Tagline trivia

“I’m lovin’ it!” 

“Just do it.”

Do they seem like normal sentences to you? Or do these taglines remind you of the delicious meal from famous brands. 

There was a time when taglines were used to remind us of the products they represented. But with changing time and transforming culture, I noticed that the significance and usage of these lines have altered as well. 

One of those recent usages is becoming a source of communication. With the evolution of texting and various emoticons, they have managed to achieve a new chore. Besides reminding you of the products, they are now frequently used for chatting.

Instead of typing a long message, many people just text a symbol of the brand that might convey the message through its Tagline. 

The other day my friend commented about a burger on one of my photos. Confused, I asked her. She instantly replied, “I’m lovin’ it!” Sometimes while working on projects, upon sharing an idea, my friends would send an apple as if to say, “Think Different.”

It has also been used for code messaging. I often notice some of my friends sending devil emoticons to others. When asked, they replied that it was Onida’s devil. It conveys the message of someone being jealous through its Tagline, “Neighbour’s Envy, Owner’s Pride.”

I remember when my cousin was moving to a hostel, her sister sent her a symbol of two hands as if to convey the message of Allstate, “You’re in good hands.”

However, taglines have not only provided meaning and a new perspective to meaningless emoticons and pictures, but also to meaningless words. 

Many such taglines have become so popular that these meaningless words have earned a new definition.

One such popular Tagline is that of India’s leading D2H cable service provider, “Isko laga dala to life jhingalala.” (Once you subscribe to it, life will become awesome).

I doubt there is any literal meaning for “Jhingalala” in Hindi. But it is now used to define a happy gesture. 

Thanks to these popular advertising jingles, meaninglessness has become synonymous with optimism, prosperity and a new beginning. 

Bingo!!!

(Published in The Gulf Today on July 16, 2016)