There’s a funny thing that goes on when people create adverts. They start to think in clichés. Want to show you are green? Put up a pic of a polar bear. And don’t worry if everyone else is using polar bears (Ariel, EDF Energy, HSBC, Philips and Ben & Jerry’s) - people will know with us its real.

But no, we want to show we care about the future. I know, let’s use children. I know Philips, B&Q, EDF, and Earthwatch do it, but still. Children is good.

Exotic animals (HSBC, Eon and GE) or green fields (Eon, EDF, B&Q and Anchor Butter). Must do it because environment is good.

So what is the thinking? Simple - its that old game, “let’s do what the other guy does.” We see it in direct marketing all the time - and I mean all the time. Want to sell to teachers? Let’s have a nice image of happy children (in case teachers don’t know what children are) or maybe a cartoon of a Will Hay type figure in a mortar board in front of a blackboard.

Does repeating tired old images work? No, I don’t think so. Better to risk getting it wrong than to hit the same old buttons over and over.

When I started writing nonsense statements on envelopes (”This package is not microwavable” was last week’s piece) the phone rang and rang with customers and potential customers commenting on the campaign. I haven’t seen it done before (although I am sure someone somewhere did it - but the point is it is not common.)

Thinking outside the box is one of the most awful phrases that is overused, but it does convey what needs to be done. Better still throw the box away.