This 1992 ad for UK soft drink Tango is possibly the author’s favourite of all time. In it, a man takes a gulp of Tango and is suddenly rushed and slapped across the face by a plump, orange-painted man in shorts. The ad ends with the iconic voice-over: “You know when you’ve been Tango’d.” Surprising, funny, and unlike anything else at the time, it grabbed attention and stuck in people’s minds. Crucially, the brand and its intense flavour ‘hit’ was central to the action and reinforced by the memorable endline - a great example of how a bold visual metaphor can vividly bring a product benefit to life. The ad captured the public imagination, with the slogan entering everyday language and children mimicking the slap in playgrounds (eventually leading to the ad’s withdrawal, sadly). While hard data is limited, the campaign is widely credited with boosting immediate sales by over a third and doubling market share within two years.

Sources:
- The ad itself.
- Marketing Week article.