Does laugh-out-loud marketing work?

They say laughter is the best medicine. But, if you’re a ‘serious’ brand (looking at you B2B) then you might think your marketing is no laughing matter. Well, at the risk of ruining the punchline, you could be missing out on a big (smiley) opportunity.

The last few years have been a sad state of affairs for most consumers. Higher prices, a tumultuous job market and a testing economy have all wiped the smile off people’s faces. In fact, 45% of people haven’t felt happy in the last two years. Now, 88% of people are looking for some light relief.

More marketers are starting to tap into this. So much so that industry organisations have added a new ‘humour’ category to their awards. If this doesn’t prove the power of marketing that cracks a smile, we don’t know what does. But can every brand crack the jokes and, if so, how can they do it?

Why does humour work?

There’s a reason people look for partners with a GSOH. Everyone likes to be around lighthearted, funny individuals. Tapping into someone’s sense of humour and making them laugh is intimate. It shows you understand an individual and want to connect deeply with them.

Injecting some laughs into your marketing has specific benefits, including:

• Increasing the humanness and authenticity of a brand personality, both of which are priorities for modern consumers
• Setting you apart from competition and attracting attention by breaking away from run-of-the-mill messaging
• Connecting you with a group of people who find your jokes funny. For example, Gen Z are attracted to brands that tap into absurd humour
• Making your ads and brand messaging more memorable, as reported by 90% of customers
• It leaves your customers or prospects with positive feelings, improving brand sentiment.

In short, humorous marketing increases audience engagement with a brand and makes them more likely to spend time understanding what a business offers.

How can your brand be funny?

No joke, it’s possible for all brands to be funny. However, for the punchlines to land, the laughs must stem from your business’s values and chime with your personality. There’s nothing worse than an awkward laugh, so any humour used in your marketing needs to come naturally and match your audience’s expectations.

There are a few different ways you can do this:

• Sarcasm is a good way to engage with people and start a conversation, you could even go as far as ‘roasting’ individuals who dislike your brand
• Irony, particularly dramatic irony, has a good payoff because its subtle and makes the audience feel clever for understanding the joke
• Take the micky out of your brand to show you don’t take yourself too seriously and are authentic and upfront in your approach
• Deliver something unexpected to get attention, whether it’s an image that’s unusual or a presumption that’s turned on its head
• Push boundaries with something dark, blue or absurd if you’re prepared to be more daring as a brand and make a real impact.

By finding comedy techniques that suit their personality, the following brands have tickled their audience’s funny bones.

LOLS with Lloyds

With a cheeky take on the daddy-daughter relationship, the latest advertisement from Lloyds Bank saves the punchline until the end. They also use this payoff to show a point of difference - that their app makes it easier for customers to control their money.

Without losing their quintessentially British character, this ad shows how Lloyds is taking a more relaxed, modern approach to banking. This helps them change customer perceptions of the brand as a stuffy, old-fashioned bank compared to new market disruptors.

PSML with Pepsi

In a series of ads, Pepsi breaks down the fourth wall and gets celebrities to give their real verdict of the soft drink - or do they? Broadcast during one of the biggest shows, these Super Bowl commercials hint that, like the stars who appear in them, Pepsi is real and making genuine product claims.

Made in the backdrop of the ‘fake news’ era, the ads tap into the sentiment held by many customers that they need to ‘try it for themselves’. This isn’t just a clever reinvention of their well-known brand slogan ‘Great Taste, Zero Sugar’, but taps into a cultural attitude.

SAL with Surreal

Playfulness is at the core of Surreal’s brand (let’s be honest, as a cereal for adults, how could it not?). In a characteristic move, they showcase this part of their personality by disrupting grown-up environments like LinkedIn.

In a social media environment where most users take themselves seriously, Surreal’s copywriting team push against this trend. Using the platform’s formats like carousels, they talk about their failures, own up to forgetting big marketing events (like Halloween) and talk about random, off the wall subjects. This sets them apart in customers’ timelines.

Find your funny bones!

It may take a bit of digging, but our creative team are great at finding what makes your brand, customers and prospects smile and using it to your advantage.

Even if you don’t want to make them ROFL, you can raise a smirk or a chuckle and create a connection. Fancy a laugh (for your audience)? Call us on 01926 754038 or drop us an email at hello@designmc.org