Take a brain break: Guess what these vintage ad taglines were selling
Read each vintage tagline, guess the product, then scroll for the reveal. These slogans became cultural touchstones through mysterious, glamorous language that could mean absolutely anything. Test your knowledge of advertising history.
Question 1
“It works while you sleep”
Answer
Beauty cream? Mattress? The answer: Ex-Lax and similar overnight laxatives. Multiple brands used variations during the 1950s-1980s. Overnight beauty creams like Pond’s Cold Cream also claimed nighttime magic through passive transformation.
Question 2
“Don’t leave home without it”
Answer
Luggage? Sweater? American Express owned this iconic 1975 line. The campaign featured Karl Malden for over 20 years, promoting travelers’ checks. Ogilvy & Mather created the tagline that transformed financial products into essential companions.
Question 3
“Strong enough for him, made for her”
Answer
Kitchen gadget? Secret deodorant by Procter & Gamble owned this hilariously gendered 1970s-1980s tagline. Marketing convinced consumers that their identical antiperspirant formula somehow needed gender-specific versions, despite the chemistry remaining unchanged.
Question 4
“When you care enough to send the very best”
Answer
Candy? Perfume? Hallmark Cards exclusively owned this 1944 signature line. Born from Ed Goodman’s 3×5 card notes, it became advertising’s most enduring slogan, elevating greeting cards from practical items to emotional necessities.
Question 5
“Reach out and touch someone”
Answer
Lotion? Razor? AT&T’s Bell System exclusively owned this 1979 jingle promoting long-distance calling. Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase. N.W. Ayer agency created emotional marketing, transforming boring telecommunications into relationship tools.
Question 6
More fun than a toy, more useful than a tool”
Answer
Late-night gadget? While no brand owned this exact phrase, it typified the marketing of Ronco and K-Tel in the 1970s. Ron Popeil’s Veg-O-Matic and Pocket Fisherman promised products that transcended standard categories.
Question 7
“Because you’re worth it”
Answer
Deodorant? Chocolates? L’Oreal Paris owned this revolutionary 1971 line exclusively. Copywriter Ilon Specht at the McCann agency wrote it during the rise of feminism. L’Oreal’s Preference hair color campaign completely transformed beauty advertising.
How’d you do?
These taglines sold feelings over features brilliantly across decades of consumer culture. Mystery created desire while specificity killed dreams completely. Vague glamour lets consumers project their own personal fantasies onto products perfectly.
Related:
- ’80s sitcom theme songs you still can’t get out of your head decades later
- The 20 greatest one-hit wonders from the ’80s
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