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Avis' "We Try Harder" Campaign
1962 · United States · Print / Television · Car Rental
Context
Early 1960s rental market:
Hertz dominated market share.
Advertising leaned on size, scale, and leadership.
Consumers viewed rental companies as largely interchangeable.
Avis needed distinction without claiming superiority.
The Problem It Solved
Second-Place Positioning – Market leadership was unattainable short term.
Low Differentiation – Service felt standardized.
Credibility Gap – Claims of being “best” would lack believability.
The answer was radical honesty.
Strategic Insight
“If you’re not the biggest, you have to try harder.”
Instead of hiding its No. 2 status, Avis embraced it.
The logic:
We can’t afford dirty ashtrays.
We can’t afford late service.
We can’t afford indifference.
The disadvantage became proof of motivation.
Execution Discipline
A. Direct Admission
Acknowledging second place built trust instantly.
B. Service-Centric Messaging
The campaign emphasized operational behaviors—not vague superiority claims.
C. Consistency
The line ran for years, reinforcing internal and external culture.
D. Internal Alignment
“We Try Harder” reportedly became an internal performance standard, not just an ad line.
The positioning influenced operations.
What It Avoided
False Superiority Claims
No attempt to pretend it was market leader.
Defensive Messaging
The tone wasn’t apologetic.
Overly Emotional Storytelling
It stayed practical and service-focused.
Promotional Overload
The message wasn’t price-led.
Frequent Repositioning
Consistency allowed trust to build.
Restraint and clarity created authority.
Brand Impact
Significant increase in market share following launch
Strengthened brand differentiation
Elevated service as primary competitive dimension
Became one of advertising’s classic challenger-brand case studies
The campaign changed perception—and reportedly performance.
Why We Love It
From a strategic lens:
Owning weakness as strength
Credibility through humility
Clarity over bravado
Alignment between marketing and operations
It proves that honesty can be a competitive weapon.
The Takeaway
When you can’t win on scale,
win on effort.
Avis didn’t claim dominance.
It claimed determination.
What Would Have Broken It
Failing to deliver superior service operationally
Abruptly pivoting to “We’re the Best” messaging
Tone drift into self-pity
Overextension into unrelated brand territories
The line demanded operational proof.
Applicability In Today’s Market
Today’s competitive markets still feature dominant leaders.
Transferable principles:
1. Embrace Your Position Honestly
Transparency builds trust.
2. Turn Constraints into Motivation
Market disadvantage can create clarity.
3. Align Marketing With Behavior
If you claim effort, demonstrate it.
A modern iteration might:
Showcase real-time service metrics
Highlight customer testimonials transparently
Use social proof instead of slogans alone
Reinforce service guarantees publicly
The enduring lesson:
Second place can be powerful—
if you frame it correctly.
