Advertising Techniques – Twist on a Colloquialism

Another oft-used advertising technique is using a colloquialism, already non-literal in nature, in yet another surprising way.  These can draw reader’s attention for being subtle and clever, or overt and stupid.

An exemplary example of this technique is the Intuit advertisement from a 2010 issue of Forbes magazine [1]Forbes – February 8, 2010 – Page 59.  A woman is staring at various piles of papers sitting on a throw-rug on her floor while text in a green circle tells her to “get her business off the ground.”   It doesn’t get any better than this for a twist on a colloquialism.  The phrase “get it off the ground,” now becomes literal in this advertisement!  Non-literal to literal…clever…  Advertising text making an original colloquialism more practical and grounded in reality!  Point scored for Intuit and the advertising team.