18 Memorable Ad Questions

Ad slogans and taglines generally come to us in the form of a declaration. Like, It takes a licking and keeps on ticking; or With a name like Smuckers....it has to be good; or Good to the last drop. But my favorites have always been the ones that beg you to answer a question. Here are 18 of the most memorable ad questions. If we left one of your favorites off the list, drop a comment and let us know!

1. Got milk?

Brand: California Milk Processor Board
Ad Campaign Launched: 1993
That $10,000 trivia question: Serious _flossers should remember that very first ad that ran on TV, featuring the history buff who had to answer the question: "Who shot Alexander Hamilton in that famous duel?" (A. Sitting Vice President Aaron Burr, of course, in 1804.)

2. Have you driven a Ford lately?

Brand: Ford
Ad Campaign Launched: 1982
Can you say Sigma?: The original name of the Ford Taurus was Sigma. But the brass at Ford didn't like the name. So it was changed to Taurus because the top two men running the Sigma rollout had wives who were born under the astrological sign Taurus.

3. Can you hear me now?

Brand: Verizon Wireless
Ad Campaign Launched: 2002
Who is that guy? Paul Marcarelli, an actor and a writer. He has a twin brother named Matthew, a highly decorated lieutenant at the New Haven Fire Department.

4. Where do you want to go today?

Brand: Microsoft
Ad Campaign Launched: 1994
Madison Ave? Not quite. The tagline was the work of a Portland, Oregon-based firm called Wieden+Kennedy. Dan Wieden and David Kennedy were the guys who cooked up the famous Nike tagline: Just do it.

5. Do you"¦ Yahoo!?

Brand: Yahoo!
Ad Campaign Launched: 1996
Yah-ching!: There are more Yahoo! e-mail accounts around the world than twice the population of Mexico. Yahoo stands for: Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.

6. Does she or doesn't she?

Brand: Clairol
Ad Campaign Launched:1964
What's in a name? Started in 1931, the name Clairol comes from a hair-coloring preparation found in France while the company's founders were traveling there.

7. Where's the beef?

Brand: Wendy's
Ad Campaign Launched:1984
Watch it now:

8. How do you spell relief?

Brand: Rolaids
Ad Campaign Launched:1970s
What's in a name? It's reportedly derived from the old-school packaging: a foil roll (like Lifesavers, etc.)

9. Is it live, or is it Memorex?

Brand: Memorex
Ad Campaign Launched:1971
Did you know? Ella Fitzgerald appeared in an early ad:

10. This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?

Brand: Partnership for a Drug Free America
Ad Campaign Launched: 1987
Did you know? While most remember the tag line I've printed above, the one that actually aired on television was, "This is your brain. This is drugs. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?"

11. Aren't you glad you use Dial? Don't you wish everyone did?

Brand: Dial
Ad Campaign Launched:1953
Blast from the past:The 1950s were a great period for TV spots. 

12. Did somebody say McDonalds?

Brand: McDonalds
Ad Campaign Launched: 1997
Did somebody say hit the slopes? Forget Drive-thrus. Did you know that in Sälen, Sweden, one of the McY D'z sports ski-thru service?

13. What would you do for a Klondike bar?

Brand: Good Humor-Breyers
Ad Campaign Launched:Early 1982
Did you know? The original Klondike hit the market in 1929 and was only sold in PA and Ohio until the 1970s. The polar bear has been on the wrapper since the beginning.

14. How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie-Roll center of a Tootsie-Pop?

Brand: Tootsie-Roll
Ad Campaign Launched: 1969
Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin': Unless you grew up in the '70s, you probably never saw the longer version, where the cartoon boy asks many different animals the classic question. It's the shortened version with the turtle and the owl most of us know, and it's still running today, making it one of the longest running commercials in history. Here's the original:

15. Doesn't your dog deserve ALPO?

Brand: Purina
Ad Campaign Launched: 1970s
What's in a name? ALPO is short for Allen Products, founded in 1936 by Robert F. Hunsicker in Allentown, PA.
Will the real spokesperson please stand up? ALPO has been blessed with not one, but three famous ad faces: Lorne Greene, Ed McMahon and Garfield.

16. Fun anyone?

Brand: Sony PlayStation
Ad Campaign Launched: 2003
PlayStation Fun Fact: It was originally intended as a CD add-on to the Super Nintendo. But then licensing problems and other issues popped up, so Sony decided to develop the PlayStation by itself.

17. Wassup?!

Brand: Anheuser-Busch Budweiser
Ad Campaign Launched: 1999
Wassup must come-a-down: Everyone knows about all the parodies, but did you know the slogan made its way into pop songs? According to Wiki: "Whazzup" by True Party reached #13 on the UK Singles Chart in 2000, and "Wassup" by Da Muttz (a nom de plume of producers Alex Rizzo and Elliot Ireland) hit #11 in the UK, and #12 on the Australian ARIAnet singles chart, also in 2000.

18. Pardon me. Do you have any Grey Poupon?

Brand: Grey Poupon
Ad Campaign Launched: 1980
Have you seen the original?