Top Eight Love Slogans That Lie

by Elizabeth Narins

“What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons,”Ad Man Don Draper says in the first season of Mad Men. But which actually came first: the slogan or the sentiment?

All bets are off when it comes to the chicken or the egg, but we do know that advertisers play a huge role in crafting –and grossly inflating– our romantic expectations. Tango sets the record straight on eight slogans that lie about love before ad men set us all up for disappointment.

Slogan 1: “Wine is a little like love; when the right one comes along, you know it.”
Advertiser: Bolla Wines
Love Expectation: You’ll know if a person is right or wrong for you, right away.
Tango’s Take: If you’re waiting around for foot-popping kisses and fireworks overhead, prepare to be lonely for the long haul.

Slogan 2: “Believe”
Advertiser: Yahoo Personals
Love Expectation: Finding love is a simple matter of faith.
Tango’s Take: If belief alone could get you a first date, it certainly wouldn’t get you a second. Assume that fate doesn’t do house calls, and take your fate into your own hands– even if you do keep your fingers crossed.

Slogan 3: “Every kiss begins with Kay.”
Advertiser: Kay Jewelers
Love Expectation: Jewelry buys affection.
Tango’s Take: Ah, nothing’s more refreshing than suggesting that love can be bought. Call us old-fashioned, but we still uphold that “love don’t cost a thing.” Thank you JLo.

Slogan 4: “Say it with flowers.”
Advertiser: FTD (Interflora)
Love Expectation: Flowers speak louder than words; a shower of gifts indicates sincerity.
Tango’s Take: Say it with words, and we’ll still take the flowers.