In 2007, DJ Khaled released his second studio album, We the Best. With it, he introduced the now-famous ‘We the Best!’ catchphrase.
This wasn’t just a tagline. It was a rallying cry. A brand. Khaled’s proclamation was unapologetic energy, loud and proud. In hip-hop culture, being humble isn’t a winning strategy. Confidence is a must. You gotta roll with swagger and drop lines like “I’m a god” or “f*** tha police” without blinking. It’s survival of the fittest. Anything less, and you’re just like a background dancer in a K-pop video. No offense.
But let’s pause the beat and switch to marketing for a minute. You see, unlike hip-hop where bragging is king, marketing success often depends on who you’re talking to. In other words, know your audience before screaming “We the best” or popping champagne before the race is won.
Take Carlsberg, for instance. Back in the early 1970s, they were trying to woo women in the UK with their beer, which was described as “blonde.” Sounds classy, right? Wrong. The whole thing was a flop.
So, Carlsberg and their ad agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, went back to the drawing board. They needed a pivot. A rebrand of some sort. And that’s when they birthed one of the most iconic taglines in advertising history: “Probably the best beer in the world.”
Take a moment to admire the sheer brilliance of that line. It’s confident, but not cocky. It doesn’t claim greatness like “We the best”, it suggests it. Think of it like a British gentleman handing you a pint and saying, “Give it a go, bruva. Might blow your mind.”
That single word, “probably,” was a winning move. Carlsberg didn’t say they were the best. They probably were. But the genius of the tagline lay in its restraint. That word probably made you think, “Hmm… they might actually be.” And most importantly, it felt honest.
Now, let’s be clear, Carlsberg wasn’t positioning itself as the little guy. In fact, it was a well-established brand in many markets. Instead, “Probably the best beer in the world” was underdog marketing that used ironic understatement to build trust and charm.
This isn’t a one-off trick either. In the 1960s, Avis was struggling against the dominant Hertz in the car rental market. Instead of pretending to be “the best,” they embraced their underdog status with pride and introduced “We’re number two. We try harder.” The campaign was a massive success, increasing Avis’s market share significantly.
Sometimes it’s the less obvious that wins you gold. Look, humans have a tendency to resist direct requests or proclamations. It is why we ignore signs that say “Don’t Touch” and immediately reach for whatever’s behind the glass.
Using reverse psychology and leaning into suggestion often beats outright declaration. “We the best” might work in the rap game, where staying humble is illegal. But in marketing, a whisper can beat a shout.
So, in a world full of DJ Khaleds, be Carlsberg. Be the cool guy who might be a billionaire but doesn’t need to say it. Because if you have to say you’re the best… you probably aren’t. Probably.
