For TV ads, it tilted toward tedium, but I think #Volkswagen has given its scandal-ridden reputation a respectable nudge back into the marketplace with commercials hinging on a single word. Really. Check this out.

The impact reminded me of a #Geico insurance commercial, done in Civil War daguerreotype style, in which Mary Lincoln asks Honest Abe how attractive she looks in 1860s dress. From innocuous to memorable. Here’s a reminder.

But the all-time champ of to-the-point remarks remains Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe’s reply to the German demand for surrender at the Battle of the Bulge. Here’s a recollection from the US Army website.

John G. Taylor is owner of JT Communications Company. Write to him at jtcommunicates@comcast.net.