Just when you think all the rules of advertising have gone out the door, along comes a brave knight and “Dilly, Dilly.”

Dilly, Dilly reminds us all that marketing is not full of absolutes. It is an art and science, but sometimes the art needs to lead.

So what do we know about Dilly, Dilly:

• It didn’t test well, but was approved in spite of the initial negative reactions
• It was launched on broadcast television
• It is memorable
• It is not corporate speak
• It was born out of the popularity of an HBO show, “Game of Thrones”
• It had high frequency (often a forgotten part of successful marketing)
• It had great strategy behind it to increase sales and not just be funny
• It doesn’t really mean anything; it is just a fun phrase to say
• It is a success in traditional and new media, so it easily crosses platforms

And to those who believe, “You don’t need a theme or branding line in advertising anymore,” all I can say is Dilly, Dilly, and pass the Bud Light.