motto.co.uk – what is a motto, and examples of famous

motto.co.uk – what is a motto, and examples of famous ones (top 10?)

A motto is a saying or phrase which is intended to describe the motivation or intention of a social group or organisation, for example a sports team. Mottos are not just used in the UK but all over the world. Traditionally mottos are in Latin but they do come in all languages, different areas may have different mottos and mottos may even be passed through generations. Whereas traditionally sports teams may have held mottos, many businesses, councils and even the Government are now creating their own mottos. Some mottos are generated by social groups in order to be derogatory towards certain groups, for example the motto Immigration, Immigration, Immigration has been associated to the Labour group according to many social groups. There are literally thousands of mottos in every country and it is therefore common practice for people to hear and learn mottos they have never previously heard. In 2007 the basis of a motto hit the news when it was rumoured that the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown wished to have a national British motto which would appear on every school and public building. This is not a new concept; France has a national motto of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. The Labour government and Gordon Brown highlighted that they welcomed a debate about a national motto and were not about to implement one.
Within the UK numerous football teams hold mottos in order to provide motivation and inspiration. Arsenal football club has the motto Victoria Concordia Crescit which means victory comes from harmony. Everton football club located within Merseyside has the motto Nil Satis Nisi Optimum which translates to only the best is good enough and Rangers FC located in Scotland has the simple motto of Ready. The motto of Rangers is a prime example of being short but extremely suitable for purpose and also easy to remember. One extremely memorable and also a motto which is likely to be known by many people is the motto of Liverpool Football Club, this is Youll Never Walk Alone. This motto is also a song which originates from a musical in 1945, the song is played before each home match and this is a point where the majority of Liverpool fans sing the lyrics to their motto.
Along with many sports teams having memorable mottos, many corporate businesses also present mottos as a statement of what their brand is about. World famous businesses hold mottos which are likely to be known by a huge amount of people. For example the sports clothing manufacturers Nike and Adidas both have mottos. Nikes motto is just do it and adidass is impossible is nothing. On paper these mottos may mean very little, but when put together with the represented brand the mottos can help to deliver a powerful and motivational message.
As previously mentioned many corporate businesses hold mottos, although one of the worlds famous comes from one of the most famous businesses in the world, McDonalds. Their motto is Im lovin it, this motto is used throughout their branding and merchandise as it is believed that the motto sums up the whole McDonalds experience.