A good political slogan can fire up voters, skewer opponents, and echo long after the ballots are counted. Just think of Barack Obama’s iconic “Yes We Can” or the Brexit campaign’s punchy “Take Back Control”—phrases that captured a moment and helped win elections.
But for every slogan that lands, there are countless flops—awkward, forgettable phrases that say more about the committee behind them than the candidate in front of them.
Now, political strategist and pollster Chris Bruni-Lowe believes he’s identified a common thread in the slogans that work. In his new book, Eight Words That Changed The World, he shares findings from his analysis of over 20,000 campaign messages from around the globe. According to him, the most effective slogans often contain one or more of these eight emotionally resonant words:
people, better, democracy, new, time, strong, change, together
Bruni-Lowe makes it clear these words aren’t magic on their own—and they certainly won’t save a dull candidate with bad policies. But he argues that they act as “emotional shortcuts”—simple, powerful ideas that voters intuitively understand, without needing a policy paper.
“These words are incredibly flexible,” he says. “A socialist in South Africa, a conservative in Luxembourg, or a populist in Hungary can all use them in ways that support their own narrative.”
Among the eight, “people” tops the list in frequency and effectiveness. Bruni-Lowe points to slogans like Bill Clinton’s “Putting People First” or “For People, For a Change”, which helped highlight his strength as a relatable, empathetic candidate—especially when contrasted with the more rigid image of George H. W. Bush.
Simple Doesn’t Mean Boring
Still, some critics argue that this formula could lead to generic, cookie-cutter slogans. But Bruni-Lowe says slogans like Boris Johnson’s 2019 rallying cry “Get Brexit Done” are exceptions—not the rule.
Those “bespoke slogans”, he explains, are tailor-made for highly specific political moments—when one dominant issue eclipses everything else. They work brilliantly for one campaign, but lose power once that issue fades.
That said, many campaigns still fall flat. Consider the Conservative Party’s 2024 UK general election slogan:
“Clear Plan, Bold Action, Secure Future” — a wordy, forgettable contrast to Labour’s simple, one-word message: “Change”. Labour won by a landslide.
Bruni-Lowe’s own slogan-writing credentials include “Change Politics For Good” (Brexit Party) and “It’s Time”, which helped Jakov Milatović win Montenegro’s presidency in 2023 on a pro-EU platform.
He even devotes a chapter to “Make America Great Again” (MAGA). Though it doesn’t follow his formula, MAGA proved massively successful because Donald Trump turned it into a brand, even trademarking it in 2012. It’s not a new phrase—Ronald Reagan used a variation in 1980, and even the UK Conservatives campaigned with “Make Britain Great Again” in 1950—but Trump’s genius was in how he weaponized it in modern media.
The Future of Slogans
In today’s digital world, the traditional slogan might be dying. With AI and neuroscience tools increasingly used to craft hyper-targeted, personalized messages, we might soon see fewer one-size-fits-all slogans and more data-driven, algorithmically optimized campaign lines delivered directly through social media.
Tools like functional MRI scans are even being used to measure how voters respond neurologically to ads and slogans—taking political messaging into the realm of brain science.
But as Bruni-Lowe points out, even in the AI age, the emotional power of a well-chosen word shouldn't be underestimated.
A Slogan That Stuck
One of the earliest and most memorable political slogans came in the 1952 U.S. election. Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower’s campaign debuted a catchy animated jingle: “I Like Ike”—simple, cheerful, and universally appealing.
It was so effective that, for his re-election campaign, his team just added one word: “I Still Like Ike.” No need to reinvent what already worked.
It might not tick all the boxes in Bruni-Lowe’s formula, but it proves one thing: when a slogan connects, it really sticks.