Advertising Cliches

Posted by Carroll Trosclair Mar 12, 2008

Years ago we read that the two strongest words in advertising were "new" and "sale" and those two still get a lot of use. But in recent years we’re hearing some other phrases that are now so common they have become ad cliches.

We wonder if people really see or hear them anymore. We suspect the phrases rush through our hearing and seeing facilities so fast they never register in our minds.

When, for instance, was the last time these phrases stopped you long enough to think about anything?

• Ask your doctor….
• Side effects include….
• Everyone is talking about….
• All natural….
• Introducing….
• The perfect gift….
• Not available in stores….
• For a limited time only….
• We’re on your side….

That last one is used by at least one television station to promote its newscasts, but it has been around so long in so many different places that it produces more than 40,000 hits in Google.

But whose side are they really on? Whose side are they on when both a "Yellow Dog" Democrat and a far-right Republican are watching the station at the same time? Or when Notre Dame is playing Southern Cal? My side or that idiot’s side? They can’t have it both ways.

We can probably forgive the advertisers for using "ask your doctor" and the "side effects" phrases so much because some Federal agency probably requires them to use it.

"Introducing" is almost as old as "new" and "sale." Ditto "all natural" and "the perfect gift." No one ever says or writes "a perfect gift." It is always "the" perfect gift, which makes us wonder how many perfect gifts there have been over the years.

There is a new phrase out that does grab out attention, simply because it is so wrong:

"We couldn’t say it on TV if it wasn’t true."

Anyone want to comment on that gem?