“How No. 2 Topped No. 1”

The rivalry between car rental companies Hertz and Avis started in the mid-1940s when Avis first entered the market. For years, Avis acknowledged that they were trailing behind Hertz in market share. However, the fact didn’t make Avis falter — instead, it kicked off the start of one of the most effective campaigns in the advertising industry. 

Twenty years after Avis’ founding, advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) launched a now-famous campaign for the company known as the ‘We Try Harder’ ads. The ads were simple long-copy ads with headlines such as ‘Avis can’t afford dirty ashtrays’ and ‘Avis can’t afford to make you wait.’ Unassuming, right? Until you read the whole thing and see that it ends with ‘We’re only No. 2’. 

During a post-war economic boom, no self-respecting company would ever claim to be inadequate, let alone No. 2 in what looked like a two-man race. It was better to inflate and exaggerate the quality of your services rather than admit defeat. After all, what customer would go for a company ranked second instead of first? Despite that, the ads made Avis a profit for the first time in decades. 

By acknowledging the obvious, Avis was digging into a fundamental truth — ‘when you’re not the biggest in rent a cars, you have to try harder.’ For the customer, this translated directly into ‘Avis will do anything to make sure you’re happy with your service.’ 

Think about it, being a challenger company desperately trying to make its way to Number 1 means going above and beyond to reach the top spot. As in, ‘Nope, we can’t afford not to have the best-looking cars, or not having the best customer service.’ It’s a clear win for the customer. Avis doesn’t claim to be the best – but you know for sure that they’ll try.

The ingenious marketing strategy created by DDB was so revolutionary for its time, so much so that it has been adopted by modern-day companies who authentically acknowledge their shortcomings and their efforts to improve.

So, whenever you’re looking for a company that’ll pull out all the stops for you, try a challenger brand.