As a copywriter for 40 years, I feel qualified to judge the merits of a slogan. And I think that Rand Paul in announcing his run for the presidency tomorrow has come up with one of the stupidest slogans I have ever heard: "Defeat the Washington Machine. Unleash the American Dream." What the hell does that mean? First of all nobody wants to defeat the Washington machine, even if it were a machine. Using this really dippy analogy, one might want to improve it, modernize it, retrofit it, but defeat it-no! Then we have part II of this absurd slogan. Doesn't one unleash something that is wild and dangerous. Is the American dream something savage that has been suppressed for years? Is it even safe to unleash it? And what does that mean? Is Rand Paul suggesting that he's the superman that could bring down this venerable, yet combative machine? that he's the gamekeeper who can unleash the snarling, vicious and unruly dream and keep it from biting or running away. I suspect that after he gets enough guffaws over this truly comical, illogical, and ill-conceived slogan, he'll come up with something new. At least one hopes so. Plus, even worse, it doesn't rhyme.Monday, April 6, 2015
"Would you like to rethink that, Randal?"
As a copywriter for 40 years, I feel qualified to judge the merits of a slogan. And I think that Rand Paul in announcing his run for the presidency tomorrow has come up with one of the stupidest slogans I have ever heard: "Defeat the Washington Machine. Unleash the American Dream." What the hell does that mean? First of all nobody wants to defeat the Washington machine, even if it were a machine. Using this really dippy analogy, one might want to improve it, modernize it, retrofit it, but defeat it-no! Then we have part II of this absurd slogan. Doesn't one unleash something that is wild and dangerous. Is the American dream something savage that has been suppressed for years? Is it even safe to unleash it? And what does that mean? Is Rand Paul suggesting that he's the superman that could bring down this venerable, yet combative machine? that he's the gamekeeper who can unleash the snarling, vicious and unruly dream and keep it from biting or running away. I suspect that after he gets enough guffaws over this truly comical, illogical, and ill-conceived slogan, he'll come up with something new. At least one hopes so. Plus, even worse, it doesn't rhyme.
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In the annals of dumped political slogans, Gerald Ford's "Whip Inflation Now" ("WIN") was one of the dippiest. But Rand's is just as bad if not worse. Surely it's not going to last. In addition to everything you point out, it's too long — so, not bumper-sticker-worthy.
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