Funny Business or Is It?

Humor in advertising can be very effective if it is "done right".  Humor, at times, works very well because it can attract attention to your business or product. 

Adweek recently released a list of the 10 best commercials for 2011.  Here are a couple of advertisements that used humor effectively and thereby gained attention.

1.  Cravendale - Cat with Thumbs

    

"Why do cats stare when you're pouring milk? The answer seems obvious. They're cats. They love milk. But this irresistible spot by Wieden + Kennedy for British dairy Cravendale wondered if the cute little kitties might not have a more nefarious agenda. After a lifetime of waiting on their owner's generosity, perhaps they want to take matters into their own paws. Maybe they're ready to band together and raid your milk supply. They would need just one thing, and this spot humorously gives it to them—opposable thumbs. Suddenly, the polydactyl felines are seen picking up balls, filing their nails, flipping through books, and doing a little needlepoint. But they're just biding their time and honing their sinister plot. Sure enough, soon they're snapping their fingers, West Side Story style, and preparing to gang up on the selfish, cereal-eating human and steal his milk. Cats are always big in ads, but this spot chased off all rivals this year."  Source:  The 10 Best Commercials of 2011 : The Year's Most Impeccable Craft and Storytelling in Advertising by Tim Nudd.

2.  Volkswagen - The Force

   

"Resistance is futile. At 7:33 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011, Volkswagen unleashed one of the great crowd-pleasing TV ads of all time on Fox's broadcast of Super Bowl XLV. "The Force," from Deutsch/ LA, ingeniously conceived and perfectly executed, more than lived up to its name.  It took two familiar ad themes—kids and Star Wars—and merged them to create that most rare species: a true global (who knows, maybe intergalactic) pop-culture phenomenon. Backed by the imposing sounds of "The Imperial March," a child in a Darth Vader suit roams his suburban home, attempting to bend inanimate objects (and the family dog) to his will with Jedi mind tricks. He fails utterly—until Dad gets home in his Volkswagen Passat. The kid races out to the driveway and focuses all of his metaphysical energy on the midsize sedan. It roars to life obediently—thanks to Dad activating the remote starter from the house. The boy steps back, thunderstruck by his own supernatural powers. The spot's metrics are astounding: 44 million views on YouTube, a reported 6.8 billion impressions worldwide, more than $100 million in earned media—all from such a simple execution. The spot, while visually strong, isn't a wonder of craft or technique. It's a triumph of fun, unadorned storytelling, which clearly goes a long way. Few ads in history have been as charming, as clever, as perfectly paced, or as well loved as this. Simply the best of 2011."  Source:  The 10 Best Commercials of 2011 : The Year's Most Impeccable Craft and Storytelling in Advertising by Tim Nudd.

As indicated, these two "best" ads for 2011 have apparently used humor successfully. 

But, there are also potential drawbacks to humorous commercials .  According to an article entitled "Repetition, Social Settings, Perceived Humor, and Wearout" by George M. Zinkhan and Betsy D.Gelb at the Association for Consumer Research web site, a possible drawback is potential "wearout" due to repetition.

For more information on the use of humor in advertising and its advantages and/or disadvantages, check out the following titles at the Toronto Public Library:

Beard, Fred K.  Humor in the Advertising Business : Theory, Practice, and Wit.  Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, c2008. 

Danesi, Marcel.  Why It Sells : Decoding the Meanings of Brand Names, Logos, Ads, and other Marketing and Advertising Ploys.  Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, c2008.

For additional books, search the Toronto Public Library catalogue with the subject heading Wit and humor in advertising.

For articles on this topic, try searching the following online databases at the Toronto Public Library website:  (Note:  An active Toronto Public Library card is required for access)

Academic OneFile
Recommended Subject Search:  Humorous advertising

Business & Company Resource Center
Recommended  Subject Search:  Humor in advertising

Canadian Business and Current Affairs (CBCA)
Recommended Basic Searches:  Humor and Advertising
                                               Humor and Advertising campaigns
                                               Humor and Television advertising
                                               Humor and Marketing

Expanded Academic ASAP
Recommended Subject Search:  Humorous advertising

General Reference Center Gold
Recommended Subject Search:  Humorous advertising

JSTOR    
Recommended Advanced Searches:  Humor and Advertising
                                                      Humorous advertising