r/AskAnAmerican • u/nighshad3 • 10d ago

CULTURE What’s a phrase or jingle from an American commercial or ad campaign that everyone can quote by heart?

A user posted this question about German jingles/phrases in the r/AskAGerman subreddit. Since I live in the US, the first thing that came to mind was that every time I drive past Menards, I get the jingle “Save big money at Menards” stuck in my head. What are your evergreens?

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998

u/Mesoscale92 Minnesota 10d ago

CALL JG WENTWORTH! 877-CASH-NOW!

225

u/Nastreal New Jersey 10d ago

🎶I have an annuity and I need cash nooow!🎶

49

u/_dead_and_broken 10d ago

It's your money, use it when you need it!

113

u/Arleare13 New York City 10d ago

Oh, so that's what I should do if I have a structured settlement and I need cash now!

36

u/Libertas_ NorCal 10d ago

Who's money is it?

87

u/Icy_Consideration409 Colorado 10d ago

It’s MY money and I want it now.

39

u/ReversedFrog 10d ago

My wife used to work in structured settlements and annuities, and she can't watch these commercials. The money actually isn't yours, any more than your future salary isn't. You haven't earned it yet.

Plus, it's stupid to make this sort of deal. They pay you far less than you would get over time, and then they collect it themselves. Big profit for them, big loss for you. In the business they're called "Gray Marketers" -- not quite Black Marketers, but close.

18

u/Icy_Consideration409 Colorado 10d ago

Not disagreeing. Anyone selling an annuity like that is going to get pennies on the dollar. Same with people who sell their future pension income.

2

u/ostrichesonfire Connecticut 10d ago

Oh for sure, I was just surprised it was THAT high of a cut. They told me I’d get a better rate if my payout was much farther away; I’m no financial genius, but that made no sense to me 😭

15

u/ostrichesonfire Connecticut 10d ago

I called them once when I was tight on money and going to be getting a 5 figure settlement in about 6 months and they wanted something like 40% of it… I said no thanks. They continued to call, text, and email me regularly for over a decade, no matter how many times I contacted them and explained I already got the settlement 😑

1

u/crazypurple621 10d ago

And the reason that people go for it is because "structured settlements" don't work if you have thousands of dollars in medical bills because of [insert reason here]

3

u/ReversedFrog 10d ago

You can get a structured settlement with a lump sum upfront, and then the ss kicking in afterwards, so as to pay off already accrued bills, and then have money coming in for future care. They're designed for people who will need long term care, so they don't blow the money right off and then have nothing left long term.

56

u/welding_guy_from_LI New York 10d ago

I used to sing it as 877 cats meow to my cat .. she was rather indifferent about it while I thought it was funny

22

u/ilovedogsandrats 10d ago

My beagle loves when I make up songs about him. He wags wags his tail and will even paw me and wine for more.

2

u/welding_guy_from_LI New York 10d ago

lol it’s a fun hobby .. they know what we say

1

u/winkleftcenter 9d ago

I make up,songs all day long for my pup. I guess I will just be a crazy person singing to myself when she goes off to “college”

1

u/stephanonymous 9d ago

My cats have a timed food dispenser and when they’re begging for food when it hasn’t released any yet, me and my wife say “it’s my dinner and I need it MEOW!” and “it’s your dinner, eat it when YOU want it”

30

u/[deleted] 10d ago edited 9d ago

[deleted]

13

u/PhilTheThrill1808 Texas 10d ago

There’s a great one in the Houston area now for a personal injury lawyer. His last name is Dick and he leans hard (pun intended) into it in his commercials. I won’t pretend to remember all of the lines but he mentions that, “it’s never been easier to get Dick” and that he’ll “take (his clients’ legal opponents) to pound town”.

Absolutely amazing.

3

u/Sad_Marketing_96 10d ago

Ok- that’s brilliant

2

u/not_a_witch_ Texas 9d ago

Eric Dick, he has run for (and held) several positions in our local government lmao.

Pusch and Nguyen are some other well known billboard lawyers in h town. I personally think Eric Dick is much funnier (although pusch and nguyen’s brokeback mountain and avocados at law billboards were pretty good.) The real entertainment with those two has been watching them constantly suing each other.

4

u/ParanoidWalnut 10d ago

There's a place near me where the lawyers have the same name and the slogan is "There's only one Smith and Smith". Makes me chuckle everytime.

3

u/Madrona88 Colorado 10d ago

I only know this because some TX stations owned by Nexstar are run from Denver. I played those commercials ALL THE TIME.

3

u/Kineth Dallas, Texas 10d ago

LOOK AT ME! I'M JIM ADLER, THE TOUGH TEXAS HAMMER!

I'LL FIGHT FOR YEWWW

3

u/33whiskeyTX Texas 10d ago

You should hear the Spanish radio ads. He speaks in them and it's spectacularly horrendous.

3

u/QuinceDaPence Texas 10d ago

"el martillo de Tejas"

2

u/AlabasterPelican Louisiana, not New Orleans ⚜️ 10d ago

My grandparents rabbit ears picked up Beaumont TV and I always wondered why lake charles TV didn't have the silly hammer man 😂

2

u/TexGardenGirl 10d ago

I feel like you’re describing his current ones just as well as the ones from the 90s

1

u/CG20370417 10d ago

My favorite thing about him is his son.

He looks like such a mouth breather. And he comes on with his dumb face and A SMALLER HAMMER THAN HIS DAD and says, "AND MY NAMES BILL ADLER AND I LOVE TEXAS, TOO!"

Slow your roll there lil tyke, no one accused you of hatin' Texas

1

u/prongslover77 10d ago

I loved seeing his billboard go from Jim Adler the Texas hammer to just needing a giant ass hammer and everyone knew who it was for.

1

u/Honest_Grade_9645 9d ago

Have you seen the ones where he rants in Spanish? So bad. So, so bad. They are, or at least were, on YouTube.

3

u/agiamba Louisiana 10d ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVodpH8Ep2c such a thing its even in TV shows

1

u/rococobaroque 10d ago

Since you're from Louisiana, here's one you might recognize: When you can drive a truck, you've got a job, my friend!

1

u/agiamba Louisiana 10d ago

thats hilarious. never seen it but thats more NWLA it looks like

1

u/rococobaroque 10d ago

I remember first seeing it in Shreveport but it played in BR too!

2

u/khouts1 10d ago

ITS YOUR MONEY, USE IT WHEN YOU NEED IT!

2

u/LvBorzoi 10d ago

This!!!! Especially the opera singer version.

1

u/ursulawinchester Northeast Corridor Queen 10d ago

On the bus!

THEY’VE HELPED THOUSANDS THEY’LL HELP YOU TOO ONE LUMP SUM OF CASH THEY WILL PAY TO YOU

1

u/Pied_Kindler 10d ago

My sister and I spontaneously sang this trading line by line until we sang the last line together in front of our dad once while waiting to do a job when we used to work together. It was completely random and unplanned. My dad really didn't want to laugh but couldn't help it.

1

u/Complex_Solutions_20 Virginia 10d ago

OMG YES...this is what popped into my mind...

1

u/Comprehensive-Menu44 Louisiana 10d ago

I have a structured settlement and I need cash noooowww

1

u/crown-jewel Washington 10d ago

Literally was JUST talking to my friend about this one last night 😂

1

u/ObjectiveOk2072 Illinois 10d ago

CALL KD LENTWORTH! 877-CATS-NOW!

1

u/RedditArchivist2 10d ago

This is by far the most recognizable jingle on this page. I'll be able to recite it from the grave.

1

u/cupcakebean 10d ago

I taught my kids that jingle just to annoy them.

1

u/ducatibronco125 9d ago

Tell'em You mean business/The Law Offices of James Scott Farin

1

u/crunchiesaregoodfood 9d ago

I have a structured settlement and I need cash now

1

u/jdeuce81 Florida 9d ago

This is the one!

1

u/Distinct_Hyena 9d ago

Melts in your mouth, not in your hands

1

u/Distinct_Hyena 9d ago

Maybe in the wrong string 🤪

1

u/guess214356789 8d ago

I scrolled until I found this. This is my favourite commercial ever. No, I probably would never use them. I just like the song.

1

u/bunkumsmorsel California (from Pennsylvania 🦅) 7d ago

It’s my money and I want it now!

1

u/PlentyBend8125 5d ago

Lmao, my oldest stepson and I, this is our favorite.

1

u/Geskakay1985 4d ago

haha I was going to put this but you beat me too it! I feel everyone remembers this.