---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Advertising is the foot on the…"
description: "\"Advertising is the foot on the accelerator, the hand on the throttle, the spur on the flank that keeps our economy surging forward.\" — Robert W. Sarnoff"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/robert-w-sarnoff-88363_advertising_advertising-is-the-foot-on-the-accelerat_2467238.jpg"
---

#  Advertising is the foot on the accelerator, the hand on…

![“Advertising is the foot on the accelerator, the hand on the throttle, the spur on the flank that keeps our economy surging forward.” quote by Robert W. Sarnoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/robert-w-sarnoff-88363_advertising_advertising-is-the-foot-on-the-accelerat_2467238.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/robert-w-sarnoff-88363_advertising_advertising-is-the-foot-on-the-accelerat_2467238.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/robert-w-sarnoff-88363_advertising_advertising-is-the-foot-on-the-accelerat_2467238.jpg)

> “Advertising is the foot on the accelerator, the hand on the throttle, the spur on the flank that keeps our economy surging forward.”

Robert W. Sarnoff

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Economic growth is driven by proactive, aggressive marketing actions that accelerate activity.

**In simple terms:** Marketing fuels economic momentum.

Key Takeaway

Use bold marketing to drive growth.

Themes

economy marketing growth acceleration

Mood

energetic optimistic

Type

motivational strategic

When to use this quote

- product launches
- advertising campaigns
- market expansion
- brand awareness
- sales drives

Key Concepts

Capitalism consumer behavior innovation

Questions to Reflect On

- How can marketing be balanced with product integrity?
- What risks arise from aggressive promotion?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on marketing can neglect product quality or sustainability.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/)

## Related quotes

> [Progress in human affairs is more often a pull than a push, surging forward of the exceptional man, and the lifting of his duller…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/progress-in-human-affairs-is-more-often-a-pull-than-a-push-surging/)

[W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/)

> [I tend to look at things from the supply side, looking for ways to make it less expensive to do more production. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-toomey/i-tend-to-look-at-things-from-the-supply-side-looking-for-ways-to/)

[Pat Toomey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-toomey/)

> [Advertising is the spur on the flank that keeps modern company-helping economy out of hand till the day common sense is restored, if ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-sarnoff/advertising-is-the-spur-on-the-flank-that-keeps-modern-company/)

Robert W. Sarnoff

> [The drivers have one foot on the brake, one on the clutch and one on the throttle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-varsha/the-drivers-have-one-foot-on-the-brake-one-on-the-clutch-and-one-on/)

[Bob Varsha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-varsha/)

> [“Always stalled by hidden fears, Always stuck in neutral gears Until I gave the driver's seat away. Take my life and make it real.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newsboys/always-stalled-by-hidden-fears-always-stuck-in-neutral-gears-until-i/)

[Newsboys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newsboys/)

> [ A theory deeply etched in our law \[is that\] a free society prefers to punish the few who abuse the rights of free speech… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/a-theory-deeply-etched-in-our-law-is-that-a-free-society-prefers-to/)

[Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/)

> [I think I just have an idea in my head about how big an adventure game should be, so it's hard for me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-think-i-just-have-an-idea-in-my-head-about-how-big-an-adventure/)

[Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/)

> [I believe you make your own luck. My motto is ‘It’s always a mistake not to go.’ So I jump on the airplane, try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-brokaw/i-believe-you-make-your-own-luck-my-motto-is-it-s-always-a-mistake/)

[Tom Brokaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-brokaw/)

> [There's so much more power, so you're short-shifting all the way down into fifth, sixth, seventh before you can get the full throttle. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/there-s-so-much-more-power-so-you-re-short-shifting-all-the-way-down/)

[Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/)

> [Life without sex might be safer but it would be unbearably dull. It is the sex instinct which makes women seem beautiful, which they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/life-without-sex-might-be-safer-but-it-would-be-unbearably-dull-it-is/)

[H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/)

> [“If I have to use another leaf on that man, I'll revive just so I can throttle him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-cato/if-i-have-to-use-another-leaf-on-that-man-i-ll-revive-just-so-i-can/)

[Beth Cato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-cato/)

> [The past explains how I got here, but the future is up to me -and I love to live life at full throttle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-dickinson/the-past-explains-how-i-got-here-but-the-future-is-up-to-me-and-i/)

[Janice Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-dickinson/)

> [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/)

[Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/)

> [I am alive. Up here with the song of the engine and the air whispering on my face as the sunlight and shadows play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-coonts/i-am-alive-up-here-with-the-song-of-the-engine-and-the-air-whispering/)

[Stephen Coonts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-coonts/)

> [My idea for 'BoneMan's Daughters' came from the loss of my own daughter when she left home to live with a monster at age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/my-idea-for-boneman-s-daughters-came-from-the-loss-of-my-own-daughter/)

[Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/)

## More by Robert W. Sarnoff

> [“Finance is the art of passing money from hand to hand until it finally disappears.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-sarnoff/finance-is-the-art-of-passing-money-from-hand-to-hand-until-it/)

Robert W. Sarnoff

> [Advertising is the spur on the flank that keeps modern company-helping economy out of hand till the day common sense is restored, if ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-sarnoff/advertising-is-the-spur-on-the-flank-that-keeps-modern-company/)

Robert W. Sarnoff

Explore all 3 Robert W. Sarnoff quotes

## More Advertising quotes

> [I saw this anti-drug commercial that showed a kid smoking pot in his dad's room with his friend. This kid finds a gun, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-saw-this-anti-drug-commercial-that-showed-a-kid-smoking-pot-in-his/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest-it is much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gossage/advertising-justifies-its-existence-when-used-in-the-public-interest/)

[Howard Gossage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gossage/)

> [“Don't wait, just sweat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/don-t-wait-just-sweat/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [We have the capital, the resources, and the technology that we need to build a mobile advertising platform across the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-tewari/we-have-the-capital-the-resources-and-the-technology-that-we-need-to/)

[Naveen Tewari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-tewari/)

> [“Never run advertising until the major publicity possibilities have been exploited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-ries/never-run-advertising-until-the-major-publicity-possibilities-have/)

[Al Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-ries/)

> [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/)

[William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/)

> [I like Valentine's Day. The trouble is the florists and the candy-makers and the card people are all advertising so much, you don't dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/i-like-valentine-s-day-the-trouble-is-the-florists-and-the-candy/)

[Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/)

> [I happened to be spotted by a modeling agent who offered me a part-time job at 16. Everything happened very quickly after that -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-happened-to-be-spotted-by-a-modeling-agent-who-offered-me-a-part/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [They say that Madison Avenue will only pay high dollars in advertising if they get the 18-35 age range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-gless/they-say-that-madison-avenue-will-only-pay-high-dollars-in/)

[Sharon Gless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-gless/)

> [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [I've driven people mad on films that I've made - I want more takes; I want to try new lines. Then I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-ve-driven-people-mad-on-films-that-i-ve-made-i-want-more-takes-i/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [This hype word bothers me though It always sounds like an accusation, what does it mean, advertising, column inches in the press? Bands themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-johnson/this-hype-word-bothers-me-though-it-always-sounds-like-an-accusation/)

[Holly Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-johnson/)

> [I'm supposed to be taking time off. But I'm still writing and I have this Gap advert lined up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-stone/i-m-supposed-to-be-taking-time-off-but-i-m-still-writing-and-i-have/)

[Joss Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-stone/)

> [Any seeming deception in a statement is costly, not only in the expense of the advertising but in the detrimental effect produced upon the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wanamaker/any-seeming-deception-in-a-statement-is-costly-not-only-in-the/)

[John Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wanamaker/)

[Browse all 1,942 Advertising quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Advertising is the foot on the accelerator, the hand on the throttle, the spur on the flank that keeps our economy surging forward.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert W. Sarnoff"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-sarnoff/advertising-is-the-foot-on-the-accelerator-the-hand-on-the-throttle/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Advertising"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-sarnoff/advertising-is-the-foot-on-the-accelerator-the-hand-on-the-throttle/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/robert-w-sarnoff-88363_advertising_advertising-is-the-foot-on-the-accelerat_2467238.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/robert-w-sarnoff-88363_advertising_advertising-is-the-foot-on-the-accelerat_2467238.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14f/robert-w-sarnoff-88363_advertising_advertising-is-the-foot-on-the-accelerat_2467238.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Advertising is the foot on the accelerator, the hand on the throttle, the spur on the flank that keeps our…” — Robert W. Sarnoff",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Robert W. Sarnoff",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-sarnoff/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Advertising is the foot on the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-sarnoff/advertising-is-the-foot-on-the-accelerator-the-hand-on-the-throttle/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-sarnoff/advertising-is-the-foot-on-the-accelerator-the-hand-on-the-throttle/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
