slogan stick
- Short — usually under seven words
- Rhythmic — the ear remembers a beat
- Concrete — a picture rather than an abstraction
- Repeatable — easy to say aloud without stumbling
- Distinctive — it should not fit a competitor equally well
Scottish Gaelic *sluagh-ghairm*, a host-shout, recorded in English as *slogorne* in the 1500s. The advertising sense dates from the early twentieth century.
What is the difference between a slogan and a tagline?
Little in practice. A tagline usually stays with a brand for years; a slogan may belong to one campaign.
What did sluagh-ghairm mean?
Army shout. Clans used a set cry to identify themselves and rally their members in battle.