Does Humor Work in Advertising?

It’s commonly known that humor is proven to relieve stress and tension, relax the body, improve mood, and even draw people together. Human beings like to recall how something made them feel, and because laughter releases endorphins, people retell jokes they have heard and frequently reflect on humorous situations.

Not only does humor often result in laughter, but it also succeeds in drawing attention and creating memorable moments, which is why smart brands take a humorous approach to advertising.

The use of humor can serve as a memory aid, too, which is why it is used in advertising. Many well-known companies use humor in their advertisements. Subaru, for example, is noteworthy for featuring the Barkleys, a family of Golden Retrievers who pile into their new Forester.

Here's Why Humor Works

It's no secret that people like to be entertained and want to feel happy. Not only that, but they also have a desire to be understood and be relatable. Companies have similar goals: they want to be memorable, and they want you to refer their products to your friends and family.

In the Journal of Advertising, 55% of executives determined that humor is more successful at gaining attention than the absence of humor, and 72% said that humor helps attract buyers to new products.

A shared sense of humor makes us feel liked and connected, and humor is key to developing strong foundations for positive relationships. It is another way to appeal to someone's emotions and gain a consumer's trust.

In the International Journal of Humor Research, William P. Hampes, author and professor at Black Hawk College, states a positive correlation between humor and trust based on his findings from a sample size of 89 college students. This study may also suggest that humor works better for younger audiences.

Along with being memorable, humor is also associated with content that goes viral. People share what they find amusing and pass it on to their friends and family. By using humor, your products and services are more likely to capture the attention of a wider audience.

Humorous Ads and Content

Each year, on the first Sunday in February, the NFL holds the Super Bowl, arguably the biggest day in TV commercial advertisements of the year. Because of the larger audience, companies and brands often compete to get their products shown as early in the game as possible (because, hey, if it's a blowout, folks might tune out).

In 2020, Hyundai produced a commercial for the 2020 Hyundai Sonata during the Super Bowl. This commercial was a hit due to its reflection on an everyday situation: trouble with parking. It also poked fun at exaggerated Boston accents and fittingly had a Boston-born trio of actors Chris Evans, John Krasinski, and Rachel Dratch in speaking roles.

Hyundai's commercial worked because the parking situation is a familiar frustration to us, and the 2020 Hyundai Sonata's "Smart Park" feature removed the problem entirely. The use of the Boston accent while pronouncing smart park as "Smaht Pahk" brought humor and lightheartedness to the scenario. The commercial actors were making fun of their accents as opposed to faking the accent and making fun of a group of people they were not part of.

In 2006, Budweiser, famous for its commercials with the Budweiser horses, produced an ad titled "Lamb Streaker." The horses were playing a game of football when a lamb with no wool entered the field and disrupted the game, suggesting that the lamb was under the influence. The commercial ended with "Please drink responsibly."

This commercial works because it is casually poking fun at streakers and those who run across the field during sports games. The use of animals for this situation makes the commercial funnier due to human qualities being given to animals. It is also more suitable for a wider range of viewers.

However, humorous ads and content are not limited to commercial breaks. Humorous content can be as simple as posting a singular image or a social media text post.

Charmin, a toilet paper brand, often uses its Twitter page to poke fun at situations that occur while using the restroom. By doing so, they are simultaneously marketing the use of their toilet paper.

Many of today's brands owe the most recent successes of their humorous commercials and advertisements to the Harmon Brothers, a pair who pioneered a new commercial style. Their commercial for the Squatty Potty, featuring a unicorn using a toilet, has become viral after transforming the task of using the toilet from shameful to light-hearted and comical. As opposed to talking about crudely using the restroom, the Harmon Brothers used the unicorn, ice cream, and rainbows in substitution for certain actions and products.

The Dollar Shave Club should also be commended for its use of humor in advertising in its 2012 commercial "Our Blades Are F***ing Great." The commercial features Michael Dublin, CEO of the company, which acknowledges that buying razors can be a tedious experience. He speaks informally with occasional humor as he walks through his office and shipping warehouse, and not once does Dublin himself go through the act of shaving. Instead, a child in the warehouse is seen shaving an older man's head in passing, which does not seem to be the video’s focus. The commercial then features Dublin dancing with an employee and someone in a bear costume while money is thrown around in front of an American flag.

In a 2015 interview with Inc., Dublin said "I know humor is a very powerful device in telling a story ... I was just really trying to find a fun, resonant way to tell the story of what our business did and why it existed." In sum, the commercial pays off twice: it's a low-budget ad and it's funny. The biggest payoff is that it worked.

There's a Fine Line Between Funny and Offensive

It is crucial to use humor respectfully. Too often are races, cultures, sexes, orientations, and disabilities used as the punchline of a joke. When used incorrectly, humor can further prejudices and tolerance of discrimination.

In a 2010 study of 194 adults, Harris Interactive found that 35% of the participants said they have purposefully never purchased from a brand that used distasteful advertisements. In 2017, Sprout Social conducted a survey which resulted in 88% of consumers saying they were annoyed when mocked by an advertisement.

Although the comedian, family member, or friend may insist it is "just a joke," the bottom line is that it is still hurtful or even disrespectful. There are consequences to using humor that is disparaging despite the speaker's true intentions.

Above all else, think of the message you want to send to your audience and remember that humor is subjective. There are many ways to communicate with consumers that do not include the use of offensive or "dark" humor.

Products and Services Humor Works For

There are many products and services that humor works for, but the bottom line is that humor depends on your brand and what audience you are trying to reach. There is certainly a time and place for humor as well.

Humor works great for posts on advertisements on social media, but it is important to remember that sarcasm cannot always be detected through text. This is why getting a second opinion is crucial.

Humor may also be used to convey that you are rebranding or going through some changes on your website. Landing pages on websites, such as the "Error 404" page, often use humor to take away from a frustrating moment. CloudSigma, a customizable cloud provider for computing resources, has an error 404 page that jokingly blames the error on their junior web developer, which happens to be a cat.

Ultimately, the best products and services that humor works for are for things that are not controversial.

Does Humor Work in Advertising?

Here's Why Humor Works

Humorous Ads and Content

There's a Fine Line Between Funny and Offensive

Products and Services Humor Works For

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