Tired of cliches and stereotypes in advertising

Cliches in advertising have gotten under the skin of writer John Camm.

"It's tiresome to see male characters in adverts who don't resemble anyone you know," he says. "But what's perhaps worse is the absolute reliance of advertising on its own regurgitated cliches."

Camm has created a list of 26 "unwritten rules" which he thinks might as well be the Ad Bible.
(read on...there's more)

Some of the more amusing ones include:

1. Men are obsessed with sex but will forego sex in order to watch football or drink beer.

5. Any act of male stupidity (e.g. walking across a clean floor in muddy boots, putting the dog in the dishwasher, etc.) will be met with a wry smile, not genuine annoyance/anger.

6. Married men will flirt with other, younger women but NEVER act upon it.

7. Anyone with a scientific career will have a bad haircut and dreadful clothes.

10. Scandinavians are, without exception, blonde and beautiful.

11. Women have jobs they never do in real life, e.g. dockworker (who looks like a model).

13. Both men and women find driving deeply pleasurable, never boring or stressful.

14. Men are inherently lazy/slobbish; women are the reverse.

15. Chocolate, however, will cause women to immediately fall into the languor of the opium eater.

23. Women never merely hop in and out of the shower, instead preferring to act out some sort of soapy Dance of the Seven Veils.

25. Tortilla chips are the most exciting experience any group of young people can experience.

Last week it was reported that JWT has decided to stop male-bashing in ads and instead develop "smart, positive portrayals of the modern man."

Back in September there was some hubbub about women stereotypes in advertising. A study had shown that most ads targeted at women were offensive and cliched.

For another list of overused ideas and ad cliches, check out the adfourm.