A TAXONOMY OF ADVERTISING CLICHES
 

The Visual Cliche might be defined as a pictorial convention that we agree represents a given proposition. The Visual Cliche might be a picture that exactly reinforces an idiom.

At its best the cliche can mint a wholly fresh reality out of the banale. At its worst it is tedious and beneath contempt. It can be a shallow solution or it can be a subtle undermining of the viewer's anticipations. Cliches are there to be identified, challenged and used.Here is an idea of some basics using popular idioms.

A Restfoam January 1947; 02 Learstar June 1955; 03 Delco Radio November 1961; 04 Gilbert Papers October 1942;

B 01 Union Carbide, November 1955; 02 Shell, November 1955 ; 03 Atlantic Bond, October 1953; 04, First National City Bank, February 1969;

C 01 Eyrie Railroad May 1946; 02, McNally Pittsburgh, March 1946 ; 03 Dow, May 1950; 04, advertisement unknown, c1958;

D The personification of the Cliche , advertisement for Young and Rubicam January 1968

ANTHOLOGIES OF HOARY OLD SOLUTIONS

 

GRAPHIC
 DOTTED LINES
TICKS
DRAWING IN ADS
THE FRAMED PICTURE
THE POSTED NOTICE
ON A SILVER TRAY
THE SAMPLER
A TO Z , THE ALPHABET
ASTERISK
FLAGS
GUNSIGHT
SHAMROCK AND IRISHNESS
BULLS EYE TARGET
THE PRISM
SIGNPOSTS
SIGNALS
RORSCHACH BLOTS
X MARKS THE SPOT
X RAYS

 

INTANGIBLE

 DREAMS
SHAME
SILENCE
BRAINS
SUMMONS, BUGLE BLAST
FINGER ON THE BUTTON

OBJECTS

 SUGGESTIONS BOX
SCULPTURE ADORNS
RODIN'S THINKER
STEERING WHEEL (as direction)
HAT AND CANE
WEIGHING MACHINE
CACTUS IN LANDSCAPE
BIG GAME TROPHIES
IN TRAY / OUT TRAY
THE EGG
THE APPLE - PRESENTED
THE BOMB
DOORS (thresholds)
KEYHOLES
LIFE RAFT
FIREMAN'S POLE (single)
THE TUNNEL OF LOVE
HOUR GLASS
ALADDIN'S LAMP
A BED OF NAILS
COINS
HORSE SHOES
SLICES OF A LOAF
JIGSAW AND ITS PIECES
MAGNIFYING GLASS
PAIR OF SCALES
CHANDELIER
BALL AND CHAIN (single)
BOXING GLOVE
SHIELD
BRICKS
WHITTLING
WISHBONE PULLED

BEHAVIOUR

NAUGHTY BOY
EDGE OF A CLIFF (single)

 

SPOKEN - PHRASES

 A CHILD'S QUESTION
ACORNS, BIG THINGS FROM
WALKING ON EGGS (single)
I'LL EAT MY HAT
A BLUE MOON
OUT ON A LIMB single
TELLING TALES OUT OF SCHOOL (SINGLE)
WOW!!!
ROSE TINTED GLASSES single (see above)

PEOPLE GENERAL GROUPING

A LITTLE OLD LADY
HARD HATS
THE FORTUNE TELLER
THE VICAR
MONKS
THE PIRATE
IN A SWEAT
THE RED INDIAN
THE HYPNOTIST
THE DEVIL
AT THE PEARLY GATES
THE STRONG MAN
THE GAMBLER
A RABBIT OUT OF A HAT
A KNIFE THROWER
SAILORS
SENTRY
AN ELECTION
ROYALTY
THE PROSPECTOR
THE SCOT

 

PEOPLE WITH NAMES

DAVID AND GOLIATH
SHERLOCK HOLMES
KING CANUTE
OLD KING COAL
LADY GODIVA
WILLIAM TELL
ISAAC NEWTON

 

NATURAL WORLD

DINOSAUR
SHARK
DODO
PARROTS
PINK ELEPHANT

CONCEPTS

 HALF AND HALF
NEGATIVE/POSITIVE
UNLUCKY NO 13 single

PLACES

 THE DESERT
THE DESERT ISLAND
SUN RISE / SUNSET
SINGLES
 I LOST MY HEAD, ARROW SHIRTS January 1952
THE DESERT ISLAND, VISUAL CONVENTION for Vodka
FRESH AS A ......
ROSE-TINTED? never (again)
ROSE-TINTED? without
AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME
SUNNY / RAINY WEATHER COTTAGE
A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK
WHO'S IN THE OWNER'S SEAT
SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET (CUPBOARD)
I LOST MY SHIRT
STICKS OUT LIKE A...
OLD HAT....
WHICH CAME FIRST - THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG NO 1 Advertising
WHICH CAME FIRST - THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG NO 2, Chemicals
TALKING TURKEY
BEGINNING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LADDER
BAD LUCK? Broken Mirror FORTUNE MARCH 1940
FAKIR ON BED OF NAILS GAG, JUNE 1964 (SEE EMMETT BENEATH)
THE STORK DELIVERING
CAUGHT WITH HIS PANTS DOWN MARCH 1945
OSTRICH WITH HEAD IN SAND, NOVEMBER 1951
THE MISSING JIGSAW PIECE NOVEMBER 19051
PRODUCT LAYING AN EGG C 1949
SALAMI SLICES DEC 1931
THE MAGIC CARPET OF MODERN COMMERCE, DECEMBER 1939
THE MAGIC CARPET exotic
MANAGEMENT WEIGHS ITSELF, DECEMBER 1958
MAKING A MONKEY OUT OF YOU JULY 1947
A DOLLAR GOES FURTHER THAN EVER OCTOBER 1952
BLUE CHIP COMPANIES, MCNALLY PITTSBURGH 1946
WIRING THAT WOULD MAKE A SPIDER JEALOUS
THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE, MONSANTO 1948
THERE ARE NO ENDS TO A BALL, DATE UNKNOWN
BUTCHER, BAKER, CANDLESTICK MAKER
PEAS IN A POD, KELVINATOR, DATE UNKNOWN
THE STORK AS CHILDBIRTH, Dextrose Sugar 1942
HELPS OIL TAKE A BEATING (anvil) Monsanto 1947
HEIGHT OF GOODNESS, WHEATIES 1946 (MAN ON STILTS)
MAKES LAWNS SIT UP AND SING 1955
OLD HAT 1944 (MCBEE)
THE STORY OF THE UNSPILT MILK 1945 (INSURANCE)
A MALIGNED WORD ('MALIGNED')
THE LATEST CLICHES, John Groth, Esquire, 1934

Bernard Partridge's illustrations to Stage-Land by Jerome K.Jerome 1889

A MALIGNED WORD ('MALIGNED')

NOW SEE THIS

THE PALACE OF CULTURE, BRITISH HUMOUR Roland Emmett, Punch 1951 is the most comprehensive guide to the visual conventions of British Humour that can be imagined. Only such an old hand at the business could have come up with a mapping that includes, the desert island, the fakir on his bed of nails, break in the ice - magnificent. Treat yourself

Cartoon and Caricature, I Meet Such People, Gurney Williams 1946, more cliches

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