Cliché Killers explains why brands miss the target with pointless cliché

“The bullseye is believed to be the oldest symbol in the world,” says web psychologist Nathalie Nahai. “But these days the target typically represents the idea that something is accurate, effective and precise. Which is fine but not nearly as thrilling or as exciting as its origins.”

Cliché Killers stars a cast of ad industry figures discussing and dismissing the clichés commonly used in B2B advertising. The series discusses their history and use today, range from the piggybank to the lightbulb and, in episode ten, targets.

But as Stein IAS creative director EMEA Reuben Webb points out, the term just highlights unoriginality.

“So this is all about staying sharp and being accurate and I suppose this idea does do that in a way if what you are trying to accurately demonstrate is sloppy thinking!," he says.

Cliché Killers stars web psychologist Nathalie Nahai; Kesah Trowell, head of CSR at Dixons Carphone; David Burnand, marketing lead for Northern Europe, Adobe Marketing Cloud; Google head of marketing Nishma Robb; Stein IAS chief executive Tom Stein; and Stein IAS creative director EMEA Reuben Webb.

The Cliché Killers series was based on a book by Stein’s Reuben Webb.

You can watch the other episodes in the series here.