The Quicker Picker Upper: Quality Brand Recall (or How I Learned TV Was Brainwashing My Child)
I had one of those “aha” moments recently — the kind that smacks you with how powerful (and sneakily effective) good branding and marketing can be. I was wandering through the grocery store with my four-year-old daughter, Charlie, when she pointed to a stack of paper towels and casually declared, “The quicker picker-upper.”
I stopped in my tracks.
“What’d you say, kiddo?”
She pointed again. “The Quicker Picker Upper,” she repeated matter-of-factly, nodding at the stack of Bounty paper towels on the bottom shelf.
Now, keep in mind that Charlie can’t read yet. She didn’t see the words on the package. But she knew, somehow, someway, that the paper towels were Bounty brand, and the iconic jingle had lodged itself into her tiny little brain.
“How do you know about the Quicker Picker Upper, Char?” I asked.
Her answer? “A commercial on TV told me. It picks up spills people make by mistake.”
Bounty, you glorious, absorbent geniuses — you’ve managed to cement your product in the mind of a preschooler who still struggles to count above 39. That’s not just advertising. That’s a masterclass in brand recall.
A Lesson in Absorbent Advertising
I’ve spent nearly two decades in television and film — I know how hard it is to craft a message that sticks. We’d burn hours in post-production, tweaking punchlines, rewriting titles, or perfecting final scenes, all in the hopes of making just one moment memorable.
But Charlie’s paper towel proclamation reminded me: branding isn’t just about reach. It’s about resonance. The kind that transcends key demos, media platforms, and even reading ability.
Bounty’s been running with “The Quicker Picker Upper” since the 1960s — with Rosie the waitress mopping up messes in its commercials. The company evolved, the product improved, the commercials changed — but the brand stayed consistent.
That tagline has outlived most of pop culture. It is pop culture. It’s sticky (pun 100% intended).
So What Can We Learn from a Paper Towel?
First, simplicity. “The Quicker Picker Upper” is easy to remember, says what it does, and is kind of fun to say. Perhaps the nursery rhyme nature of it is why my four-year-old can recall it effortlessly.
Second, consistency. Bounty didn’t abandon its message after one campaign or pivot to a new slogan the next quarter. It stayed the course, and the long game paid off. Something not all clients have the patience for sometimes.
Third — and most important — great branding makes a connection. It becomes part of our daily lives, a part of pop culture. Like a little voice in a grocery aisle reminded me.
The Wiser Advertiser Memorizer
At Mint, we believe in the power of moments like this — the “Quicker Picker Upper” kind. The ones that stick.
We’re not just in the business of creating ads — we’re in the business of making memories. And sometimes, that starts with a jingle, a logo, or a preschooler pointing at paper towels.
So yeah, maybe TV is brainwashing my child. But at least it’s doing it with a solid brand strategy.