Finish This Line – Need A Number Nifty?…
If you’re reading this, I am going to wager that you are probably based in Ireland…and you are likely speed reading these words, your brain frantically scanning to complete the line…
Call eleven eight fifty!!
If you are not familiar with Irish radio advertising from the noughties, this was a short ad that did the rounds – seemingly forever – at that weird point in history when we all had mobiles but hadn’t yet connected with the wonders of Google. 11850 was Ireland’s original independent Directory Enquiries service and through a mighty combination of repetition, distribution and memorization they ensured their number was never forgotten.
- 11850 didn’t need to connect with you on an emotional level.
- 11850 didn’t (to the best of my knowledge) invest in a premium logo and an expensive suite of brand assets.
- 11850 didn’t use influencers or hashtag-spon posts to spread their message.
But still to this day, whether you like it or not, their message is etched into a part of your brain, ready for spontaneous recall.
They made their message relevant, memorable when you’d need it most and they told the whole country about it again, and again, and again.
It was a genius one-liner that perfectly tied up the customer need (a number nifty) and the call to action (call 11850) in such a way that we simply couldn’t forget it.
So here's something to chew over...
- Do you have a one-liner for how you describe your business, products or services?
- If your customers were asked, would they offer the same one-liner to describe you?!
- When was the last time you shared your one-liner with the world?!
Share your one-liner below in the comments section, or tell us what your ear-worm radio ad is!
Thanks for reading
