What’s Your Tagline?

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It has been a few weeks since I have written a lesson plan and oddly enough, I find myself yearning to use this literary format. So, all of you non-teaching readers, bear with me…

By the end of this post, the readers will be able to:

• Define the term tagline.
• State some useless information about Ernest Hemingway’s cats.
• Read and comprehend two Six Word Stories.
• Reflect in order to understand the significance of Dreams So Big’s tagline.
• Write their own Tagline or Six Word Story.

In order to educate myself, I did some tagline research. Here is what I found!

According to the Hinge Marketing Blog:

“Tagline Defined

A tagline is a short slogan used to reinforce a key aspect of a product or brand. It goes by many names (in the UK, for instance, they call it a strapline), and it can range from witty to mundane.

In the context of professional services firms, a tagline is usually part of a firm’s identity (as opposed to an ad slogan) — so it usually appears in conjunction with the firm’s name and logo.”

Strapline is a new term for me too.  I also thought a strapline was just something you got from your bathing suit after a sunny day at the beach! Who knew?

Speaking of straplines… on my recent trip to Key West, our cohort walked past the former home of Ernest Hemingway.  Fearful of being attacked by 50 cats with six toes, or invoking an allergic reaction in my husband, we did not venture into his museum. Now I find myself a bit regretful because Hemingway has unknowingly become a literary inspiration to me.  This is why:

Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway was invited to try his skills at writing a story in just six words. This is what he came up with:

“For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.”

His heart-wrenching story speaks volumes, in just 6 words!

I was first introduced to Hemingway’s infamous “Six Word Story” by educational consultant, Clare Landrigan during professional development. She shared her story of her mother moving into her home :

“It’s a girl. She is 71.”

Then, she challenged the teaching professionals in the room to do the same.  Honestly, I do not recall my story, but the experience stayed with me.

Last week, I was reading Two Writing Teachers Blog and Clare shared her six word story again there. Then I had an “AHA Moment.”  I had used the six word story approach when I wrote the Dreams So Big’s tagline: 

Where Our Thoughts Become Our Memories! 

When creating this site, I wanted the tagline to tell the story of my blog. Fortunately for me, six words were perfect and my tagline aligned with Hemingway and Landrigan’s exemplars.  Otherwise, I would be creating my own “How to write a story with 5 words or 7 words” lesson.

Now I would like you to reflect and ponder my tagline for a minute (no more!)

A six word story could also be your personal “tagline”.  Think about how many times you have said, “If I don’t write it down, I will forget.”  

You are experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 Social Distancing Advisory.  Writing down our memories here in this blog will help our thoughts become our memories.

In her post, Clare Landrigan encourages us to write down our six word stories as they are right now.  

So here is my attempt:

Ceaseless companionship. Mullet dressing. New normal.

Take some time to write down your Six Word Story or Tagline as it is today. Tuck it away in a safe place or if you would like, please share it in the comments. You will not be graded on this. It is an enrichment only activity. And remember, dream so big that your thoughts become your memories!

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