PUBLIC SERVICE SLOGAN CONTEST-MAY 2005

The May 2005 Public Service/Non Profit Competition

You can ad comments at the bottom page. We tried not to involve our own politics in making decisions on winners.

THE WINNER:

H. Renay Anderson, for her slogan submitted for the NAACP:

"The Doors Are Open, Let's Walk In Together"


Why we like this one: This slogan does so many things at once – it’s poetic, it’s a call to action, it stresses unity and conciliation. It also has what I'd call the X factor -- it gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling that supports the McLuhan-esque sentiment that advertising and art sometimes overlap. The icing on the cake is synchronicity: Last month the NAACP announced that it had appointed a new president to lead it into the 21st Century.

We were not surprised to learn that Ms. Anderson is a published writer. You can sample more of her writing here.

Runner Up:

2. You ... And This Army
US ARMY (Matt Swayne)

Why we like this one: We always thought being in the Army was about teamwork and unity. The Army's last notable campaign featured its slogan "An Army of One." Let me ask you, if you were plopped down in the middle of Iraq tommorow, would you rather be in an Army of One or in a Band of Brothers? This tagline is simultaneously humorous, defiant, and inclusive -- stressing traditional military themes of unity and toughness.

The Rest: (in no order)

"If You Still Believe in Freedom, You Are Not Alone"
Libertarian Party (Ben Bean)

“Committed to a Cure”
American Cancer Society (Art Rummler)

“There is a Light That Never Goes Out”
Human Rights Watch

"Girl Scouts Today Are Successful Women Tomorrow"
Girl Scouts of America (Danica Buckley)

"Visit Your MoMA Every Once and a While."
Museum of Modern Art (Nate Bear)

"A Voice For Those Who Can Only Bark, Meow, Chirp, and Growl"
ASPCA (Ben Bean)

"Breathe Easy, Breathe Well"
American Lung Association (Susan Glenn)

"Building Homes and Warming Hearts"
Habitat for Humanity (Tanelka Tukan)

"Waging Green."
Greenpeace (David Lawrence)

“Bullets Don't Have Names"
COALITION TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE (Amanda Anderson)

"Constitutional Freedoms are Worth Fighting For."
ACLU (John M. Griffiths)

"Because We're All Red on the Inside."
American Red Cross (Elli Karagiorgas)


The Are they Kidding? Awards:

"In my opinion, fun is what makes advertising successful." -- Ad Legend Leo Bogart.

These slogans are not presented critically. I actually am not sure if the they are intended to be jokes or not. (I have my inklings....)

"All Scripture, All the Time"
American Bible Association (David Lawrence)

I actually think this slogan would be good for one of the Christian broadcast networks. David Lawrence is a great example of what Leo Bogart was talking about when he spoke about having fun when creating advertising. Sure, you don't know whether Lawrence is kidding or not, but it doesn't matter, it still works. There is an irreverent eye-wink in many of Mr. Lawrence's entries, making him both a pain in the butt and an advertising natural. Here's a wink back to you, Mr. Lawrence


Even Though They Forget, They're Never Forgotten
ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION (Claudia Ferreira)

There we're actually a lot of Alzheimer's Association submissions, and many of them used the "forgetfulness" factor in the slogan. But none did so as well as Ms. Ferreira. Nonetheless, I'm not quite sure if this is brilliant or a parody, and because of that, it probably would never be used.