Why Gruber, 'one call that's all' and the free T-shirt are iconic in Milwaukee

One call, that’s all.

It’s not a particularly unusual slogan. Milwaukee isn’t home to the only law firm that has used it. But say those words around Milwaukee, and you’ll get immediate recognition, and probably a smile. Is it weird that simply saying the slogan or name of a personal injury lawyer, albeit a locally famous one, can cultivate ... joy?

David Gruber, the lawyer in question, has been using the slogan in TV advertisements since the late 1990s, born from a collaboration with a Dallas media company.

He looks into the camera and punctuates every ad with those famous four words, a catchphrase that has become the dictum around which his entire brand has been constructed.

The celebrity lawyer can be found in the first few rows of Milwaukee sporting events and has partnered with just about every major sports operation in the city, a nod to his lengthy interest in athletics.

And it’s not hard to score a “Gruber Law Office” T-shirt at a sporting event or at street fairs around the city, the perfect giveaway to spread the Gruber gospel and let everyone around you know how Milwaukee you are.

See the rest of Milwaukee's 100 objects

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why Gruber and 'one call that's all' are iconic in Milwaukee