Turnaround · United States · 1962–1966
Avis ‘We Try Harder’: turning second place into a selling point
Avis, a distant second to Hertz and losing money for years, admitted it was number two and promised to ‘try harder’. Within about a year it became profitable.
By Shivam Bhandari · Reviewed 31 October 2026 · How we write
by the numbers
- Campaign launch
- 1962
- Return to profit
- within about a year
- Slogan lifespan
- about 50 years
What happened
In the early 1960s Avis was a distant second to Hertz in US car rental and had lost money for over a decade. New CEO Robert Townsend hired agency DDB.
Copywriter Paula Green and the team created ads stating plainly: ‘Avis is only No. 2 in rent a cars. So why go with us? We try harder.’ The campaign explained that, as underdog, Avis had to keep cars cleaner and counters faster. Employees wore ‘We try harder’ buttons, so the promise shaped behaviour.
Avis turned a loss into a profit within about a year, and its market share grew substantially over the next few years. The slogan was used for about 50 years.
Timeline
- 1962
‘We Try Harder’ launches.
- 1963
Avis becomes profitable.
what made it work
- Honest positioning as the underdog.
- Promise turned into employee behaviour.
- Clear reason to choose the challenger.
the lesson
Being number two can be a strength if you turn it into a clear promise customers believe — and staff deliver.
Apply it to your business
- 1Use your position honestly in your messaging.
- 2Make your promise part of daily behaviour.
- 3Give customers a reason to choose the challenger.
Laws at work in this story
Figures are rounded and drawn from public reports, company filings and widely cited coverage at the time. Check the company's latest filings before relying on any number.