When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.

When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” is best known as an advertising slogan associated with the U.S. courier and logistics industry, widely linked in popular memory to Federal Express (FedEx) and the rise of guaranteed overnight delivery as a mass-market service in the late 20th century. The line reflects a period when time-definite shipping became a competitive differentiator for businesses and consumers, and when ad copy emphasized certainty (“absolutely, positively”) to counter anxieties about reliability. Because slogans are often collaboratively produced by agencies and revised across campaigns, the wording is frequently treated as “anonymous” in quotation collections.

The sentence is a compact promise of reliability under pressure. Its force comes from the escalating adverbs—“absolutely, positively”—which mimic spoken emphasis and convey zero tolerance for delay. Beyond literal shipping, it has become a shorthand for any situation where speed and certainty matter more than cost: urgent business documents, critical parts, or last-minute obligations. As a cultural catchphrase, it also illustrates how commercial language can enter everyday speech, turning a brand-style guarantee into a general expression of urgency and dependable performance.

1) “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight, FedEx.”
2) “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” (standalone tagline)
3) “When it absolutely, positively has to be there the next day.”