Balenciaga’s slogan – why you won’t find one

Why you won’t find a single Balenciaga slogan

If you search Google for “Balenciaga advertising slogan,” you might be surprised — because you won’t find any official slogan that the brand uses consistently across all campaigns. Balenciaga simply does not have a permanent tagline. And that’s no accident.

What makes Balenciaga different from typical brands?

Most well-known companies have their own signature slogan: Nike has “Just Do It”, McDonald’s – “I’m lovin’ it”, and Adidas “Impossible is nothing”. Balenciaga consciously takes a different path – instead of a single slogan, it opts for:

• Seasonal, contextual messages tailored to the collection
• Provocative messages that evoke emotions (often negative)
• Absurd products that become memes themselves
• Strategies that spark discussion without a classic slogan

Why is this topic so widely discussed in Poland? Social media, memes, and debates about the “troll company” have led many people to wonder how the brand builds recognition without traditional marketing tools. Balenciaga operates like an anti-brand—breaking the patterns on which classic branding strategies were built. And that’s precisely why it’s hard to find a single, simple slogan that would define it.

photo: balenciaga.com

How Balenciaga communicates without a permanent slogan

Since Balenciaga doesn’t have a single slogan, how do we even recognize the brand? The answer is simple: through visual storytelling, absurdity, and products that become memes themselves. Instead of a tagline, you have a strategy.

Seasonal slogans and products instead of a single tagline

Balenciaga focuses on contextual messages that change with each season. In the “Balenciaga Gift Shop” campaign (2022), the slogan “An Exclusive Line for an Exclusive Audience” was used—an ironic commentary on fashion exclusivity. But the real “slogans” are the products themselves:

• bags resembling garbage bags (viral since 2020)
• iconic “Ikea bag” – blue shopper for thousands of dollars
• Triple S sneakers that divided the internet
• (recently, AI-generated visualizations – yet another absurdity)

Each product acts like a slogan repeated by millions of users online.

photo: balenciaga.com

Social media as Balenciaga’s “living slogan”

Digital-first as the foundation of the strategy. Instagram, TikTok, controversial photos, short clips — everything designed for virality. The brand has over 13 million followers on Instagram alone. Memes are created instantly, spread organically, and serve as a “living slogan” that evolves in real time.

Instead of a single sentence — a coherent communication system based on provocation, irony, and visual identity. This works better than a traditional slogan.

photo: balenciaga.com

Controversy, virality, and the absence of a slogan as a strategy

Provocation is a double-edged sword – Balenciaga learned this the hard way in 2022. The “Gift Shop” campaign sparked an uproar: children posed with teddy bears styled in BDSM fashion, and in the background, there were court documents related to child pornography. The reaction was immediate – the brand removed the campaign, issued a public apology, and the internet exploded with the hashtag #CancelBalenciaga. Balenciaga sued the production agency for 25 million dollars, but the damage was already done. It is estimated that financial results dropped by around 20% after 2022 (with revenues of approximately 2.5 billion euros in 2023).

Two sides of the same coin

On one hand, there are fans who see Demna Gvasalia as a “genius of provocation”—someone who consciously breaks taboos and forces people to think. On the other, there are voices calling it a “troll company” that mocks its own clients by selling garbage bags for thousands of zlotys.

Experts from UJ and PCz, however, point out something interesting: controversies can paradoxically strengthen a brand in the long term if managed skillfully. Balenciaga hasn’t disappeared—it’s coming back, still provoking, just more cautiously. The lack of a slogan doesn’t mean a lack of responsibility, but rather provides flexibility in repairing its image. The question is: how many times can you fall and get back up before the audience gets tired?

What does Balenciaga’s lack of a slogan tell us – lessons for brands

After all the campaigns, scandals, and market reactions, it’s time to ask ourselves: what can we really learn from Balenciaga’s approach? And should (or can) every brand operate in a similar way?

photo: balenciaga.com

Three lessons from Balenciaga for every brand

Alright, let’s draw some concrete conclusions:

• The absence of a slogan is also a conscious strategy – not every brand needs a single sentence as its banner. Sometimes visual consistency and tone of communication are more important.
• Controversy requires responsibility – provocation works, but when you cross the line, you must be prepared for the consequences (both financial and reputational).
• Flexibility makes sense, but not without foundations – Balenciaga can afford to experiment because it has strong DNA. A young brand? First, build recognition.
• Kering may force a change – if investor pressure increases, Demna might introduce “safer” slogans. We’ll see.

photo: balenciaga.com

You can experiment without a fixed slogan if you already have a recognizable visual style and a loyal community that understands your vibe.

What’s next for Balenciaga? Probably more AI in campaigns, the metaverse, maybe some “eco-provocations.” Demna once said that what matters is authenticity, not repeatable formulas. So the question is: what is authentic for your brand? And do you need a single sentence to show it—or is consistency in your actions enough?

Monia

fashion editor &