The $11.9 billion worth fast food chain is not only famous for its delicious subs (sandwiches) and steaks. Its marketing slogans are equally impacting. The Subway slogans have successfully upheld the brand’s mission and attracted customers throughout the globe.
“Eat Fresh. Feel Good” – Can anything be more promising to a health-conscious generation?
According to a survey by Research America, more than 80% of US citizens feel that the food they eat affects their mental health to a good extent. Also, 91% of people agree that unhealthy eating has become a big health issue in the US.
The subway slogan that was released in 2023 is, undoubtedly, the “North Star” of the brand’s marketing endeavor. It highlights that “feel good” feeling that you get after “eating fresh”. No jargon, and no hidden message! It’s just what it is – simple and upfront.
Over the years, Subway has surprised us with its creative yet straightforward brand messages. Take a look at some of the most catchy ones:
| Year of release | Subway slogans |
| 2023 – Present | “Eat Fresh. Feel Good.” |
| 2021 – 2023 | “Eat Fresh. Refresh.” |
| 2020 – 2021 | “Eat Fresh.” |
| 2018 – 2020 | “Make It What You Want” |
| 2017 – 2018 | “So much sandwich.” |
| 2016 – 2017 | “Search For Better” |
| 2015 – 2016 | “Fresh is What We Do.” |
| 2014 – 2015 | “Eat Fresh. Feel Fresh.” |
| 2013 | “My Sub, My Way” (Promoting its flat breads) |
| 2006 – 2012 (Canada) | “Think Fresh. Eat Fresh” |
| 2000 – 2015 (approx.) | “Eat Fresh.” |
| 1996 – 2001 | “The Way a Sandwich Should Be.” |
| 1990 – 1996 | “Big on Taste, none on fat” |
Subway has always been direct about its marketing approaches. It is one of the biggest branding strategies to learn from the Subway slogans – Be honest and direct about what you offer.
The American fast food chain and its slogans have always created headlines. If you run a fast food chain and are looking forward to creating powerful slogans for your brand, Subway can teach you a thing or two.
Powerful Branding Lessons from the Subway Slogans
Take the example of the current Subway Slogan – “Eat Fresh. Feel Good.”
What message does the brand give out through this tagline?
Of course, it underlines the importance of “eating fresh” to “feel good”, if you consider it as a general statement. But when the phrase becomes a branding slogan, it automatically transforms into a message that the brand wants to deliver to its audience.
People viewing the tagline will know that Subway offers “fresh food” to “feel good.” And that’s exactly the function of a branding slogan. So the first lesson is:
- Be upfront about the branding message – Focus on a particular feature of your business, usually the USP (Ultimate Selling Point), and underline how it distinguishes your brand from others.
- Bring out the benefits – In the case of the Subway slogan, the tagline clearly highlights that it offers ‘fresh food’ so that you feel good after eating it. The health-conscious population are thus drawn to Subway for its promise of offering only fresh and healthy toppings.
- Create a strong CTA – Give a directive to the audience, so that they react to it. “Eat Fresh” is a clear action-invoking phrase that hits the minds of the customers, who are somehow drawn to act on it. Let’s suppose the Subway slogan was “Fresh food and delicious” instead of “Eat Fresh. Feel Good”. The former wouldn’t have a clear directive, thus no CTA (Call to Action). All customers need that nudge to get inside and try the food.
- Make it ring! – Use words in a way that makes the slogan somewhat musical. That way they will impact the minds and stay in the memories. A memorable slogan is one of the keys to improving brand awareness.
- Be simple – When it comes to fast food taglines, being simple is mandatory. Your audience won’t like hidden messages or double meanings (with some exceptions, of course) in the brand slogans. They want to taste good food with their money. That’s the only purpose your brand should be focusing on while crafting marketing slogans.
Other Subway Slogans and Their Branding Lessons
Healthy eating has always been the pivotal message in all the marketing slogans of the 60-year old American fast food chain. If we look at its slogan in 1990 – “Big on Taste, none on fat” – it clearly defines the brand’s value.
Then again, take the example of its more recent slogan, “Make it What You Want” (2018). The tagline underlines another feature of the company,i.e., creating a customized sub with your choice ingredients, base bread and toppings.
The idea is simple. Fast food taglines should always bring out the health benefits of their food, besides taste, quality, affordability, etc. It’s something that every customer is dying to know before tasting your food.
“Big on taste, none on fat” (1990-1996)
The 90s Subway slogan is as direct as it can be. We all know that we can customize our subs (Subway sandwiches) using a plethora of healthy ingredients and toppings. The fast food chain hinted at this advantage in its slogan of the early 90s. “Big on taste, none on fat” indicated that the taste of the final sub wouldn’t get reduced by choosing healthy ingredients, like more veggies, whole grain bread, etc. It was so simple to understand that Subway became a household name during that time.
“Eat Fresh” (2000s)
It was the slogan of Subway at the beginning of the new millennium and remained so for quite some time. With its precise message and direct tone, the slogan gained immense popularity at that time. It was used in the marketing commercials that highlighted the brand’s freshest ingredients, like fresh lean meats, freshly baked breads, etc. The purpose of the slogan was to separate the brand from its rivals by providing healthy alternatives to fast food lovers.
And we must say, the tagline served its purpose well. In 2002, Subway made its way to the top in the US’ list of fast food chains. In 2007, it beat McDonald’s in the number of outlets inside Walmart stores in the US. Besides other factors, we can definitely say that the slogan “Eat Fresh” did play its game nicely!
“Make It What You Want” (2018 – 2020)
As mentioned earlier, this Subway slogan clearly directs its customers to customize the subs (sandwiches) as per their choice. By then, meeting the new-generation foodies’ evolving taste and preferences had created quite a challenge for fast food chains. The tagline successfully created an emotional connection with the younger population, who craved more freedom in their choices.
Subway increased its menu options for the customers, making them choose according to their health preferences or whims. It also catered to the idea of ‘more choices and more options’ both in food and lifestyle. Subway wanted to give the best-possible experience to its customers, and by increasing the food options, the brand indeed impressed a whole generation.
So what do you learn about branding from the Subway’s tagline?
Lesson #1 Be specific – Create a tagline to support your campaign that targets a specific demographic, their choice of taste and evolving preferences. Make sure that the slogan aligns with the purpose of the campaign.
Lesson #2 Create a wholesome impact – The perfect branding slogan needs to have an impact on the audience. It’s not just a mere phrase; it’s what your brand stands for.
Lesson #3 Food is lifestyle – Fast food restaurants need to understand that food is not all about taste, quality, or the delivery speed anymore. It’s a part of this generation’s lifestyle. A tagline that understands this will surely connect with the customers.
“My Sub, My Way” (2013)
It was a limited-time campaign that ran for about 6 weeks in August, 2013. The TV commercial featured Keith Keithson, who realized that he could have things working “his way” after visiting a Subway store.
Originally, the campaign was meant to promote Subway’s low-fat flat breads – a new line of product. Created by McCann London, the campaign appealed to foodies to make healthier choices in their meal options and improve their lives. It costed about £2 million to run the campaign on National TV and other advertising mediums (OOH). Although the right figures are not available, the campaign boosted the sale of its low-fat flat breads in the months that followed.
Four key fast-food branding lessons that this Subway slogan gives are:
Lesson #1 – Always promote your new line of products vigorously but not explicitly
Lesson #2 – Boost confidence in your customers’ mind about their food choices
Lesson #3 – The idea for reasonable impact is to connect with customers emotionally
“My Sub, My Way” was supposed to promote a line of flat breads, but the campaign focused on making people’s lives better. And that’s the foremost branding lesson every fast food chain should adhere to –
Lesson #4 – Focus on what your customers will get out of it. And explain it in words.
“Eat Fresh, Refresh” (2021 – 2023)
Following the pandemic that shook the entire world, Subway came up with its “Eat Fresh, Refresh” slogan in 2021 to, once more, underline the importance of fresh ingredients. It was an opportune moment, considering the restrictions that everyone followed regarding food and lifestyle to prevent the spread of the virus.
However, the campaign was launched to promote Subway’s newest menu, including:
- The Hearty multigrain and Artisan Italian bread,
- Meats, like the Black Forest ham,
- Some new sandwiches, like the Cali Fresh sub,
- Bacon steaks, smashed avocados
- Fresh mozzarella mayonnaise, etc.
But Subway managed to disguise its promotional venture successfully through the slogan that highlighted freshness and health. No wonder it delayed the launch of the campaign till 2021 when the pandemic condition was somewhat under control. According to reports, the new bread formulas and menu options were already developed in 2019. When the global lock-down was lifted, Subway launched its rebranding campaign in July 2021 with the powerful slogan – “Eat Fresh. Refresh”.
In a 2021 podcast by NRN, Trevor Haynes, President of Subway, stated, “We’ve seen a really good uptick across the course of this year.” Well, it means that the campaign was successful even during the challenging times.
Now, what does that tell us about branding?
Lesson#1 – Don’t be overly promotional always. Remember that it’s not about your business but your customers.
Lesson #2 – Wait for the right moment to release that powerful tagline with an equally impacting campaign.
Lesson #3 – Understand the ‘need of the hour’ while planning a branding strategy.
Lesson #4 – Create a tagline that supports your campaign as well as caters to the audience’ requirements.
“The Way a Sandwich Should Be.” (1996 -2001)
This one’s a little different from the other Subway slogans that we have learned about till now:
- It isn’t directive,
- It doesn’t have a clear CTA
- It doesn’t connect emotionally
Most importantly, it appears as if the brand’s beating its own drum – a clear break from what we have understood about Subway slogans that have been centered around customers, and the least promotional.
However, the slogan was right in its place and time.
It was 1996. Fast food companies, like Burger King, McDonald’s, etc., were being criticized for their unhealthy (fatty) food options and ingredients by health enthusiasts worldwide. Subway took this opportunity to explicitly promote its healthier alternatives. Through the campaign, the brand meant to deliver the message that all fast foods (sandwiches) need not be unhealthy. With its low-fat options, Subway managed to boost its sales, thanks to the marketing campaign.
So being promotional for a change didn’t hamper Subway’s reputation. It enhanced awareness of the brand instead.
If you have such an opportunity to grab eyeballs, take it. As Subway taught us, it’s not wise to always follow a common pattern in branding.
Qualities of The Perfect Fast Food Tagline (Derived from Subway Slogans)
Any company can come up with a ‘great slogan’ for their branding campaign. You need not be ‘famous’ to create slogans that stir up the marketing world. Fast food restaurants, or any restaurant for that matter, can express their brand values through attractive taglines. And if you’re successful in creating a positive impact, like Subway, brand awareness will escalate automatically.
Subway slogans have taught us that ‘great slogans’ can have the following characteristics:
- Language clarity – A good slogan should use simple words that everyone can understand and retain in their minds. If you take a look at all Subway slogans, you’ll see that there’s no complicated words or phrases in them. Everything is simple, easy-to-comprehend, crisp and clear.
- Fulfill the campaign purpose – Every branding campaign has a definite purpose. The slogan should fulfill that purpose without appearing too promotional. For example, the Subway branding campaigns always launched with clear purposes. Sometimes, it was to promote a new line of products, and some other time, to rebrand the menu. Its slogans adhered to the purpose of the campaign without being too persuasive.
- Connect emotionally – One of the greatest qualities of a branding slogan is its ability to connect with the customers on emotional grounds. Whether it’s to provide them the freedom of choice (Make It What You Want), or help define their lifestyle (Eat Fresh, Refresh), the Subway slogans have always made that emotional connection with its customers.
- Reflect the brand’s values – An ideal restaurant slogan should reflect the brand’s core values. What is it that makes your restaurant different from others? Is it the speed of delivery (Domino’s), or a specific kind of cuisine (Taco Bell)? Or it’s the choice of customization that your brand offers (Subway). A ‘great slogan’ should reflect the value that your company stands for.
- Promise to customers – Every marketing slogan should come with a promise to the customers – something that they are looking for. You need to conduct intense market research to understand your customers’ changing preferences. Create slogan that resonate with those preferences. And yes! Make the promise so loud that no one can ignore it. For example – “Eat Fresh. Feel Good”
- Call to Action (CTA) – A successful slogan for a restaurant must provide an action map to the customers. It should be clear what the customers need to do. That gives the campaign a proper direction. Without the CTA, the slogan feels confusing and incomplete.
When it comes to creating slogans for your brand, there’s something that goes beyond the rules –
Follow your gut.
If there’s something in your mind, try it, improvise it and fit it inside the given criteria. Notice all the great slogans by popular fast food brands, like Subway, McDonald’s, KFC, Domino’s, Taco Bell, etc. You’ll see that their taglines all manage to stand out. It’s because they know the rules but also know how to mold them to create a lasting impact.
That’s what you should do as well.
What Fast Food Restaurants Can Learn From The Subway Slogans?
When you run a fast food center, the last thing that probably comes to your mind is creating an impacting slogan for your brand.
Not everyone is a born creative, and that’s okay. In the 90s, you could have even survived well without a marketing slogan for your restaurant or diner. But this is 2025 – The Digital Age. Branding and marketing should be at the top of your priorities. Creating attractive taglines for all your marketing campaigns can have a massive impact on your audience. Slogans can help you:
- Develop a strong brand identity
- Create awareness about your special menu
- Educate your customers on your uniqueness
- Tell them about your USPs
- Stand out among competitors
Subway’s slogans has worked miracles for the fast food chain in the US and beyond. Here are a few things that you can learn from the marketing taglines of the brand:
- Keep your slogans relevant to the brand ALWAYS – Slogans are not just a couple of rhyming words or phrases. They should clearly communicate what your brand offers.
- Launch new campaign with an attractive slogan – Your customers may not remember the entire campaign for long. But a catching slogan will never escape their minds. And whenever they see the slogan, they will remember the ad, and thus your brand.
- Use simple words with a ‘ring’ – Arrange simple words and add some ‘ring’ to them. That way, it’ll be easier for the audience to remember the slogans. All Subway slogans are short, crisp, concise, and beautiful to read. Some of them even bring a smile on your face and nudge your curiosity to visit the nearest store.
- Choose less words and more effect – Too many words and long phrases can make the slogans complex. They may also not fit into all types of marketing materials, e.g. business cards, social media posts, etc. Choose only a few words that have a massive effect and are also relevant to the campaign.
- Be original – Don’t copy a rival’s idea and don’t plagiarize. Be original in creating your marketing slogans that’ll go a long way to establish your brand identity. All the Subway slogans are unique to the T and attractive at the same time.
Key Takeaways
– The Subway slogans teach us a lot about fast food branding. The clarity in language, tone, definitive brand message, and strong emotional connection are the reasons why the slogans are loved by the masses.
– Subway has always underlined its key USP in its slogans, i.e., the availability of fresh and healthy fast food options. That’s why its customers always knew what to expect from the brand.
– If you want to create impacting slogans for your fast food restaurant/cafe/diner, remember the six qualities of a great slogan – clarity, purpose, emotion, brand value, promise to the customers, and Call to Action (CTA).
– The Subway slogans can teach fast food restaurants a thing or two about branding. For example, they can set an example of why and how to create impacting slogans for all the marketing campaigns. It’ll definitely enhance brand awareness and help the restaurant stand out in the digital times.
Over to You
Subway has done its job in crafting powerful slogans and making the brand a global success. Now it’s your turn to make your fast food restaurant (or diner) a success through the right use of words. Slogans play a key role in brand, as you already know. But the branding slogans are not mere words that describe your business. They uphold the spirit of your brand, its core values and reflect its identity. Create slogans that perfectly tick all the boxes.
Before we bid adieu, there’s something that you should know.
Remember, there’s something called the businessman’s instinct. When it nudges you to seek an opportune moment and launch a campaign, never ignore it. Craft a slogan that matches the purpose of the campaign and make history!