Plenty of advertisements (ads) are shown everyday, and our brains are very selective as to how we perceive them and whether we can retain the information accurately. Every single ad is vying for attention and media companies are constantly finding new novelties to bombard people with stimuli.
Nowadays, companies have resorted to applying humor in print and TV advertising to capture its audience's attention. Sometimes, the purpose of the ads is not designed to hard-sell its products or make consumers to purchase them; but rather to enable them to recall their brand rather than a competitor's brand. In this way, using humor in ads can be quite effective and is able to communicate their message to their audience in a new novelty manner.
Moreover, our memory is fallible and with this in mind, ads are usually designed to make it easy to listen to, making it intense and novel. For humorous ads, sometimes colours are more vivid and intense, with loud sounds and visuals that are sometimes provocative and controversial that makes it more unforgettable.
Examples of ads that are humorous and controversial:
However, using humor in ads may also be quite risky and backfire. A good balance has to be struck in order that the humor delivers the desired positive impact instead of offending viewers. In these ads (above) - its strong visuals, bold headlines, sex and humor worked really well together. These advertising humor also works best with commonly purchased products and established brands. Not much text were used in the ads and it was very suggestive and non-verbal communication played a huge part in communicating its message to the audience.
In the case of the "condom commercial", the boy's screams and wails while making an embarrassing scene in the supermarket, as his father looked on with complete exasperation effectively communicates the message across. The use of body language and eye-contacts are used appropriately in the scenarios as well, especially the suggestive and averting eye-contacts in the Sweden Newspaper TV Ad. Some people may find it insulting or some find it humorous. So it's a either a love-or-hate commercial, don't you agree?
Nowadays, companies have resorted to applying humor in print and TV advertising to capture its audience's attention. Sometimes, the purpose of the ads is not designed to hard-sell its products or make consumers to purchase them; but rather to enable them to recall their brand rather than a competitor's brand. In this way, using humor in ads can be quite effective and is able to communicate their message to their audience in a new novelty manner.
Moreover, our memory is fallible and with this in mind, ads are usually designed to make it easy to listen to, making it intense and novel. For humorous ads, sometimes colours are more vivid and intense, with loud sounds and visuals that are sometimes provocative and controversial that makes it more unforgettable.
Examples of ads that are humorous and controversial:
However, using humor in ads may also be quite risky and backfire. A good balance has to be struck in order that the humor delivers the desired positive impact instead of offending viewers. In these ads (above) - its strong visuals, bold headlines, sex and humor worked really well together. These advertising humor also works best with commonly purchased products and established brands. Not much text were used in the ads and it was very suggestive and non-verbal communication played a huge part in communicating its message to the audience.
In the case of the "condom commercial", the boy's screams and wails while making an embarrassing scene in the supermarket, as his father looked on with complete exasperation effectively communicates the message across. The use of body language and eye-contacts are used appropriately in the scenarios as well, especially the suggestive and averting eye-contacts in the Sweden Newspaper TV Ad. Some people may find it insulting or some find it humorous. So it's a either a love-or-hate commercial, don't you agree?
9 comments:
HAHAHAHAHHA those were really quite funny! The condom ad really took me by surprise! Although the one with the 2 men was quite... disturbing.
I guess to test the theory about how we jump to conclusions, i think i can safely say that i can probably guess what everyone who watched that first commercial was thinking of initially.
I do like humorous advertisements, i feel that they attract as much attention as shock ads do, but without the negative effect.
That condom ad is interesting. I thought it was an ad on sweets but condoms...wow.
I guess humorous ads do really give a much bigger impact than other non-humorous ads. It's mainly because it gets stuck in our head and when we see or hear the product, we can easily relate it back to how the ad goes. And this is really a smart strategy that companies use to get a better head start than their competitors.
Apart from that, it changes our perception of the product. Like condoms, we see it as a form of contraceptive device and to some, up to now they don't really see how not using it could affect the outcome of their future. And that ad really showed the big picture in a more over realistic and funny way but at the same time, passing the message of how important it is to use condoms. Basically, to refrain us from getting into something that we're not ready to take on yet, that is parenthood. Thus, going back to my first point that humorous ad do make a bigger impact on society.
Advertising humor! I think thai ads are the funniest ads ever, sadly we hardly have any memorable or funny ads in Singapore :( Have you seen the thai "cheers" ad before? It was so hilarious, the first time I saw it I laughed till tears came out.
As you can see I love humourous ads. Even if they are laced with sexual innuendos, as long as they're used appropriately and ethically (to the right target audience), I am totally fine with it. One example of an ad that backfired on its perceived "creativity" is the ad as seen in jo's blog. It is not humourous by nature (or at least, I can't find anything funny about it), but it was so distastely done that I told myself not to buy anything from that brand.
i thought those were really funny adverts! And it certainly caught my attention! SO FUNNY!
And that's it, that humour helps us to remember or perceive products (like the sweet to condom thing) in a different way and perspective.
REAL COOL!
I agree full-heartedly that humour is one of the most powerful tools in advertising and commercials. As you rightfully pointed out, humour can swing both ways too depending on its deployment. Really witty, original humour that makes you smile and laugh from your heart nails the bull in the eye whereas pretentious, trying-too-hard humour in commercials that makes you want to just grab the remote control to immediately switch channels would only serve to leave a negative adverse impression.
In such ads where the supposed humour backfires, sometimes it is the dry and yawn-inducing pun and at other times it could also be the annoying actors/actresses chosen to deliver the humour in the commercial, or a combination of both. On a pure personal subjective level, one recent local Singapore commercial which has left a long lasting negative impression for me are the 2 Starhub commercials: (i) the first one about this loser-face guy playing some stupid hand-held game at an auction, greeting westerner guests who are much taller than him, hugging the wrong girl at a surprise party for his wife... *yawn*...PLEASE pass the remote to change the channel!! (ii) the second commercial showing this Jack Neo look-alike fatso with an irritating laughter shocking his equally annoying looking wife by being in 3 places in their apartment at one time.... *OMG, please shoot me now to end the misery*! Yes the Starhub commercials do work. I now, without fail, relate "Starhub" with that loser-face guy and the irritating fat laughter..... definitely remind me to NEVER subscribe to Starhub EVER.
Coming back to ad humour. I have to agree with Kyun that Thais are much more creative in commercials and ads than us. One of my all-time favourite commercial is the Thai "Bridgestone Suicide Dog" Commercial. Do watch it at the following link if you have not yet seen it. Sheer brilliance! I would definitely use Bridgestone tyres for my car :)
Suicide Dog Commercial
These marketing companies really know how to create humour to capture audiences' attentions! We all love funny ads don't we?
But one thing that I think most ad company forgot is that those humors often make people focus on the jokes instead of the products so I think sometimes certain ads should cut back on this humors and focus on serious issues (just sometimes!)
The ads are really funny and interesting. Both are really unpredictable. I admit that I think for the worst when I saw the ad with the 2 men in it. I know it is not what I think it is, that is the reason why I continue watching, cause I want to know waht it really is. Ha, if I am even making sense at all.
The second ad is good too, I never thought that it is for condom till the end. But it does the job with the bratty kid I suppose.
It is ad like this that will catch the audience attention, if not, I will just continue swiching channel when the commercial comes about. It leaves a strong impression,thus making it hard to forget and the purpose serve. :)
Some people may find it insulting or some find it humorous. So it's a either a love-or-hate commercial, don't you agree?
Sure I agree. Ads are conceived at for advertiser's target audience. Not realistic and impossible to please everyone.
I love humour in advertising. We just made two commercials for our law practice and they are hysterical! Since we do bankruptcy, which is very disheartening, we thought humour would make possible clients more at ease. So far it's working!
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