Make them laugh, sell them stuff

Humour makes marketing sing — when you do it right

By Abhishek Borah and Viren Sood

Published: Dec 9, 2024 10:58:08 AM IST

Updated: Jan 16, 2025 04:20:28 PM IST

Humanise your brand and make it more relatable Image: Shutterstock

You know that feeling when you're scrolling through social media and an ad actually makes you laugh instead of reaching for the "Skip Ad" button like it's the last slice of pizza? That's what we're here to talk about.

Using humour in marketing can captivate audiences, foster brand loyalty and differentiate a brand in a crowded marketplace. Want to make your ads more memorable? Make them go viral? Humanise your brand and make it more relatable? Humour is your friend.

Or it can be your enemy. If you’re not careful, you could offend your audience or dilute your brand message. So, how can you make humour work for you?

How to be funny

All of us know of someone who thinks they're hilarious but makes everyone cringe. Here’s how to ensure your brand is toasted rather than roasted:

Know your audience: Research your audience's preferences and cultural context. What one group finds hilarious, another might find offensive or incomprehensible.
Align with your brand’s identity: A luxury brand might opt for sophisticated, witty humour, whereas a casual brand could use playful or slapstick humour.
Keep it simple: The best humorous ads are often simple and straightforward. Overcomplicated jokes can confuse the audience and detract from your message.
Avoid controversial topics: Steer clear of sensitive issues such as politics, religion or personal identity. The goal is to amuse, not to alienate or offend.
Test before launch: Test your ad on focus groups or surveys (read: actual humans) to gauge reaction before unleashing it on the world.
Balance humour with information: While humour can make an ad memorable, it should not overshadow the product or service being marketed. The key message and call to action should remain clear and compelling.

There are many examples of humorous marketing campaigns. One of them comes from Old Spice, an American brand of male grooming products. In its 2010 campaign "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like", the company used over-the-top ads showing the actor Isaiah Mustafa in various absurd situations, all while promoting Old Spice products. The campaign was a massive success, revitalising the brand and boosting sales.

Also read: Startup advertising: Caught between agility and compliance

Then there’s "Hump Day", in which a talking camel excitedly asks office workers what day it is. No prizes for guessing what the correct answer is.

The 2013 campaign, by auto insurance firm GEICO, did not just increase brand awareness and engagement. It became a cultural phenomenon. The clincher? The simplicity and relatability of the joke.

Another hit campaign latches onto the fact that hunger can make us cranky. In "You're Not You When You're Hungry", Snickers features celebrities acting out of character in vignettes that are both funny and relatable. Needless to say, the message that a Snickers bar is restorative was well-received.

Crafting content that tickles

Ads that draw laughs typically share most of these characteristics:

Relatable scenarios: Humour works best when it is rooted in everyday experiences that the audience can relate to. This creates a sense of shared understanding and connection.
Exaggeration and absurdity: Amplifying the ordinary to the point of absurdity can create comedy. This technique works well when it’s used to highlight the benefits or features of a product.
Wordplay: Deft use of language like puns can draw chuckles. Just be sure the joke is clear.
Visual humour: Funny characters, unexpected outcomes or visual gags surprise the audience.
Timing and pacing: Good timing can enhance the comedic effect while poor pacing can make the joke fall flat. This is where the skill of the copywriter and director is critical.

How to know if you’re actually funny

Humour in marketing is like trying to pat your head and rub your belly while riding a unicycle – - it's tricky, but when you nail it, people can't look away. How do you tell you’ve got them hooked?

Check your engagement rates – likes, shares, comments and impressions – on social media platforms. High engagement typically indicates that the humour resonated with the audience. You could also conduct surveys or focus groups to assess whether the audience remembers the ad and associates it with your brand.

Is there any bump in sales or conversion rates? Positive comments on the ad? How about the extent of media coverage and mentions?

If all else fails, there's always cat videos. They've never let the internet down, and they never will (the dogs may or may not agree).

[This article is republished courtesy of INSEAD Knowledge, the portal to the latest business insights and views of The Business School of the World. Copyright INSEAD 2024]