Change. Forward. Together. For you.

They are the buzzwords of political campaigns worldwide, used time and again in various combinations, to sum up a campaign theme in few enough letters to fit on a podium sign.

On Tuesday, the NDP became the fifth and final major party to unveil its campaign catchphrase, hoping 害羞草研究所淚n it for You害羞草研究所� will catch voters害羞草研究所� attention.

Dennis Matthews, a vice-president at Enterprise Canada who worked in the message mines as an advertising and marketing adviser to prime minister Stephen Harper, said 害羞草研究所渁 ton of effort害羞草研究所� goes into finding a phrase that can sum up an entire campaign in one short and snappy sentence.

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害羞草研究所淎 campaign will do all kinds of research, look at all of their potential voters and what they害羞草研究所檙e looking for,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚n a campaign you want to imagine the voter going into the voter booth and asking themselves a question. A good slogan sets up that question so they can only pick you as the only option.害羞草研究所�

The NDP害羞草研究所檚 new slogan points, without being negative, to the idea that the NDP are there to help the little guy while the Liberals and Tories are in it for themselves and their wealthy friends.

It害羞草研究所檚 similar both to the slogan the federal Liberals used in 2008, 害羞草研究所淎lways Here for You,害羞草研究所� and to the Conservatives害羞草研究所� current 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 Time for You to Get Ahead.害羞草研究所�

Such echoes are not uncommon, said Matthews, because 害羞草研究所渃ampaigns are referendums on the future.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淰oters are looking forward so most campaign slogans at least hint at a forward-looking or action-oriented thesis and there are only so many words that fit that.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淔orward together害羞草研究所� was one of Winston Churchill害羞草研究所檚 most common speech slogans throughout his political career. It has been used by two of his successors as British prime minister 害羞草研究所� Margaret Thatcher in 1980 and Theresa May in 2017 害羞草研究所� and at least two American presidential candidates. Richard Nixon used it in his inauguration speech in 1969 and Hillary Clinton turned to it for her presidential run in 2016.

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In 2019, the Green Party of Canada is building on it for its slogan: 害羞草研究所淣ot Left. Not Right. Forward Together.害羞草研究所�

The Liberals have dropped the 害羞草研究所渢ogether害羞草研究所� part and are just going with 害羞草研究所淐hoose Forward害羞草研究所� in 2019. It害羞草研究所檚 remarkably similar to the 2004 Liberal theme phrase of 害羞草研究所淢oving Forward.害羞草研究所�

The Bloc Quebecois is using 害羞草研究所淟e Quebec, c害羞草研究所檈st nous害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� roughly, 害羞草研究所淲e are Quebec.害羞草研究所�

In 1980, Ronald Reagan害羞草研究所檚 slogan in his first successful presidential campaign was 害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 Make America Great Again.害羞草研究所� Twenty-six years later, Donald Trump tweaked it into one of the best-known political slogans in history. 害羞草研究所淢ake America Great Again害羞草研究所� hats and T-shirts are still common (Trump now has to decide whether he can still use it after four years in office).

In 2015, in an election campaign almost entirely about voter fatigue with a decade-old Conservative government, both the Liberals and NDP went with 害羞草研究所漜hange害羞草研究所�: 害羞草研究所淩eal Change害羞草研究所� for the Liberals and 害羞草研究所淩eady for Change害羞草研究所� for the NDP.

Scott Reid, who was a communications adviser to prime minister Paul Martin and is now a principal at the strategy firm Feschuk.Reid, said most slogans are developed as part of an intensive and lengthy research process to suss out a potential path to electoral victory. Polls and focus groups and voter outreach guide 害羞草研究所渁 whole slew of decisions害羞草研究所� including advertising spots and which public issues a campaign will prioritize.

害羞草研究所淭he slogan itself emerges from that,害羞草研究所� he said.

As for the actual words? 害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 believe they matter very much,害羞草研究所� said Reid.

Few, if any, campaigns are lost on bad slogans and most slogans end up on the floor as soon as the last vote is counted. Some of the best aren害羞草研究所檛 even official slogans at all.

In 2011 害羞草研究所漚 strong, stable, national Conservative majority government害羞草研究所� wasn害羞草研究所檛 the official Conservative campaign slogan but became the recognizable theme for a campaign appealing to voters tired of fragile minority governments.

Barack Obama害羞草研究所檚 2008 presidential campaign added 害羞草研究所淵es we can害羞草研究所� to the political-slogan hall of fame, but his official slogan was actually 害羞草研究所滳hange We Can Believe In.害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淵es We Can害羞草研究所� was a holdover from Obama害羞草研究所檚 previous Senate campaign, a catchphrase he used in speeches, that took off as a rallying cry for his supporters.

As proof that slogans aren害羞草研究所檛 everything, one need only know that the Green Party of Canada also used 害羞草研究所淵es We Can害羞草研究所� for its 2006 election effort. That netted the party zero seats and less than five per cent of the vote.

Trudeau害羞草研究所檚 2015 campaign is remembered for promising 害羞草研究所渟unny ways害羞草研究所� even though Trudeau didn害羞草研究所檛 talk about sunny ways 害羞草研究所� borrowed from Wilfrid Laurier 害羞草研究所� until his victory speech on voting day.

Matthews said as in any advertising, the best slogans can害羞草研究所檛 always be predicted.

害羞草研究所淪ome of this stuff, you害羞草研究所檝e got to put it out there and see if it catches on,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚n the marketing world you can be a little lucky and land on something that really catches on. Sometimes it doesn害羞草研究所檛.害羞草研究所�

Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press

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