# The Worst Advertising Slogan Ever **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 11, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077 "2003-04-11T18:09:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/41 "2003-04-12T05:43:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vivalostwages \* > \*\*The only unambiguous thing about that church’s name is the fact of its ambiguity. > > Somebody might even think it’s a swear, only without the exclamation marks. \*\* One of these days, I’m going to stop in and ask. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cankerist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@cankerist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cankerist)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/42 "2003-04-12T06:15:46Z")
CNN. The average keyboard has number of keys. We say you only need 3. CNN Wha…? How many keys?? ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/43 "2003-04-12T06:25:59Z")
I haven’t checked out the debunking, but I should point out that “no va” does, in fact, mean “it doesn’t go” in Spanish. Whether they marketed it under that name in Spanish is another matter. I’ll have to check what it says on snopes. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/44 "2003-04-12T06:33:17Z")
From snopes > [@](#): > > The whole "Nova = “doesn’t go” tale was merely another in a long line of automotive jokes, like the ones about “Ford” being an acronym for “Fix or repair daily” or “Found on road dead” or “Fiat” being an acronym for “Fix it again, Tony!” So basically the Nova= no va thing is something that you’d have to go out of your way to point out. Didn’t seem to affecyt sales apparently. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/45 "2003-04-12T06:35:30Z")
Not a real slogan but I loved Jerry Della Femina’s book _From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave you Pearl Harbor_. As he explains > [@](#): > > One guy said, “Well, What are we going to do about Panasonic?” And every body sat around, frowning and thinking about Panasonic. Finally, I decided, what the hell, I’ll throw a line to loosen them up-I mean, they were paying me $50,000 a year plus a $5,000-a-year expense account, and I thought they deserved something for all this bread. So I said, “Hey, I’ve got it, I’ve got it.” Everybody jumped. Then I got very dramatic, really setting them up. “I see a Headline, Yes, I see this Headline.” “What is it?” they yelled. “I see it all now,” I said, “I see and entire campaign built around this headline.” They all were looking at me now. “The headline is, the headline is : ‘From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor’.” ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/46 "2003-04-12T06:41:00Z")
Here’s the Snopes link about the Chevy Nova: [http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.htm](http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.htm) ---
**Author:** ![SnugTheJoiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@SnugTheJoiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnugTheJoiner)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/47 "2003-04-12T06:46:14Z")
A real slogan that I remember from long, long ago–late sixties, I believe: NOTHING SUCKS LIKE ELECTROLUX ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/48 "2003-04-12T07:14:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > \*\*Seen outside a small grill: BET YOU CAN’T BEAT OUR MEAT \*\* That’s the Culver Meat Co’s slogan - here’s a pic: [![](https://derangedchef.tripod.com/beatmeat.jpg) ](https://derangedchef.tripod.com/beatmeat.jpg) I’ve also seen an auto detailing place in West Los Angeles with a sign that says: “Your body deserves a hand job” ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/49 "2003-04-12T07:15:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SnugTheJoiner \* > \*\*A real slogan that I remember from long, long ago–late sixties, I believe: > > NOTHING SUCKS LIKE ELECTROLUX \*\* Not a real, company-approved slogan, actually. In fact, our very own **LifeOnWry** has admitted that she was responsible for this. It seems she and a friend were playing around with the office equipment one day and modified an invoice or two as a [lark](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=166240&highlight=electrolux) . She then sent one of modified invoices out by accident. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/50 "2003-04-12T08:11:03Z")
In San Luis Obispo, California, they run a county-wide bus system. Now, most bus systems have important sounding names, such as _Metropolitan Transit Authority_ or _Rapid Transit District_. But we were honest with our bus system Totally honest. Brutally honest. The sides of the San Luis Obispo city buses were emblazoned in big letters: **SLO TRANSIT** ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/51 "2003-04-12T10:12:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rexnervous \* > \*\*What movie are y’all talking about? \*\* They are talking about [Crazy people](http://uk.imdb.com/Title?0099316), a fun little comedy about a P.R. guy sent to a mental hospital, and ends up using his fellow inmates ideas for commercial slogans. ---
**Author:** ![sbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@sbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbn)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/52 "2003-04-12T13:33:56Z")
you all need to go to [www.engrish.com](http://www.engrish.com) . not necessarily the worst slogans ever, but certainly the weirdest. “Sincerely Gift - Overlapping Mind with Mind” (?) ---
**Author:** ![StanDup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/53 "2003-04-12T19:02:48Z")
**Feel free to take advantage of our chambermaid** ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/54 "2003-04-12T20:34:53Z")
There’s an HIV support group in Toronto whose slogan is “Making a Positive Difference”. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/55 "2003-04-12T21:04:25Z")
I remember furing the Atlanta Summer Olympics their slogan was , “The City too Busy to Hate” or something like that. It always seemed to imply to me that once they found a spare moment they would be sure to get some decent hating in. ---
**Author:** ![bjohn13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@bjohn13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bjohn13)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/56 "2003-04-12T22:05:29Z")
Seems to me that my belief in snopes being a credible source has been completely shot by this article about the Chevy Nova. For one, it contains no cites. I don’t believe for a minute that the name “Nova” affected the vehicles sales in Spanish speaking markets. However, the part of the editorial that stunned me, was the writers belief that _no va_ has an accent on the _va_ part of the sentence (_va_ means he, she, or it doesn’t go…ironically, a conjucation of the verb _ir_ which means “to go”). I’ll have to query my ancient spanish textbooks about this, but every single Spanish speaking person I know pronounces _no va_ with equal emphasis on each word (as do I). Furthermore, I find it hard to believe that this can be classified as an urban legend simply because the only part of the “legend” I have ever heard cited is the part of what Nova apparently means in Spanish. I have never heard anyone ever state that the name affected sales. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/57 "2003-04-12T23:11:38Z")
When I was in Mexico 20 years ago, “Nova” was the term used for regular (leaded) gasoline. I remember this because there was a gasoline shortage in Tijuana, and all the stations had signs saying “No Nova”. We wound up having to get “Extra” (unleaded). Seems kinda odd that a term meaning “it doesn’t go” would be used for gasoline… ---
**Author:** ![Azure\_Eternity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@Azure\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azure_Eternity)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/58 "2003-04-13T01:04:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bjohn13 \* > \*\*However, the part of the editorial that stunned me, was the writers belief that _no va_ has an accent on the _va_ part of the sentence (_va_ means he, she, or it doesn’t go…ironically, a conjucation of the verb _ir_ which means “to go”). > > I’ll have to query my ancient spanish textbooks about this, but every single Spanish speaking person I know pronounces _no va_ with equal emphasis on each word (as do I). Furthermore, I find it hard to believe that this can be classified as an urban legend simply because the only part of the “legend” I have ever heard cited is the part of what Nova apparently means in Spanish. I have never heard anyone ever state that the name affected sales. \*\* Even if you pronounce “no va” with equal emphasis, it is still pronounced differently from “Nova”, which has the accent on the first syllable. The example Snopes gives (“Notable” compared to “no table”) is a good analogy. In any case, I hope that > [@](#): > > _va_ means he, she, or it doesn’t go was merely a typo, as “va” means he, she, or it _goes_. “No va” means he, she, or it doesn’t go. ---
**Author:** ![bjohn13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@bjohn13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bjohn13)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/59 "2003-04-13T03:01:28Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Azure Eternity \* Even if you pronounce “no va” with equal emphasis, it is still pronounced differently from “Nova”, which has the accent on the first syllable. The example Snopes gives (“Notable” compared to “no table”) is a good analogy. However, to an english speaking person, they both sound identical (as does the analogy). > [@](#): > > In any case, I hope that was merely a typo, as “va” means he, she, or it _goes_. “No va” means he, she, or it doesn’t go. You got me there…though I’d like to point out that it can also mean a formal version of “you go” ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077/60 "2003-04-13T03:32:21Z")
And the Yugo was a terrible car. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-advertising-slogan-ever/168077.md?page=4)