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July 23, 2012

The Pause That Refreshes

At StartSampling, one of my favorite websites, they have weekly trivia contests and one of this week's is Know the SampleSlogan?

Try your luck at this contest. We've provided a slogan below. Can you guess the product?


Slogan -"The Pause that Refreshes"

I knew it without having to do a search. From the Wiki entry Coca-Cola slogans, "the pause that refreshes" was first used in 1929.  It's interesting how these slogans enter the zeitgeist and stick around long after they've quit being used for adverts. I still hear "Where's the beef?", the ubiquitous Wendy's commercial from 1984 being used as a punchline for jokes and replies to people griping about something inconsequential.



I remember other Coca-Cola slogans from my youth: "It's the real thing." (1969) and "I'd like to buy the world a Coke", the basis for the song "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing". (1971)



Another classic slogan for Coke was "Things go better with Coke". (1963)  I remember that one being used in TV ad campaigns and also because there was a joke that went through the rounds during that time when I was in grade school:

"What did dinosaurs used to eat?"

"I dunno, leaves and plants, I guess."

"Nope. Things. Know what dinosaurs used to drink?"

"What?"

"Coke. Know why?"

"Why?"

" 'Cause things go better with Coke."

A few years before they passed away, I went along with my folks on a trip to Lubbock, taking my mom to her eye doctor. We had stopped and had breakfast and I had consumed several cups of coffee along with the meal. About halfway to Lubbock, my back teeth were floating, if you catch my drift.

I suffered in silence for quite a few miles, knowing my dad didn't like to stop for anything during road trips, but I eventually had to speak up because it was starting to be very uncomfortable. We spied a truck stop and almost before Dad stopped, I was out of the car. I ran into the building and quickly found a bathroom.

Dad came into while I was standing at the urinal and went to a stall. (I must have inherited my "potty blush" from him ) From the sound of it, he needed to go nearly as badly as I did. I was washing my hands when Dad came out of the stall and started washing his own hands. We didn't speak, but suddenly Pop said:  "Y'know, Coca-Cola had it all wrong."

"How's that, Dad?" I asked.

"THIS is the pause that refreshes." he said with a grin on his face.

1 comment:

Barb said...

LOL, you did it to me again. I was off in video land for at least a half an hour. Fun post Mike, enjoyed it!