Motto

Techniques > General persuasion > Using repetition > Motto

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

A motto is a short phrase, typically associated with an organization of some sort, that is intended to motivate.

Mottoes often contains key values, and hence tell people what they should do. They can also contain other aspirations.

Organizations with which mottoes are associated can range from families to companies to whole countries.

A tripartite motto is a triple, containing three parts.

Example

Think! (IBM)

Invent (HP)

To Protect And Serve (LAPD)

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (French national motto)

Per Ardua Ad Astra ('Through struggle to the stars') (RAF, RAAF, RNZAF, RCAF) (Note: NASA use Per Aspera Ad Astra)

Discussion

Being very short, the motto should be particularly easy to remember.

In creating the motto, as it is short and a headline for an entire organization, it requires a great deal of thought.

Mottoes may use puns, alliteration and internal rhyme to make them more punchy and memorable.

Mottoes are often repeated alongside a corporate logo or family crest. Family mottoes are traditionally written in Greek or Latin. The use of a classical language gives it a sense of history and longevity.

The UK royal family's Dieu et mon droit means 'God and my right'. It may also be interpreted as 'God on my right', implying that God is on the right hand of monarch.