Cliches are the most widely hated thing among all English teachers, designers, and advertisers. Why though? We use cliches (at least most of us do) almost daily. Most of the time we don't' even think about it when we do it. It seems almost natural as a way of explaining complex ideas in a simple form. So why are cliches bad? Here''s a brief list explaining why you should stray away from cliches not only in advertising, but everyday life.
1. It gives the reader/listener/viewer permission to stop engaging with the content.
Kurt Vonnegut's novel Hocus Pocus has this passage: " Profanity gives people an excuse to stop listening to what you say." Similarly, cliches create the idea of "I've heard this already" or a feeling they know what you're going to say. People generally like to believe they're fairly intelligent, so when they are presented with a situation, a series of words, or an idea they are familiar with their brain often shuts down. People don't want to hear you spout the same thing they've heard a thousand times. When you do, no matter what the context, they'll immediately assume they already know what you're talking about. This mental drowning out of your message can make you blend in with your competitors rather than stand out.
2. Cliches are often wrong, misinterpreted, or have changed to mean something else over time.
"You can't have your cake and eat it too". Sounds absolutely ridiculous when taken out of context. Originally, the phrase was something similar to, "You can't eat your cake, then have it again afterwards". Referring to the impossibility of eating a cake and still having it to eat. Things like this make cliches a bad idea for advertising because they are easily misunderstood, wrong, or the very worst, draw attention to itself rather than your business. Advertising should always play second to the business being advertised. Just because something is catchy, good, or entertaining doesn't necessarily mean it's effective.
3. Cliches are generally cultural
Often cliches result from cultural idioms from the past. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink" Probably refers to stubborn horses in the desert. I don't own horses, nor have I ever ridden one. Although I can understand the message behind this cliche, its cultural impact is largely lost on me because of this. These cultural references only resonate strongly to those cultures which they came from. Some cultures may have complete opposite views and will completely misunderstand such cliches. When creating advertising, unless it is specifically called for by the audience you are trying to reach, you should try to avoid cultural references if at all possible.
4. Visual and auditory cliches are as harmful as written cliches.
Just because something is designed or recorded doesn't make it immune from cliches. Right now I want you to think about every 1-800 infomercial you've ever seen. I'm willing to bet you can think of many things they all have in common. When creating an advertisement, one size does not fit all (both literally and figuratively). Your ad should be designed and details about what makes your business unique. Avoid cliche selling propositions of other businesses. Visual cliches can be things like common scene transitions (star wipes, etc.), sparkling effects, or the "this competitor's product in black and white" and "our product in full color" comparison. These make you look like everyone before you and your message gets lost in the confusion of media. Audio cliches can be things like canned sounds, laugh-tracks or unimaginative voice actors.
How can I make ads without using cliches?
Cliches can result from unimaginative designers, bored editors, or stubborn business clients. It is your job as an advertiser to ensure these things don't get into your advertisement, and to fight against them when they do. One thing to focus on when trying to avoid cliches is your business' brand reasoning. Every business has one. It's a necessity in order to stay in business. Your brand reasoning could range from low prices to high quality customer service.
It's a little more difficult to create ads that avoid cliches, but the benefits are what advertising is all about. Advertising is about providing creative content that is both effective and engaging. Cliches are contrary to this ideal and should be avoided at all costs. Think of the great advertisements which drove businesses into success. Did they contain cliches? No, they sought to change the way we think about advertising and in time they themselves became cliches. Imitation is the highest form of flattery.
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