{"id":6136,"date":"2014-06-04T11:25:37","date_gmt":"2014-06-04T18:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/otmk.wpengine.com\/?p=6136"},"modified":"2025-07-22T14:10:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T21:10:12","slug":"dads-and-grads-ads-give-us-the-sads-about-cliches-in-ads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outsourcemarketing.com\/blog\/dads-and-grads-ads-give-us-the-sads-about-cliches-in-ads\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cDads and Grads\u201d Ads Give Us the Sads About Cliches in Ads"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"OM_dadsgrad\"<\/p>\n

It\u2019s that time of year again. That time where we know we\u2019re going to be hit over the head with a slew of ads aimed at selling merchandise for \u201cdads and grads.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fact that advertisers mash up these two events \u2013 Father’s Day and graduation \u2013 isn\u2019t surprising given where they fall on the calendar. But what is extra annoying is that the annual coupling of these two distinct occasions is reinforced simply because advertisers can make two words rhyme.<\/p>\n

It becomes an annual reminder of how advertising and marketing can devolve into lazy use of clich\u00e9d expressions.<\/p>\n

\u201cDads and grads\u201d is just one example of what some would call \u201cdefault copywriting.\u201d These are the kind of phrases that advertisers use a lot because they seem natural, but in reality, they are simply the result of doing the least amount of creative thinking possible.<\/p>\n

A few other examples of this include:<\/p>\n

Locally Owned and Operated \u2013 as opposed to the locally owned company that operates in North Korea. Can\u2019t we just say \u201ca local company\u201d or a \u201clocally owned company\u201d?<\/p>\n

Huge Savings \u2013 this is one of the worst, and most common examples. How much is \u201chuge\u201d? Give us a number.<\/p>\n

Experience the Difference \u2013 if you do a Google search on \u201cExperience the difference\u201d you will see that every company that uses that phrasing has something in common. And not in a good way. If you are asking people to experience the difference, there is nothing different about that approach.<\/p>\n

Going back to the broader observation about unoriginal advertising, a devastating video was posted to YouTube recently. It shines a light on how laziness and lack of creativity has made so many commercials about so many different products and services look exactly the same. It\u2019s 3 minutes of \u201cexperience of the difference\u201d.<\/p>\n