The Honey Drop #21: What's so funny?

I had the rudest, nastiest cashier today at the grocery store.

I guess it's my fault for using the self-checkout.

Huzzah!! And happy Thursday, my sweet snow pea.

Gotta give the?@loganlisle?account on Instagram credit for that one. If you ever need a trove of endless dad jokes and puns, that's the spot for you.

I'm hoping that greeting made you chuckle.

If it did, there's a good reason. It's a classic joke-telling format.

It's a set-up, pay-off structure, where the punchline delivers something unexpected.

And that's what's behind all comedy... the unexpected.

As marketers, we're always trying to surprise and delight our audience. A terrific way to do that is with humor.

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1/ COPY IN THE WILD - BRITISH AIRWAYS

British Airways takes time off seriously.

Their latest campaign starts with this insight: nearly half of Brits check their work emails while on holiday. And that's not exactly unplugging, is it?

So the airline company – with agency Uncommon Creative Studio – launched this series of billboards, alongside commercial spots, to urge people to close the laptop and take a true vacay.

These cheeky ads follow that same structure: set-up and punchline. Where the punchline delivers the unexpected.

Set-up:?An out-of-office automated replay.

We all use them. They're usually super boring with the same sentiment: "I'm out of the office until January 12th. I'll reply to your message when I return."

Each of these billboards starts with a familiar email opener like "I have received your email."

Punchline:?the EFF you.

Then comes the unexpected.

The second half of the email is a delightfully snarky surprise. It tells the reader, that no, I'm?not?going to respond to your message. Because I'm on holiday.

I'm?not?checking my email every 3 minutes like an insane modern person (who I usually am when not on holiday).

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2/ QUICK TIP: make it unexpected

You can do this too!

Add a splash of comedy to any of your marketing or advertising.

Even just an itsy bitsy teeny tiny bit can take a message from a yawner to a yak fest.

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Go ahead and give it a whirl...

? Start with the usual set-up. Whatever the normal format is for what you're writing.

? Find a witty way to pay off your set up. Something that surprises your audience. A quick way to try this out is to write the opposite of what you'd normally say.

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And let me know how it goes!

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3/ DEEP THOUGHTS

"I’ve been to almost as many places as my luggage.”

— Bob Hope

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Go live, laugh and love yo'self!

Chrissy

P.S. Want to spice up your marketing and advertising with some comedy? Easier said that done, I know. Want some help??Give me a holler.?We'll talk and see if I can help.