Advertising is all about standing out, and what better way for retailers to stand out than to convey a funny, memorable message to the consumer? But using humor does not always work in brands’ favor, according to a recently published study in the Journal of Marketing Behavior.
The study concluded that although certain ads can elicit laughs from consumers, these same ads also can induce negative feelings that may convince shoppers to avoid buying from that brand, if the message:
- Comes off as highly threatening;
- Mocks a subset of the population rather than people in general; and
- Evokes disgust.
The RTP team discusses how far humor can go in advertising, and shares humorous ads that resonate on a personal level.
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Debbie Hauss, Editor-in-Chief: For this question I felt compelled to do a search on funniest commercials. This one for American Standard pooped, I mean popped, up. It is bathroom and dating humor combined, so I could see how it might rub some people the wrong way, but it does the job of using humor to highlight the brand in a very memorable way. The problem, though, is that it’s not necessarily a positive brand experience. I do agree that sometimes the humor — or in many cases inappropriate bad taste — overshadows the brand. This compilation on YouTube shares some serious missteps throughout the world. One Doritos ad, for example, shows a young man spilling chips in his lap in hopes of…well, see for yourself. You do remember the brand in that one, though. Bottom line: humor is a risk because it may inevitably offend someone or some group. Tread carefully.
Adam Blair, Executive Editor: In addition to the danger that a funny advertisement could offend people if it’s not calibrated at just the right pitch, there’s another risk involved with using humor in marketing. Ironically, it occurs when the joke works too well. There’s a big danger that consumers will remember the joke — but completely forget both the advertiser and the call-to-action message. My friends and I can still quote from a very funny commercial from my youth (in large part because that youth occurred in the far-off time before mute buttons and DVR fast-forwarding, so that I saw the commercial many, many times). However, before I did a YouTube search to find the Soviet fashion show, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you the sponsor’s name even if you held a gun to my head. Successful humorous ads need to closely tie the product into the joke, in the way that the Snickers “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” series of ads does so well. Mmmmm, Snickers.
Alicia Esposito, Content Strategist: I think humor is so powerful because it’s subjective. For example, I gravitate to comedy that speaks to cultural trends, politics and offers some form of commentary. Another person, however, may prefer more silly humor. The fact that humor is so subjective, however also poses a challenge: how do you appeal to a vast audience when everyone has different preferences? This is where knowing your target audience intimately plays an important role. What is their gender and age bracket? What movies do they watch and which comedians do they like? What marketing messages and campaigns have they responded well to in the past? What exactly are you trying to accomplish with this campaign? If you’re new to the whole humor thing, I recommend starting small. Try a few quirky subject lines in emails or social media posts. Then, build your way up. One overarching best practice, though, is to not isolate consumers with your humor. Anything highly political or focused on polarizing social issues could spell disaster for your brand. A few companies that I think incorporate humor really well into their marketing are Threadless, Old Spice and Dollar Shave Club. Threadless takes the quirkiness of its designs to the next level with super fun emails, while Old Spice and Dollar Shave Club use silliness in their videos and commercials to humanize their brands.
David DeZuzio, Managing Editor: Humor is a delicate topic these days as anyone and everyone can be offended by something, even puppies. And while I think most of the “offended” are too sensitive or just attention seekers, there’s nothing more damaging to a brand than a failed attempt at humor. Well, maybe Subway would have a counter to that, but if a brand is trying to be funny, make sure it’s not overtly offensive or in bad taste. Of course, that can get pretty subjective, but a retailer must use its best judgment. The last thing a brand wants is any potential customer to equate its product with something controversial or just plain stupid. With the Super Bowl coming in a few months, it will be interesting to see who can make a memorable and non-offensive humorous commercial that will please everyone. All kidding aside, here is my favorite commercial. Yes, I would shop at Netto if possible, but only to see the cashier cat in action.
Klaudia Tirico, Features Editor: I must say, I am more drawn to commercials that pull at my heartstrings over humorous commercials. In my mind, they’re much more memorable and a little less likely to cause controversy (although I’m sure there are exceptions). No matter which way you go — sentimental or humorous — Alicia makes a great point: Brands must know their target audience well before thinking of an angle for their commercials. And to be honest, I think it’s OK that the viewer may only remember the humor as opposed to the message or brand. Obviously, it’s not the ideal situation, but hear me out. Even if all a viewer remembers is the subject of a commercial, I’d think that they’d be more inclined to Google it and find out who it was from. Which, in turn, could lead someone to the company web site or to more content the brand created. I know I’ve definitely done that before. But if a brand is looking to be remembered, I think keeping with a theme or including an ongoing character in commercials is really effective. Having a one-off commercial may not be remembered, but a series of commercials that put a specific theme or character in line with the brand that is sure to make a lasting impression. Some great examples of that are Dollar Shave Club, M&M’s and Dos Equis commercials.
Glenn Taylor, Senior Editor: I tend to think that while funny ads can be a great route to stick the brand in the consumer’s mind, they often can stray too far away from the product itself. When that occurs, the humor doesn’t really matter if no one has any more interest in shopping at the retailer. The Kmart commercial from a few years ago, “Ship My Pants,” was a pretty effective way to not only get a half-attentive viewer to do a double take when watching TV and generate a few laughs; it actually tied in with what the retailer could do with its omnichannel “Store to Home” fulfillment method. There definitely was some risk in the phrasing, but it quite cleverly remained relevant to how the retailer could serve the consumer. If Kmart didn’t make this connection and just did it to turn heads, then I could see why the campaign would be scrutinized. The fact is, relevance still matters, and the chances of consumers being offended by a humorous ad campaign will probably decrease if there’s a message attached that is directed at the intended demographic.
