Artistic collage of early electrical equipment, appliances, aviation, healthcare and wind power; not archival photography

The advertising archive · 1892–2024

GE Slogans

The words behind generations of progress.

Creative heritage artwork · artistic recreation, not an archival photograph.

From the beginning

1892 · A company takes shape

General Electric was formed on April 15, 1892. No company-wide slogan at its founding is established by the sources in this collection. The documented advertising story below begins with an early print-ad headline, then follows verified slogans and campaigns.

GE · The company’s formation

Early 1920s

01 / Print-ad headline

“The Suffrage and the Switch”

An early GE advertisement connected electrical appliances with changes in domestic life. This is a documented ad headline, not an established company-wide slogan.

GE · A century of advertising

1950s–1960s · documented use

02 / Corporate slogan

“Progress is our most important product”

GE’s famous statement of industrial optimism put progress itself at the heart of the brand. GE’s retrospective confirms the slogan, and a July 1963 publication documents contemporary use. Exact introduction and retirement dates are not established by these sources.

GE · Advertising retrospective Business Automation · July 1963 (PDF)

March 1956 · nationwide program launch

03 / Shared industry campaign

“Live Better Electrically”

GE helped support this nationwide electrical-living program, later also supported by Westinghouse and utilities. It was not an exclusive GE corporate slogan. The phrase itself predates the organized program’s launch.

Washington State · Historic preservation

November 1974 · documented commercials

04 / Advertising campaign

“Progress for People”

Archival records identify GE television commercials featuring Don Herbert, also known as Mr. Wizard, under this campaign in November 1974. The record establishes use, not the campaign’s first year.

University of Washington · Archival finding aid

1979–January 2003

05 / Corporate slogan

“We bring good things to life”

A generation-defining GE campaign connected the company’s technology with everyday life. Contemporary reporting dates its debut to 1979 and its replacement to January 2003.

Associated Press · January 17, 2003

January 2003 · launch

06 / Corporate slogan

“imagination at work”

GE shifted its advertising emphasis toward innovation across its businesses. The first television spots aired during the January 19, 2003 Golden Globes. A new corporate tagline followed in 2020; that does not mean every use of this line stopped immediately.

GE · January 21, 2003 announcement MediaPost · Campaign debut

2020 · introduced before the split

07 / Corporate slogan

“Building a world that works”

GE described this as its new tagline in September 2020, introduced earlier that year. It expressed the company’s focus on essential industrial work as GE moved toward its separation into independent businesses.

GE · September 17, 2020

Fall 2023 · Beautiful Law

08 / Final commercial closing line

“GE, once, now, forever”

The closing line of Beautiful Law, described by GE as its final “one company” commercial. A farewell to the combined company, not a verified replacement for the master corporate slogan.

GE · Final one-company commercial

The end of the combined-company era

2023–2024 · Three independent futures

January 4, 2023

GE HealthCare

Independent trading began on Nasdaq. The share distribution took place the previous evening, January 3.

GE · HealthCare separation

April 2, 2024

GE Vernova & GE Aerospace

GE Vernova’s spin-off completed the split. The continuing GE company became GE Aerospace, retaining the GE stock ticker.

GE · Completed spin-off FAQs (PDF)

A sourced selection, not a claim to catalog every GE advertisement. Dates describe documented use where exact launch dates are unknown. GE Heritage Village is a volunteer community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by General Electric or its successor companies.