Because I am a masochist at heart, I sometimes spend my lunch break eating at my desk and reading discussion threads on Linked In. In a recent thread, some poor sap was asking for help coming up with a promotional tagline that connected the idea of volunteering with the concept of “winners” or “winning.”
Having been charged with creating taglines in a previous job, I have a special appreciation for the challenges involved. It’s way harder to come up with a good one than you might think, and one of the biggest hurdles is deflecting the tin-eared suggestions that come from your co-workers and colleagues. It’s an especially big hurdle if the sour notes come from your boss (or client, if you’re a freelancer).
I knew what to expect when I saw that person asking for help in a Linked In discussion. I knew it would be bad, but the part of me that loves a good train wreck had to click through and read the suggestions.
Below are a few of them, verbatim. Imagine any of these painted on a tall banner at a flashy trade show, presented as the cornerstone to a volunteer recruitment campaign:
- You can’t win, if you don’t volunteer to do so!
- Winners say no to drags
- Winners join us because here is where cream always rises to the top!
- There aren’t any winners without losers. Choose your side. (Ed. note: the guy who came up with that one is a CEO.)
- Winners have volunteers on their team
- Premiere as a Volunteer – Begin and Win
- Oh I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Winner, that is what I’d truly like to volunteer!
- Let the other person win, volunteer.
- Winners…..get up one more time than they fall down!
And the Pièce de résistance:
- Winners do not compromise the position, Leaders fo not compromise the goals adn Volunterrs do not compromise the causes. (sic)