Thread: Taglines - how you see yourself and how others see you

As an extension of a topic about how different performers brand themselves (I think it was Joe Black who started that one). I was interested in what sort of tag line or one liner description people use for themselves as performers – and what people think works for others. By tag line I mean something like:

‘Dr Pepper – what’s the worst that could happen?’
'Uncle Ben's - Perfect every time'

or for burlesquers

‘Red Sarah – Mistress of make believe’
‘Vicky Butterfly - Part burlesque starlet, part innovative performance artiste, part music hall Vaudevillian, and all dreamer’
‘Ryvita von Cheese – She’s crackers!’
‘Snappy O’Shea – Saucy, sassy and very very, silly’

That little soundbite that gives a feel for who you are, what you do or what your angle or selling point is.

The reason this came to mind was that I was on someone’s Facebook yesterday, someone who I know fairly well and have performed with on quite a few occasions and I noticed the tagline they had used for themselves and in a million years it would never have been something I would have associated with her. I felt that it could be giving her potential audience/bookers a totally different impression about who she is/what she does than the reality. Not to say it made her sound better or worse – more that it sounded like a tagline or description belonging to another, very different performer working in a very different style. For example if, for my tagline is said something like:
‘Emerald Ace – the tallest girl in burlesque’
or
‘Emerald Ace -Sultry, exotic and lovely’
It’s not that being tall is better or worse, it’s just not really an appropriate description and anyone interested in me on the strength of that tag would be disappointed. And if I described myself as ‘Sultry, exotic and lovely’ I’m sure people would expect a very different kind of burlesque act from the stuff I actually do.

I used to go by ‘Emerald Ace – Burlesque Ingenue’ when I was very new on the scene but although it possibly suited my newness and naivety at the time it didn’t really reflect either my physical aesthetic or the tone of my acts. I now go by ‘Rubber-faced Burlesque Eccentric’ which I think fits a lot better with who I am and what I do (as an extension of that I also use ‘The love-child of Mae West and Jim Carrey’ which has got a few titters).

But I wonder, can other people see you better than yourself? On this particular person’s profile I was looking at I got to wondering if the description is actually how she perceives herself and her acts or if it was just something written quickly without too much thought. And could others see you more clearly and tell you whether your tag fits or not?

So with that in mind, I’m asking what tagline do you/would you use yourself and what would you write as the tagline for some of your favourite performers/burly pals?

Also how important as part of your professional brand do people think a good and well fitting tagline is?

Just something that was rattling round the old noodle...

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mine is Khisses sweeter than Khandie but I do like my other one:

The product of a threesome between Lilly Savage, Barbara Winsor and Eddie Izzard...not sure who concieved but that baby is one crazy lady!

Peski DeVille doesnt yet seem to have one, and Im not really sure where to start.... )

I do think its important though and can be a nice little introduction into your persona and style. A peep to the audience of what you are like.

)

Hehe, me and some friends were discussing this the other day! We are putting on a play that is linked to burlesque/strippers and we were coming up with names. Some of my faves were:

Roulette: Cos you never know what you're going to get
Diamond : I'll be your best friend
Kitty : Would you like me to sit on your lap?
Sugar : Cause I'm sweet
and for the PG/13
Pandora: Would you like to come inside my box?
Raven : I come in the night

cheeeeesey! :lol: Though totally want to think of my own now, though it took me long enough to think of my name!

It's so funny so many of us go by imaginary parentage - I've always had on my stuff "Tempest Devyne, the lovechild that Vivien Leigh and Peter Cook never had" but I'm currently reworking all my publicity material (and branding, though as an ex-PR bod I actually had branding before I knew who Tempest would become, and she's outgrown it) and I don't think that fits who Tempest has actually become over the last 2 years, so mine will be changing as soon as I find one that I think sums me up in a sentence.

In the meantime my opening sentence (not the same as a snappy tagline that would be fab on posters etc) is currently "Tempest Devyne is an up-and-coming neo-burlesque performer majoring in visual comedy and tongue-in-cheek surreal"

Candee Handful and I once joked that I should be "Tempest Devyne - prepare to have your archetypal stereotypes perverted!!" but only we'd get that joke

And for a very brief time I was "Tempest Devyne, more filth from the milf"but some bizarre reason that seemed to get me a whole load of new middle-eastern followers, goodness knows why (feigns innocence, fiddle-dee-dee)

I always thought you were Emerald Ace, the girl with the eyes for some reason Emerald - was that just a weird dream I had?

Haha... In my mind I am just picturing me surrounded by disembodied floating eyeballs! That could be quite amusing though! (ps I still have to send you that email... I keep getting sidetracked with work stuff, damn work!)

Peaches.... I love the name 'Roulette' for a performer and the tag that you put with it.... it's really fun!

An interesting thread Emerald - and it does touch on a few discussion about identity, which I always find very interesting.

I suppose it's exactly that - it's about identity as expressed through desire, the ego (but not necessarily vanity!) and anticipation. Accuracy and 'punch' are always key to a slogan's success. There is always the balance between personal pride and commercial appeal to be struck too.

There is often a fine line between good marketing with positive messages and just wanky self indulgence. I like to call this style of writing 'bragtacular'

Yes, I'd agree that some people do tend to paint a portrait of themselves as they'd ideally like to be seen and in a way, they miss the point of being their own individual. Isn't that what performing is all about?

One of my favourite quotes is thus:

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae mony a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
An' ev'n devotion!

It's the last stanza of To A Louse:

Robert Burns Country: To A Louse: On Seeing One On A Lady's Bonnet, At Church

Over the years my own strapline has changed reflecting where my majority of work has been and it's morphed as I've carved my own niche:

Pin Up, Performer, Paranormal Investigator
Avant-Garde Artiste
Belle Esprit (the misspell is a deliberate pun)

On seeing others rise (and fall) in their different ways, it's been interesting to note that those performers who have grown from strength to strength are those whose PR, strapline and descriptions are indeed based on (or at least validated by) demonstrable press, media, peer and critical acclaim already won.

In contrast, there are those who seem to bestow a title on themselves but with no grounding other than personal desire to be that; 'Queen of ....' seems to be the most common one. I know that sometimes it's cute or quirky to do so with irony etc but often it just doesn't come across like this. I think this is one of the defining differences between a hobby and a career - it's all well and fun to be whoever you want to be in a fantasy sense, but to be able to sell a product, it needs to exist.

When I happen across websites, flyers etc proclaiming all sorts of amazing things, accolades and abilities, I find I am increasingly hard to convince of said personas.

It's weird because although seeing 'Queen of Whatever' or 'Britain's Biggest/Best...' or 'The Only...' sprawled across a picture, it is only impressive to random people happening across the webpage. To those in the industry, it can smack of vanity and delusion. Is this what was intended?

The worst cases are where taglines are applied but have actually, genuinely been bestowed on others, as quoted by a reputable source (i.e. a leading broadsheet or film critic etc).

I have toyed with the notion of 'Kittie: Queen of Absolutely Nothing' - Not that I like to be contrary or anything But it breaks the cardinal rule of marketing saying nothing relevant.

If in doubt, humility is always an option and it is very attractive to discerning eyes. Besides, quotes and testimonials should speak for you.

Love what you've got.

Tempest - The Girl With the Eyes was Sinthia Darling ...

Mine is 'The Voluptuous Vexing Femme Fatale', which I thought was quite apt ^_^ Mind you, I'm no longer as voluptuous as I once was, so that's getting rapidly more inaccurate. If anyone thinks they can come up with a better one for me I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts!

oh dear....im useless at things like this!

I wouldnt have a clue what would some me up! Like Kittie said, i would hate for it to sound delusional or anything (not that id claim anything grand!)

I also lack any kind of literary imagination!!!

so, like fleur, if anyone can thing of something id be very grateful!

Originally Posted by Fleur du Mal

Tempest - The Girl With the Eyes was Sinthia Darling ...

Ahh yes you're right - though Both Sinthia and Emerald have superbly engaging eyes, though I have to say I really like Emerald majoring on her 'rubber-face' (that sounds wrong to say it like that, but I totally get what she means, she uses her face to it's maximum potential and isn't scared to look silly)

Kittie's posts reminded me at one time I tried to find out if their were any bigger performers out there in the UK than myself because I thought it would be quite cheeky to be "The Biggest..." but most big performers don't bandy about their dress size like I do (22!) so I couldn't be certain. "Probably the biggest burlesque performer in the UK" doesn't have the same ring - though I do LOVE Mysti Vine's "The World's Only Black Burlesque Variety & Striptease Comedienne...(probably)"

I liked "the Bad-Flower of Burlesque" Fleur, but what about "The Tantalising Temptress of Tease" (somebody probably already uses something like that though) or "Beauty has a Brain" or "full of East Midlands Promise" (sorry, stop throwing things at me! I didn't even get round to Fleur du Mal, burlesque's grammar nazi!)

May, what about "Miss May Hemm - don't be fooled by the sweetness and light", the obvious one though probably already in use "Naughty but Nice", or "Miss May Hemm, Not What You'd Expect!"