They say, every music or raga from the seven notes has been created and discovered; now it is just being arranged in the name of innovation. That may be true about the tag lines, too. In the ever-rotating roulette of short-lived brand campaigns, tag lines are getting abandoned or lost in the chase for the ‘next big idea’. Great campaign lines are gold. But gold doesn’t glitter in lockers. And if you keep it locked away for too long, someone else might melt it down and wear it better. Should the campaign lines that have not been used for a long time be open for consideration by other brands?
Let’s call this a dilemma. ‘God’s own Country’ is a phrase perfectly associated with Kerala through repetitive, frequent, and competitive use in the past. It was brilliant, and it could have been there for Himachal, Sikkim, Meghalaya, or Assam tourism. Brilliant lines often have universal appeal that can be interpreted differently with execution, but only one brand owns them. The keyword is own, not just invent or discover.
Take “A lot can happen over a cup of coffee.” The insight is so adaptable that any beverage brand could have used it. Tea, juice, beer, whisky, or even a milkshake brand. And don’t even get us started on “Just Do It” or “It Gives You Wings.” However, once claimed and, more importantly, once used repeatedly and visibly, the line became part of popular culture. They stopped being mere words. They get associated and become brand identities. And on social media, they are gold.
The Branding Graveyard No One Talks About
In every agency drawer and hard drive lie hundreds of brilliant tag lines that never saw the light of day, or worse, were used once or twice and then shelved for something ‘more topical’ or ‘more edgy’. Welcome to the graveyard of great lines—where unused brand thoughts, emotional hooks, and priceless associations go to die.
It’s not always due to bad ideas. Often, it’s brand interpretation and execution coupled with the impatience of the teams and their obsession with freshness that holds them back. It’s especially true for categories where change is fetishised.
While campaigns need reinvention, brand lines, campaign lines, or tag lines-whichever names you recognise them with-need reinforcement. The world doesn’t remember every look, every product tweak, or every commercial jingle. But they remember what a brand stood for—and that’s usually distilled into a line.
Who Owns a Line That Isn’t Used?
Here’s the opportunistic question: If a brand stops using a line, when does it become fair game for another brand? Is there a statute of limitations on exclusivity? If Nike, in an alternative universe, stopped saying “Just Do It” after five years, could a local fitness startup pick it up a decade later and hope to benefit from residual memory?
While trademark law may offer one answer, the court of consumer perception gives another. Memory is fickle, but also loyal. If the original owner has walked off the field long enough, there’s a point when new players can re-enter. Some astute brand custodians may see merit and opportunity to capitalise on the unused and discarded brilliance, especially in markets where the original context is forgotten or irrelevant. It’s risky, but it can be a strategic opening in the guerrilla short-attention-span warfare of social branding, measured by likes, shares, and comments.
The Core Franchise Needs Defending
The brands in this case must always resist the temptation of “range extension thinking.” Brands must resist the urge to dilute what they already own. Core ideas don’t need to be sacrificed at the altar of novelty. In fact, anchoring new ideas to a strong, existing phrase is far more effective than detaching from things the consumer is already emotionally invested in.
Campaign Lines are Intellectual Property
A campaign line is not just a sentence. It’s strategic real estate. It is equity earned through media spends, consistency, and consumer exposure. If it’s not protected through use, it’s like leaving your house keys under the doormat and going on an extended vacation—someone will move in and redecorate the interior.
Smart brands use such powerful lines consistently across formats and adapt them to seasons and moments, keeping them alive and top of mind. The not-so-smart ones retire great lines without a thought, and soon, the consumer forgets them too. Or worse, remembers the line, but can’t remember the brand behind it.
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In advertising, inconsistency is often a bigger risk than disruption. So the next time you create that brilliant line—the one that perfectly captures your brand’s purpose—don’t bury it, frame it in the latest pitch deck or splash it in the next campaign. Have a great idea or line, exploit it to the maximum.
Wear it. Repeat it. Protect it.
Because if you don’t, someone else surely will.
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