Have a catchphrase 71

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HAVE A CATCHPHRASE

The tricky thing about catchphrases is you never know if they’re going to catch on until you give it a try.

Comedians are the people who’ve traditionally made the most of catchphrases to establish their professional identities, sometimes by good luck rather than planning because when they stick, they stick. Sir Bruce Forsyth has his “Nice to see you. To see you, nice.” which is now into its sixth decade. The Fast Show team created a comedy series based almost entirely on catchphrases from the jazz clubs “Mmmm... Nice!” To Arabella Weir’s “does my bum look big in this?”

The way to make them catch on is repetition, and reaching a wider audience.

The idea Specsavers is a chain of opticians that has always positioned itself as a brand that gives good value, with two pairs for the price of one. Their television ads have always been amusing. For several years they featured their two-for-the-price-of-one deal. Then they changed. Picture a beautifully shot black-and-white fi lm with a lone, ancient shepherd rounding up his sheep for shearing with the help of his faithful dog. Then we see the dog with his fur shaved off, then the shepherd’s face with an unfocused look in his eyes and we hear the line:

“Should have gone to Specsavers.”

They still used the same catchphrase, but it started to mean more to people when it was used to point out mistakes people make when they can’t see what they’re doing, instead of just how to save money. What’s great about it is that it applies so often to everyday life, and that it has the brand name in it.

Ronseal have registered “Does exactly what it says on the tin®”. This catchphrase has also moved into everyday life, but unfortunately it doesn’t mention Ronseal.

In practice • If it’s funny enough, any ad with a catchphrase will be on YouTube before you know it and it’ll go viral. Put yours there yourself. • See if you can get your brand name into your catchphrase. • It might take a few goes before you get one that actually catches on.