Ad copy we could do without

This is unbelievably trivial, but I’ve heard some dumb advertising phrases one too many times lately and I’d like them to just go:

Spring Into/Fall Into
Savings, fashion, adventure — every six months we’re urged to spring or fall into something as though this were a new and clever pun. Every six months. Staaahp!

It All Starts
Usually used for TV shows, the ad will show you a smiling leading man, an explosion, and then tell you “It All Starts Tuesday!” All what? “All” implies lots of stuff. If you’re going to use this cliché, show me lots of stuff.

This Changes Everything
Often on car commercials, a car that looks like, well, a car, has been redesigned using New Thinking that Changes Everything. Except, well, everything.

Anyone else want to weigh in?

6 comments

  1. “A Very Special Anything” is bad.

    But the one that makes my skin crawl is “Three (or any other number) times less.” “Three times less than $20” is not $5, dammit, it is -$40.

    I will go take my pill now.

  2. David Wagman says:

    “…fast forward to 2014.” Ugh. Why not write, “Years passed, the seasons changed, and gray hairs sprouted from places better left unmentioned.”

  3. Yeah. I cringe. But for a different reason. A very long time ago I was starting out in advertising and I believed I had invented Spring Into Fashion! (The exclamation point made it very special.) Imagine my chagrin when I discovered billions of other copywriters using my line. Can’t help it. I smile affectionately upon that girl. And now I get just as crabby about ads as the next person.

    • SJ Rozan says:

      Annie — Independent invention counts as genius. If you hadn’t seen it before, ya did great. At this point I just don’t believe these copywriters haven’t seen it before. And seen it. And seen it.

  4. Jaelle says:

    My most despised are, in no particular order:

    New and Improved (usually means less for more)

    But wait! There’s more! (how much more can we stand?)

    Any “holiday” sale that is still in effect weeks after the holiday has passed (I was still hearing Presidents’ Day sales for about two weeks after Presidents’ Day)

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