Take a sunrise, for example. Can we use it in a creative and still make the ad look original?

The answer is yes. We all know there’s nothing new under the sun.

What’s new and original about a sunrise is the context of the ad.

After all, there’s no visual idea stronger than a sunrise if the message is to introduce something spectacular – a product or service that would change the lives of millions of people. In any case, the objective of an ad is to sell a product and not to create an award-winning ad. If the ad wins an award in the process, that would be a very well-earned bonus.