poster boys
Ideal type specimens
Poster boys are idealized representatives of something—causes, movements, qualities, or problems.
The term comes from recruitment and propaganda posters featuring attractive young men.
A poster boy exemplifies or embodies something so perfectly he could appear on promotional material: He's the poster boy for corporate greed.
The singular is more common.
Poster child and poster girl work the same way.
- figureheadNominal leader, no authority
- pitchmanPersuasive product demonstrator
- ambassadorOfficial foreign representative
- spokespersonAuthorized representative communicator
- iconPictorial screen symbol
face of the franchise · mascot · model · endorser · media darling · symbol · pin-up · cover model · paragon · emblem · scapegoat · antihero · representative · example · promoter · activist · heartthrob · prototype
poster boysunsung heroes
People deserving unrecognized praise
rank and file · unknown soldiers · nobodies · unknowns · hidden figures
poster boyscounterexamples
Cases disproving general claims
exceptions · outliers · anomalies · black sheep · misfits
poster boyscautionary tales
Stories conveying warnings
whipping boys · scapegoats · pariahs · object lessons · warnings
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