# What is the worst single line in an advertisement? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [December 19, 2022, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762 "2022-12-19T02:18:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/81 "2022-12-20T21:22:57Z")
Oh, yes. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/82 "2022-12-20T21:33:40Z")
Disclaimer, I haven’t read most of the thread- “When a woman sweats, it just isn’t sexy.” Just so very stupid. I remember another antiperspirant commercial aimed at men with the tag line “When she sweats, it’s sexy. When you sweat, you stink.” That one I agree with. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/83 "2022-12-20T21:45:16Z")
> [@motu](#): > > Every kiss begins with Kay. Because no man can get affectionate with his female companion without an offering of jewelry > [@robby](#): > > I agree the sentiment is offensive and condescending. But at least there is a pun included: [the word] “kiss” does indeed begin with [the letter] “K” The first time I ever saw a commercial for this, it was featured in an episode of _My Name is Earl_. I honestly thought it was a fake jewelry store because nobody could have a tag line that was so lame. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/84 "2022-12-20T21:52:11Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I honestly thought it was a fake jewelry store because nobody could have a tag line that was so lame. It wasn’t always such. We watch 1988-1990’s Classic Concentration on Buzzr, and they feature prizes from Kay Jewelers, and they don’t use that line. Wonder when they came up with it. Maybe it’s time to change it again. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/85 "2022-12-20T21:57:31Z")
I have now read the whole thread. I stand by my choice. Anybody remember the Dudley Moore/Darryl Hannah film Crazy People? It was about an advertising executive who has a breakdown and begins telling the truth in his ads. ‘If your mother soaked her hands in dishwashing liquid, you’d put her in a home!’ ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/86 "2022-12-20T22:01:16Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I always considered the “my wife, I think I’ll keep her” to be “mock serious”. To me the guy didn’t mean it like, hey I’ll dump her over trivialities. But a lot of people were offended by it, so maybe I was wrong. That commercial inspired “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” a popular country song by Mary Chapin Carpenter: > **[He Thinks He'll Keep Her](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He_Thinks_He%27ll_Keep_Her)** > > "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Mary Chapin Carpenter. It was released in December 1993 as the sixth single from the album Come On Come On. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was written by Carpenter and Don Schlitz. > The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, and was accompanied by a live performance music video, taken from the 1993 CBS special Women of Country, where Carpe... From the Wikipedia article: > [@](#): > > In a 1992 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Carpenter stated that the song’s title was inspired by a 1970s Geritol TV commercial in which a man points to his wife’s many accomplishments and attributes, and then concludes with “My wife…I think I’ll keep her.” ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/87 "2022-12-20T22:04:40Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > I have now read the whole thread. I stand by my choice. Anybody remember the Dudley Moore/Darryl Hannah film Crazy People? It was about an advertising executive who has a breakdown and begins telling the truth in his ads. ‘If your mother soaked her hands in dishwashing liquid, you’d put her in a home!’ I remember it. And I remember some of the ads, which were hilarious! “Volvo. They’re boxy. But they’re good.” “Jaguar. For men who would like to get handjobs from women like this.” Featuring a beautiful girl leaning on a Jaguar car. “Get laid in the Bahamas.” ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/88 "2022-12-20T22:24:33Z")
Personally, I want one that gives me good investment advice. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/89 "2022-12-20T22:26:13Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Anybody remember the Dudley Moore/Darryl Hannah film Crazy People? It was about an advertising executive who has a breakdown and begins telling the truth in his ads. ‘If your mother soaked her hands in dishwashing liquid, you’d put her in a home!’ Still one of my favorite movies, particularly now that I’ve worked in the advertising industry for 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/90 "2022-12-20T22:48:58Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I always considered the “my wife, I think I’ll keep her” to be “mock serious”. To me the guy didn’t mean it like, hey I’ll dump her over trivialities. But a lot of people were offended by it, so maybe I was wrong. In Doonesbury, Joanie Caucus abandoned her husband and kids over it… And the original ad was for Geritol, unless my memory is failing me. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/91 "2022-12-20T23:00:00Z")
My contribution: _With a name like Smuckers, it HAS to be good._ “With a name like _Dog Vomit_ it’s gotta be _unbelievably_ delicious!” (ETA: credit to SNL) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/92 "2022-12-20T23:28:19Z")
I offer the ultimate null set sentence: “Do not take MiracleDrug if you are allergic to MiracleDrug.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/93 "2022-12-20T23:51:10Z")
A pox on you for even writing that bit! 😉 It’s in my head! But I also hate it for the fact that it doesn’t quite disclose everything. On the other hand, maybe that’s the genius of it. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/94 "2022-12-20T23:54:31Z")
Diet Pepsi had an ad campaign that debuted during the Super Bowl in 2006 featuring the tag “Brown & Bubbly” and P. Diddy. The tagline didn’t last very long. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SJn6WVOZaqQ/hqdefault.jpg "Diet Pepsi Brown and Bubbly Super Bowl XL Commercial") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJn6WVOZaqQ) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/95 "2022-12-21T00:13:22Z")
Head On! Apply directly to the forehead! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/96 "2022-12-21T00:17:37Z")
In case anyone’s interested, here’s the Geritol spoof from SNL circa 1976. NSFW and sorry for the quality. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ypyX_cDxxrg/maxresdefault.jpg "SNL JAMITOL") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypyX_cDxxrg) ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/97 "2022-12-21T00:23:38Z")
How is this NSFW? It refers to something that’s perfectly legal and now protected by federal law. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/98 "2022-12-21T01:06:49Z")
Makes you feel like you’re not wearing nothing! (Some panty hose ad line.) (I haven’t read the whole thread so I may have duped it.) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/99 "2022-12-21T01:14:49Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Head On! Apply directly to the forehead! I mentioned that _way_ upthread; post number seven. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762/100 "2022-12-21T01:37:00Z")
There was a car commercial in the 80s that showed cars driving around picturesque desert hills and valleys. It ended showing a huge number of cars and trucks gathered in a line all pumping out prodigious amounts of exhaust. And ended with the line “Chrysler… changing the landscape”. I always thought it was a none-too-subtle knock on environmentalism. There was an old Saturday Night commercial “this camera is so easy to use… that even Stevie Wonder can use it” that showed him taking dramatically out of focus pictures of a tennis game. It was pretty funny, but might not pass muster now. Although I sometimes can’t remember important things, I remember _every word_ of the commercials they showed repeatedly during hockey games. One very strange one, for wood stain, showed an old man with a blunderbuss and a rocking chair living in his pristine house in the middle of an abandoned ghost town whose wooden buildings were falling to pieces. He shot the blunderbuss to show the “stain gets right into the wood” and it ended with him laughing manically. It wasn’t a bad commercial, though, and clearly was effective; it ran for years and years. I used to wonder what his backstory was. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-single-line-in-an-advertisement/976762.md?page=6)