The Four-Letter Word That Changed Advertising History

No, not that four-letter word.

No, not any of the four-letter words you’re thinking of.

The four-letter word is just. And the product being advertised was potato chips.

In 1963, the Young & Rubicam ad agency hired the actor Bert Lahr — still remembered fondly as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz (1939) — to star in a series of TV spots for Lay’s potato chips. The point of the ads: the chips are so good, they’re addictive. The tagline: “Betcha can’t eat one.”

Listen closely to this TV commercial from early in the ad campaign:

Here’s a spot from 1967; the quality is poor, but it makes the point:

“Betcha can’t eat one.”