GA Creative blog

1. The Key
2. The Maze
3. The Light Bulb
4. The Dart Board
5. The Chess Piece
6. The Jigsaw Puzzle
7. The Rock Climber
8. The Suited Handshake
9. The Interlocking Gears
10. The Ripple in the Water

I'm not saying they're good, bad or ugly, but these visual concepts just won't die. They surface in PowerPoints, on websites, as BusinessWeek ads. We've used them. Clients have used them. The entire world seems to use them. It makes you wonder: should we stop using a chess piece to say "strategic"? It's been done: The lone chess piece. Or two chess pieces. One black, one white. One lying on its side. On a chessboard. In acrylic. At an angle. From above. In spite of this ubiquity, just last year a highly visible local company unveiled its new logo and, voila, it features a chess piece. Why?

Because clichés work. They quickly communicate desirable attributes or actions in a universal way (okay, universally Western way). They can't be ignored. They don't create confusion by being one thing and meaning another. They take the Express to the brain as our eyes pass by. They're as culturally iconic as the red cross, the blue chip, or the white flag.

So it's okay to lean on the tried and true. But please, practice moderation. It's just my opinion but this is NOT going to inspire teamwork. And these? Say no more.