Brylcreem–A little dab'll do ya.

“Brylcreem—A little dab’ll do ya” is a mid-20th-century American advertising slogan for Brylcreem, a hair-grooming product (a pomade/cream) marketed for achieving a neat, glossy hairstyle. The line became widely recognizable through radio and later television commercials and jingles, emphasizing that only a small amount of the product was needed. Its catchiness helped it enter everyday speech as a shorthand for using something sparingly. Because it functioned as copywriting rather than a literary utterance, it is often attributed to “Anonymous” or to the brand’s advertising rather than to a single identifiable author.

The slogan’s core message is economy and restraint: a minimal quantity produces the desired effect. As advertising language, it reassures consumers that the product is efficient and therefore a good value, while also implying ease of use and a controlled, polished appearance. Culturally, the phrase outlived its immediate commercial purpose, becoming an idiom for moderation—using just enough, not too much. Its rhythmic, colloquial phrasing (“dab’ll”) and direct address (“do ya”) are designed for memorability, illustrating how jingles and slogans can shape vernacular speech.

Brylcreem—just a little dab’ll do ya.
A little dab’ll do ya.
Brylcreem… a little dab’ll do ya.