Humor is precious.

I see a funny post on Instagram and even before I stop smiling, I have already forwarded it to multiple other groups. What is it about humor, that makes us react differently?

Even in today’s times, when we are threatened by the worst global health crisis in 100 years, there’s been a mass outpouring of gags, memes, funny videos, and general silliness on lock downs and work from homes. We might be scared, but we seem determined to carry on laughing.

The why of humor has long been a mystery.

The late Robert R. Provine, a professor at the University of Maryland who became one of the world’s leading experts on laughter studied how and why people laugh for decades. He concluded that it was actually a way of bonding. He wrote, “Most people think of laughter as a simple response to comedy, or a cathartic mood-lifter. Instead, laughter is primarily a social vocalization that binds people together. We laugh with others to give us “the pleasure of acceptance". He also added that "from an evolutionary perspective, laughter is rooted in this ability to connect. It is a shared social signal"

And here lies an opportunity. If laughter is a shared social signal, humor becomes precious for brands. 

However most people still believe that marketing has to be serious business as it affects the financial well-being of companies, their owners and staff. Brands are serious and important in the sense that they’re valuable financial assets. Unfortunately this leads some to believe all aspects of marketing must be done in a serious way. Their views echoes that of ad pioneer Claude Hopkins, who wrote in his book Scientific advertising: ‘Don’t treat your subject lightly. Don’t lessen respect for yourself or your article by any attempt at frivolity. People do not patronize a clown. An eccentric picture may do you serious damage. One may gain attention by wearing a fool’s cap. But he will ruin his selling prospects'.

But how does this excessive seriousness affects us ?

For starters, excessive seriousness can make marketing less effective. Advertising that lacks charm raises our defenses and we begin to scrutinize its claims more critically. On the other hand, playfulness and humor work rather well for brands. They disarm our crucial facilities, creating warm feelings towards brands. It is these feelings that help any brand drive long-term associations and ROI.

Now one could argue, what about serious messages? In 2012, Metro Trains of Australia launched a new campaign called “Dumb ways to die” to promote railway safety (click on the picture for link). This iconic funny campaign resonated well with its users and went viral on social media. Over time, it became one of the most awarded and talked about campaign of the decade.

This establishes that you need not be serious to be credible. If people don’t like your ads, they are less likely to believe what you say, no matter how well supported with RTBs (Reasons to Believe). On the other hand, likable, charming ads are more likely to be believed. Harness this halo effect. When people like an ad, they tend to like the brand as well. Humor is a highly effective way to sell things, with or without messages.

Go for humor if you want fame. Funny ads make brands famous. People love to share jokes. Remember, laughter is a shared social signal? From Marmite’s “Love/hate” to Snickers “You’re not you when you’re hungry”, many of the world’s best known campaigns are rooted in humor.

However last but not the least, be cautious about humor in activation work. That’s the time to cut to the chase and sell. People in active, shopping mode might want more information on product, price and facts to help them decide. At those times, a rational, no-nonsense approach works best. As with relevance, it’s all about context.