In honor of the “Barbenheimer'' internet phenomenon sweeping the globe, we here at Walden thought there was no better time than now to take a look back at the best movie taglines in history.
While often overlooked, famous movie taglines are known for summarizing an entire film in just a few words. Not all are created equal so did the hard work and we put together this list for your enjoyment.
What is a movie tagline?
Before recounting some of the most famous movie taglines, let’s start with a definition. A movie tagline is a short piece of text that simplifies the movie for the purpose of dramatic effect. Often, you’ll see a movie tagline is a short phrase taken directly from the film or it can be an original copy that adds to the film.
In general, movie taglines have the following qualities:
Movie taglines tend to use puns
Movie taglines mention the plot directly
Movie taglines speak about the audience’s experience while watching the film
Suggested reading: 16 Iconic Advertising Slogans to Unleash Your Creativity
So now that you have a basic understanding of what a movie tagline is, let’s look at some real-life, successful examples.
The best movie taglines: comedy genre
Everyone likes to start their day with a laugh, so to start this article off, here are a few of the most famous movie taglines in the comedy genre.
Dumb And Dumber: “For Harry and Lloyd, every day is a no-brainer.”
Office Space: “Work sucks.”
Tommy Boy: “If at first, you don’t succeed, lower your standards.”
The Simpsons Movie: “See our family. And feel better about yours.”
Mars Attacks!: “Nice planet. We’ll take it!”
Groundhog Day: “He’s having the worst day of his life…over and over…”
The Big Lebowski: “Her life was in their hands. Now her toe is in the mail.”
Dude, Where’s My Car?: “After a night they can’t remember comes a day they’ll never forget.”
The best movie taglines: action genre
“Alien 3: “The bitch is back.”
“Armageddon”: “Earth. It was fun while it lasted.”
“I Am Legend:” “The last man on earth is not alone.”
“Kill Bill: Vol. 1”: “Here comes the bride.”
“The Matrix:” “Reality is a thing of the past.”
“The Princess Bride:” “She gets kidnapped. He gets killed. But it all ends up okay.”
“Terminator 2: Judgment Day:”“Same make. Same model. New mission.”
The best movie taglines: drama movies
“Apocalypse Now:” “The horror … the horror.”
“Close Encounters Of The Third Kind:” “We are not alone.”
“Edward Scissorhands:” “His story will touch you, even though he can’t.”
“The Godfather Part III:” “All the power on earth can’t change destiny.”
“Memento:” “Some memories are best forgotten.”
“Platoon:” “The first casualty of war is innocence.”
“Saving Private Ryan:” “The mission is a man.”
“The Shawshank Redemption:” “Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.”
“The Social Network:” “You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.”
The best movie taglines: classic movies
“12 Angry Men:” “Life is in their hands. Death is on their minds.”
“Easy Rider:” “A man went looking for America, and he couldn’t find it anywhere.”
“Father Of The Bride:” “The bride gets the THRILLS, the father gets the BILLS.”
“The Magnificent Seven:” “They were seven … and they fought like 700”
“The Sound Of Music:” “The happiest sound in all the world.”
“Taxi Driver:” “On every street in every city in this country, there is nobody who dreams of being somebody.”
The 9 most famous movie taglines of all time
“Star Wars:” “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away …”
“Alien:” “In space, no one can hear you scream.”
“Apollo 13:” “Houston, we have a problem.”
“Rocky:” “His whole life was a million-to-one shot.”
“Psycho:” “Check-in. Relax. Take a shower.”
“Robocop:” “Part man. Part machine. All cop.”
“Jaws 2:” “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.”
“The 40-Year-Old Virgin:” “The longer you wait, the harder it gets.”
“The Fly:” “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”
Need help with your taglines or slogans?
If you’re reading this, you’re probably not a big-time movie executive looking for your next hit tagline. If you are, then you must be lost! On a serious note though, taglines and slogans are not just for Hollywood. Every brand needs them.
So reach out to Walden today and get in touch with one of our talented copywriters. At Walden, creativity meets conversion.