The Benefits and Pitfalls of Using Humour in Advertising

The experts agree. To fulfil its purpose, an ad has to capture its audience’s attention and make a lasting memory. So would humour help the ad’s efforts? 

It depends. Humour has proven to be an effective attention-grabber in advertising. It can also improve consumers’ recollection of an ad, create a positive impression, and increase purchase intent. However, using it effectively can be tricky. Firstly, the humour has to support the message instead of overshadowing it. Viewers should be entertained, but they need to remember what the ad was for. Hence, your brand and product must be interwoven with the humour to ensure your ad hits all the points it’s supposed to. 

Lastly, humour is subjective. What works for one demographic may not work for another and may even cause more harm than good. An offended consumer might go out of their way to remember your brand, but for all the wrong reasons. So before you even think of cracking a joke in your marketing collateral, get to know your target audience and their sense of humour. 

And if you’re not sure you have the time or the comedic sense to pull off a funny ad, get in touch with us today.