I always thought Avis's iconic 1962 "We're No.2" (and "We Try Harder") campaign (by the agency Doyle Dane Bernbach) was intended as a salvo against market leader Hertz! After all, when they say that they are No. 2, our attention automatically heads towards the No. 1, even 1/4

2/4 though they do not mention No. 1 or Hertz specifically at all. But, it was supposedly a salvo at the No. 3, 4, 5! Here's an excerpt from the book, "From those wonderful folks who gave you Pearl Harbour: Front-line dispatches from the advertising war", by

3/4 Jerry Della Femina (pages 39-40) that explains the context!

What fantastic insight!

But, unlike what Jerry says in the book, Avis did take away customers from both above and below (Hertz, and the ones below it, in market share) with the 'we try harder' campaign.

4/4 A showcase of Avis's print ads, and how Hertz retaliated (a bit late, but still smart and creative!) in 1966... in my post: https://bit.ly/ek-do 

#advertising #marketing #creativity