Avis' 'We Try Harder'
This campaign is a classic based on longevity alone.
It was created in 1962 by the venerable Doyle, Dane, Bernbach agency in New
York, the same advertising geniuses who created the great Volkswagen ads of
the same era. The Avis campaign is still going strong today, more than 40
years later.
There are many lessons here. One is the power of honesty. I have read that
many in the company opposed the campaign, believing it would portray Avis as
second-rate. (The original slogan was “We’re number 2. We try harder.” They
dropped the “number 2” part later.) But Avis was number two, not number one,
and they decided to go with the truth. Honesty connects with people, and
this campaign certainly connected.
Another lesson is the importance of staying with a good idea. Too many
companies change their campaigns every time they change marketing
executives. Building a company brand takes patience and time.
But one of the real strengths of the campaign has been long forgotten. Back
in 1962, Avis wasn’t really competing with Hertz. They were competing with
National and other “second-tier” car rental firms. By staking claim to the
number two spot, they created a short-list in the public mind that always
included Avis. You couldn’t think of Hertz without thinking of Avis. Just
about overnight, they leapfrogged out of the pack and to the top of their
industry.
Not bad for three little words. |
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