What Brands Would Survive in a World Without Advertising? (Reddit Discussion)

Add this stuff to your next plain cheese pizza slice and you'll see why Sriracha has an international fanbase.

There was an interesting thread on reddit's /r/AskReddit (a main sub) yesterday:

If advertising was made illegal (print, TV, internet ads, etc. not the packaging), which products do you think would survive based on customer loyalty, quality, or word of mouth?

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/28e1w4/if_advertising_was_made_illegal_print_tv_internet/

The results seem to match what I've been telling people for years: No matter how you dress it up, no matter how much you polish it, nothing really ever beats word of mouth and true value in the end.

Some of my favorite comments (copied as is):

Jiffy mix sells over 55% of all muffin mixes in the United States and they don't spend a dime on advertising.
user megobits

WD40
Ain't nobody seen an advertisement for WD40 but everyone's got a can in the shed.
user Einsatzkommando

The main cigarette brands. If putting death notices on packets doesn't stop people, no advertising at all certainly won't!
user TheWindBelow

Pretty much any type of doctor / physician. If I see an internist advertising on a billboard, I probably will be less likely to go see them -0 but if a friend tells me that doctor is good, that means the world to me.
Also probably colleges / universities. Again, the good ones wont advertise much and just survive on reputation.
user Best_Zyra_LAN

arizona drinks, they are very popular but i dont think ive ever seen a ad for them
user awesomo213

Q-Tips because the cheap ones will fuck up your ears.
user rwildhorseranch

That Sriracha sauce that everyone uses. That company has never advertised. Their product is popular because of word of mouth, and nothing else.
user ElDochart

Their product is popular because of taste in mouth, and nothing else.
user IJustNeedToMention in response to above Sriracha comment

My thoughts:

These are all good points, and I personally think there would be a simulataneous upsurge in quality local shops and as well as a strengthening of brand loyalty to existing market leaders who have stood the test of time.