Are you missing the good old days when holidays were longer, girls were obedient, and commercials were funny? Don’t worry, you’re not going mad. At least one thing you got right. Marketers have lost trust in the humorous approach over the last few decades.
According to Kantar's analysis, 53% of ads in 2004 were funny or light-hearted. However, in 2022, this number was only 34%.
But let’s not lose hope. What was can easily be again. After decades of decline, Kantar has noticed an increase in humorous ads in the past two years.
Why is it a good thing that funny spots are coming back, and why are they in decline in the first place? This article will answer most of your questions.
This article is inspired by The Illusion of Choice. A book written by Richard Shotton about cognitive biases in marketing and everyday life. Read another article from this series.
Did your mum tell you that you can’t earn money by being funny? Well, she was wrong
In 2002, Nicolas Guéguen ran an experiment with 211 people at a seaside bar. He divided them into two groups. When paying the bill, the waiter shared the following joke with the first group but not the second.
“An Eskimo had been waiting for his girlfriend in front of a movie theatre for a long time, and he was getting colder and colder. After a while, shivering with cold and rather infuriated, he opened his coat and drew out a thermometer. He then said loudly, ‘If she’s not here at 15, I’m going!‘”
46% of customers left a tip in the group, which could appreciate this gem. Compared to 19% of customers who left a tip in the other group.
These findings are also supported in the business world. Between 2012 and 2020, Les Binet and Peter Field analysed 243 case studies entered for the IPA Effectiveness Awards. They found that humorous ads generated 1,7 substantial business effects compared to only 1,4 generated by non-humorous ads.
Marketers, it seems that humour and wit can boost your brand’s revenue.
And what's in it for the rest of us? Cracking jokes might make you seem more likeable.
Fun is what people remember
Funny commercials also boost memorability. As my previous articles have shown, people buy what they remember.
Avner Ziv from Tel Aviv University conducted an experiment with students taking a statistics course. The students were divided into two groups: one was taught using humour, and the other was not. According to the results, the class with humorous education scored 11% higher than the other group.
Use humour when sharing uncomfortable news
People tend to avoid difficult topics, such as cancer prevention, car accidents. Stock market risks. It's hard to get people interested in these topics even though you want to lecture them on how to prevent something bad from happening.
Melbourne Metro | Dumb Ways to Die
Humour can help you here. That proves a legendary ad, Dumb Ways to Die, from Melbourne Metro. Catchy jingle and funny storytelling ensures people will watch this stop till the end.
Even though the ad mentions safety only in the packshot, it worked like a charm. In the three months after it was aired, the number of accidents was reduced by an incredible 21%. To this day, it is among the most shared public service messages of all time.
ASICS | The Desk Break
Mental health is another topic that could be heavy. Nowadays, we all need awareness to prevent burnout. But if you're already down, a depressing ad will not help much. That’s why the sports brand Asics promoted a healthy work-life balance with a funny spark.
Bodyform | Never Just a Period
Sometimes, the ad does not have to be “haha“ funny. The stop being light-hearted is enough. Everything can be shared in a safe environment, which proves an ad from the intimate products brand Bodyform.
Humour puts the spotlight on your brand
Humor attracts attention. If your brand is good, people will love it. If your brand has a bad reputation, using humorous ads will make people hate you more.
In 1990, Amitava Chattopadhyay and Kunal Basu from McGill University in Canada divided 80 participants into two groups and asked them to read a description of an unfamiliar pen brand.
The first group got good reviews. The pen is high quality and perfect. And the second group got bad ones. Pen is trash, and the customer service is a hellish experience.
Then, all participants watched a TV spot. The first half watched a humorous pen ad, and the second half watched, you guessed it, a normal ad.
Finally, participants responded to a series of questions. As a thank-you gift, they could choose one of four pens, one of which was the advertised one.
Do you know how many people took the advertised pen? The following chart will provide answers.
Watched funny ad | Watched non-humorous ad | |
Read good reviews | 67% picked the pen | 40% picked the pen |
Read bad reviews | 20% picked the pen | 38% picked the pen |
As you can see, people are the most reluctant to pick the pen after reading bad reviews and watching humorous ads.
It seems that when your brand’s reputation is compromised, people want you to take accountability instead of trying to cover your butt with witty messaging.
I assume that this is the main reason marketers are afraid to create funny ads. If they work, they’re a huge success. But if they fail, they’re all wrong, and revenue decreases. Not many marketing creatives are willing to risk that.
Production of one dull and forgettable ad after another is bland but a sure way to keep your job.
Source: Richard Shotton | The Illusion of Choice, Marketing Beat
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