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"Advertising
Is Not A Funny Business"
First, a warning. Professional
Advertising does not recommend that you use humor in your
advertising. A lot of people simply don't have a sense of humor. You lose
them immediately, and the potential size of your market shrinks.
And humor is in the eye of the
beholder. It is commonly misinterpreted. Many people will not get the
joke. Your market size just shrunk again.
And humor often insults someone.
They may simply get angry because they don't get the joke. This
is fire we are playing with. Your market just shrunk again. Is it worth
the risk?
Laugh
Out Loud - Advertising Humor
Yes,
humor in advertising is risky. It can also be devastatingly effective.
When done right, humor works - really, really well.
Advertising
is about getting attention. The best ways to get attention
with advertising are with strong
visuals, sex, powerful headlines, and humor. Let's look at how to use
[or not use] humor in
advertising.
Advertising humor is wonderful for getting attention. As you look
at some of our sample ads, we hope you get a good idea of what we mean.
Advertising humor
can be extraordinarily effective when it is used correctly. People will
actually look for your ads, and talk about them if they are good. But
there are rules about using humor in advertising to represent your company, and
following them is probably a good idea.
First, people like funny things. They relax and pay
attention when they know you have a sense of humor. It puts them in a
good mood, and it creates a more comfortable atmosphere and a more
positive image for your company. It makes you easy to approach, and easy
to remember.
Advertising humor works best with established and commonly
purchased products. Humor in advertising works for business services, familiar items,
and products we all know. But corporate image and industrial advertising
are serious business. Unknown, risky, expensive, or sensitive products
are not normally suited to the lighter touch of advertising humor.
Advertising humor also needs to be well suited to its audience. If your
customers don’t get the joke, then the joke will be on you. A
sophisticated audience will understand your irony, satire, and puns, but
a young audience may only understand slapstick comedy or a silly cartoon
caricature. Inside jokes can be effective if the recipient understands that it
was done for them, but nobody else will get it.
And advertising humor can backfire. If you make a joke at the
expense of any one group, you will surely alienate them. Everyone loved
the “Where’s the Beef” commercials done by Wendy’s – everyone,
that is, except the senior citizens who did not like being portrayed as
grumpy old people.
Advertising humor also needs to be product specific. We have all
seen funny ads we liked so much that we forgot what was being sold.
Advertising humor must relate directly to your business or products if you want to
be remembered.
And advertising humor has a relatively short life. The first time
we see it we may laugh out loud. But after a while, although we still
may smile at the joke, it’s not so funny any more. Funny ads need
to be replaced periodically.
Will advertising humor work in your ads? Absolutely – if you can
make it appropriate to your products and customers, if they understand
it, if it is related to your business or message, and if you change your
ads frequently enough so that they don’t wear out.
OK, here’s the
punch line. Advertising humor definitely gets attention. And if your ads don’t get
attention first, they will be anything but funny. But
when done right, advertising humor can send your ads light years ahead of the
competition, and that’s what Professional
Advertising is all about.
Ask for Help
As always, we
strongly recommend that you ask a
marketing professional to review your advertisement copy and any other
marketing related concerns or projects you have. It really is a cheap
investment for something as important as gaining insight into who you
may insult with your humorous advertisements. Please contact
Professional Advertising for these
services and more information.
Professional
Advertising
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Advertising
& Marketing Consulting Services
Copy
Writing & Communication Design
Please
see Working
with Professional Advertising
for more information.
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