50 Idioms for Advertising With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Advertising
1. Break the bank
Meaning: To cost a lot of money
In a Sentence: This video game is fun and doesn’t break the bank. / You can get new shoes without breaking the bank.
Other Ways to Say: Cost too much / Super pricey
2. Eye-catching
Meaning: Easy to notice because it looks nice or bright
In a Sentence: The ad was eye-catching with big colors and bold letters. / That new cereal box is really eye-catching.
Other Ways to Say: Stands out / Hard to miss
3. Sell like hotcakes
Meaning: Sell very quickly
In a Sentence: These new headphones are selling like hotcakes after the ad campaign.
Other Ways to Say: Flying off the shelves / In high demand
4. Word of mouth
Meaning: People telling others about something
In a Sentence: Their small business grew because of word-of-mouth advertising.
Other Ways to Say: Personal recommendations / Customer referrals
5. Call to action
Meaning: Encouraging people to take immediate steps
In a Sentence: Every great ad needs a strong call to action.
Other Ways to Say: Prompt to act / Immediate instruction
6. Push the envelope
Meaning: Be innovative or go beyond limits
In a Sentence: The brand pushed the envelope with its new interactive commercial.
Other Ways to Say: Break new ground / Take it further
7. Raise eyebrows
Meaning: Get attention by being surprising or bold
In a Sentence: Their bold billboard definitely raised eyebrows downtown.
Other Ways to Say: Surprise people / Shock viewers
8. In the spotlight
Meaning: Getting a lot of public attention
In a Sentence: The new product has been in the spotlight since the Super Bowl ad.
Other Ways to Say: High visibility / Front and center
9. Hit the mark
Meaning: Achieve the desired effect
In a Sentence: Their latest ad really hit the mark with young audiences.
Other Ways to Say: Nailed it / Got it right
10. Strike a chord
Meaning: Create a strong emotional reaction
In a Sentence: The emotional commercial struck a chord with parents everywhere.
Other Ways to Say: Deeply connect / Resonate
11. Make a splash
Meaning: Attract a lot of attention
In a Sentence: The company made a splash with its funny online ad.
Other Ways to Say: Stand out / Get noticed
12. Go viral
Meaning: Spread quickly on the internet
In a Sentence: Their quirky video ad went viral overnight.
Other Ways to Say: Become popular fast / Massively shared
13. In your face
Meaning: Very bold or aggressive
In a Sentence: Their in-your-face advertising style isn’t for everyone.
Other Ways to Say: Bold / Loud and direct
14. Hard sell
Meaning: Very direct and pushy advertising
In a Sentence: That infomercial used the hard sell approach.
Other Ways to Say: Aggressive pitch / Forceful marketing
15. Soft sell
Meaning: A subtle and gentle way to advertise
In a Sentence: This perfume ad uses a soft sell with storytelling.
Other Ways to Say: Gentle promotion / Subtle marketing
16. Hype up
Meaning: Make something sound more exciting than it is
In a Sentence: They really hyped up the phone’s camera features.
Other Ways to Say: Exaggerate / Over-promote
17. All the rage
Meaning: Extremely popular
In a Sentence: These sneakers became all the rage thanks to influencer marketing.
Other Ways to Say: Trendy / In style
18. Show off
Meaning: Display something proudly
In a Sentence: The ad showed off the phone’s sleek new design.
Other Ways to Say: Flaunt / Highlight
19. Make waves
Meaning: Attract notice or stir public interest
In a Sentence: Their social media campaign made waves across the internet.
Other Ways to Say: Get attention / Cause a buzz
20. Talk of the town
Meaning: What everyone is discussing
In a Sentence: The creative billboard became the talk of the town.
Other Ways to Say: Buzz-worthy / Widely discussed
21. Catch someone’s eye
Meaning: Grab attention
In a Sentence: Their use of color really caught people’s eyes.
Other Ways to Say: Attract / Stand out
22. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: Perfectly identify or solve something
In a Sentence: That ad hit the nail on the head with its message.
Other Ways to Say: Exactly right / Spot-on
23. Jump on the bandwagon
Meaning: Follow a trend
In a Sentence: Many brands jumped on the bandwagon of short video ads.
Other Ways to Say: Follow the crowd / Join the trend
24. Catchy
Meaning: Easy to remember
In a Sentence: The jingle in the ad was super catchy.
Other Ways to Say: Memorable / Stuck in your head
25. On brand
Meaning: Consistent with the company’s image
In a Sentence: That clean design is totally on brand for Apple.
Other Ways to Say: Brand-consistent / True to identity
26. Cut through the noise
Meaning: Stand out in a crowded space
In a Sentence: Their unique style helped cut through the noise online.
Other Ways to Say: Stand out / Break through
27. Target audience
Meaning: The intended group of viewers
In a Sentence: This ad is clearly aimed at its target audience—young gamers.
Other Ways to Say: Ideal viewers / Market focus
28. Get the word out
Meaning: Inform people about something
In a Sentence: They used Instagram to get the word out about the launch.
Other Ways to Say: Spread the message / Promote
29. Make an impression
Meaning: Be remembered
In a Sentence: That dramatic commercial made a big impression.
Other Ways to Say: Leave a mark / Stand out
30. Right up your alley
Meaning: Exactly what someone likes or wants
In a Sentence: Their luxury ad was right up the alley of high-end buyers.
Other Ways to Say: Perfect fit / Just your style
31. Sell itself
Meaning: So appealing it needs no promotion
In a Sentence: The product’s design is so good, it almost sells itself.
Other Ways to Say: Needs no pitch / Instantly appealing
32. Picture perfect
Meaning: Looks flawless
In a Sentence: The magazine ad was picture perfect.
Other Ways to Say: Visually stunning / Flawless
33. Limited-time offer
Meaning: Only available for a short time
In a Sentence: The limited-time offer pushed many customers to buy.
Other Ways to Say: Flash deal / Temporary promotion
34. Hit the streets
Meaning: Promote directly to the public
In a Sentence: The brand hit the streets with samples and flyers.
Other Ways to Say: Go grassroots / Street-level marketing
35. Blow out sale
Meaning: A big discount event
In a Sentence: The blow out sale drew a huge crowd.
Other Ways to Say: Major discount / Clearance event
36. In black and white
Meaning: Clear and easy to understand
In a Sentence: The flyer laid out the prices in black and white.
Other Ways to Say: Simple / No confusion
37. One-size-fits-all
Meaning: Appeals to everyone
In a Sentence: Their slogan tried to be a one-size-fits-all solution.
Other Ways to Say: Universal / Generic
38. Brand loyalty
Meaning: Consumers always buy from the same brand
In a Sentence: Their advertising helped build strong brand loyalty.
Other Ways to Say: Repeat customers / Devoted buyers
39. Reel in
Meaning: Attract or catch
In a Sentence: The giveaway campaign reeled in hundreds of new users.
Other Ways to Say: Draw in / Lure
40. Showstopper
Meaning: Something that grabs full attention
In a Sentence: That 3D ad display was a real showstopper.
Other Ways to Say: Attention-grabber / Stunning piece
41. Brand recognition
Meaning: Being familiar to consumers
In a Sentence: Their clever mascot increased brand recognition.
Other Ways to Say: Name recall / Brand familiarity
42. Win hearts
Meaning: Gain affection and support
In a Sentence: The ad campaign won hearts with its touching story.
Other Ways to Say: Charm the audience / Earn trust
43. Hooked
Meaning: Extremely interested or engaged
In a Sentence: That teaser video had me hooked.
Other Ways to Say: Captivated / Engaged
44. Pull out all the stops
Meaning: Use all efforts
In a Sentence: They pulled out all the stops for the product launch.
Other Ways to Say: Go all in / Maximum effort
45. First impression
Meaning: The initial impact something makes
In a Sentence: A good first impression in advertising is everything.
Other Ways to Say: Opening impact / First glance effect
46. Ahead of the curve
Meaning: More advanced than competitors
In a Sentence: Their tech ads are always ahead of the curve.
Other Ways to Say: Trendsetting / Innovative
47. Flashy
Meaning: Bright and attention-grabbing
In a Sentence: The flashy neon banner drew people in.
Other Ways to Say: Bright / Showy
48. Tell a story
Meaning: Create a narrative to connect emotionally
In a Sentence: The best ads tell a story, not just show products.
Other Ways to Say: Create emotion / Build a message
49. Hook line and sinker
Meaning: Completely convince someone
In a Sentence: Their catchy tagline got me—hook, line, and sinker.
Other Ways to Say: Fully convinced / Completely sold
50. Out of the box
Meaning: Very creative and original
In a Sentence: The brand’s out-of-the-box campaign set them apart.
Other Ways to Say: Unique / Innovative
