Getting into slogan comps

Head over to Accolade's great comping website ThePrizeFinder and, as well as sections collecting comps into strands like those with prizes for kids and those where you could win cars or other vehicles, you'll find a section on skills comps, including slogan comps.

Though those you'll find on ThePrizeFinder are web-based, slogan comps, like most other types, can be entered in other ways, too. 

But interestingly, back in March 2012, our editor, Steve Middleton - a man who knows comping very well - expressed regret that there aren't as many slogan comps around nowadays than there were in the past.

Due to this state of affairs, it could be that some compers aren't sure what slogan comps are these days, or may never have tried their luck on one.

Some people are particular fans of this sort of comp and enjoy the challenge they present, while others might feel happier trying their luck on comps that simply require an email to be sent, a postcard put into the postbox or an online form to be filled in.

That's all part of comping's brilliance though, of course. After all, the hobby would hardly be as popular as it is if it didn't offer so much variety - both of prize and competition style.

Slogan comps take a variety of forms, but the general idea is that you come up with a creative, short piece of writing based on something the promoter provides you with.

For example, you might be given the start of a sentence that you have to finish. This is sometimes called a tie-breaker.

To give an imaginary example, say Compers News decided to run a slogan comp. We might give you the beginning of a sentence like 'When I've finished an issue of Compers News I...' and ask people entering the comp to finish it.

You might well have to make the response funny or inventive. A good way to check what judges will be after, so you're not firing a shot in the dark with your slogan entry, is to check Terms and Conditions. There's a good chance these will outline exactly what slogans will be judged on, helping you to perfect yours.

Anyone who is a Compers News member will have seen slogan comps even if they didn't know it.

A regular mag feature is the mini True Comper competition that starts people off with the phrase 'You know you're a true comper when…' and gives a prize to entries that end up printed in the magazine.

For example, back in September 2013's issue, Celia Birnie got herself a shopping voucher by completing the slogan with '...you spend the whole day at Alton Towers with your latest Compers News and a pile of postcards and don't go on a single ride!'

And Mrs L Field ended the phrase with '...the kids beg for an apple instead of yet another Magnum!'

Slogan comp fans will already know all about Windex, a tool that Compers News members can use online, right here on our website.

It's an ever-expanding database of successful slogans from competitions stretching back three decades. There are over 63,400 slogans in it, and its one of the many perks of being a Compers News member.

It's a treasure trove of people's creativity and one of the best places around to learn about this kind of comp in terms of the sorts of tie-breakers they pose and the amazing creativity of the answers given.

The reason this is such a good resource is that the best way to get a feel for how to construct good slogans is often to read examples.

Sometimes people use rhyme, much of the time they use humour and there's often a clever use of words on display, for example, although exactly how you'll want to approach a slogan comp will depend on the exact comp in question.

 

Our True comper comp, for example, tends to be more about a funny idea than witty wordplay.