We're Number Two. We try harder.

“We’re Number Two. We try harder.” is best known as the slogan of Avis Rent a Car System, introduced during a major 1960s advertising campaign that repositioned the company against market leader Hertz. Rather than claiming dominance, Avis embraced its second-place status to suggest greater effort, better service, and customer focus—an approach widely credited with helping revive the brand’s fortunes. The line became a classic example of “underdog” marketing and is frequently cited in advertising history as a turning point in how companies could leverage comparative disadvantage as a persuasive asset.

The quote converts a perceived weakness—being “Number Two”—into a moral and practical advantage: the underdog must work harder, pay closer attention, and innovate to compete. Its rhetorical power lies in candor and implied accountability: if you’re not the biggest, you can’t be complacent. More broadly, it functions as a motivational maxim about effort and humility, suggesting that status is less important than discipline and responsiveness. In business terms, it frames competition as service-driven rather than prestige-driven, inviting audiences to reward striving over dominance.

1) “Avis is only No. 2 in rent-a-cars. So why go with us? We try harder.”
2) “When you’re only No. 2, you try harder.”
3) “We’re No. 2. We try harder.”