Self-deprecation in advertising – Does it work?

As some of you might remember, I recently wrote a post here about self-deprecation and honesty in advertising. I was interested in finding out whether my fellow creatives thought that this was a worthwhile approach to advertising and I had a huge amount of feedback and some interesting comments from the creative community.

Following the flurry of activity and response the post received, I’ve become increasingly curious about whether self-deprecation is right for a brand. Can brands make themselves more appealing to consumers by making fun of themselves? Is this type of strategy suitable for all types of businesses?

The feedback from my LinkedIn post increased my desire to find out more about the impact of this type of advertising and whether it’s a good alternative to the usual glossy, polished stuff we constantly see on our screens or in print.?

I decided to do some research into brands that have enjoyed success from self-deprecating ads and learn more about why they achieved success from them.

The art of self-honesty in advertising

Okay, so I say ‘art’ because I truly believe that self-honesty in advertising is an art. And it’s a very tricky art to master. Brands usually good at bigging themselves up and making out that their product or service is the best in the world. But, when it comes to putting themselves down, things get far more difficult.

Why? Because it must be done in just the right way. You don’t want to put people off the brand. You want them to relate to it. Remember it. Self-deprecation is a great way to achieve this - as long as you get it spot on. This is why it’s an art.?

After researching brands that have used this strategy in advertising, I came to realise many have enjoyed a huge boost in sales thanks to the use of self-honesty in their ad campaigns. This shows that it can and does work when done correctly.?

I also find the art of self-honesty in advertising to be refreshing! It makes such a change from the usual polished-to-within-an-inch-of-their-lives adverts that we’re so used to seeing – or even creating as advertising and marketing professionals.

Brands with success stories?

My recent LinkedIn post showcased great example of a self-deprecating advert for TCP. Personally, I love this ad and believe it is simple, effective and memorable. But TCP isn’t the only brand that has success with this approach. Check out some of the other businesses who created great campaigns that hit the mark out in the wild:

• Skoda
• Carlsberg
• Marmite?
• Volkswagen?
• Burger King
• Go Compare
• Tesco Mobile
• Stella Artois

I did discover hat not all self-deprecating ads achieved success. For example, McDonald's once ran a huge $100 million ad campaign promoting its Arch Deluxe burger, which it touted as a ‘hamburger for adults’ that kids would hate.?

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the burgers that kids hated – it was the ads (I imagine adults hated them as well). The campaign was an epic failure as was the burger it was trying to promote! Again, I think this comes down to mastering the art of self-deprecating advertising and getting it just right.?

So, can it work?

I believe this type of advertising can work brilliantly and for a lot of reasons. Of course, we don’t want every advert we see to be a self-deprecating one, otherwise, things would quickly become boring, and people would lose interest.?

The benefit of this type of advertising is that it’s quirky, different, refreshing, and relatable. People connect more with adverts that are honest, and they tend to have more respect for brands that don’t take themselves too seriously or claim to be perfect. ?

So, why do I think it’s a great strategy for some brands?

Breaking down barriers

I believe that one of the key reasons self-deprecating ads work so well is that they break down barriers between consumers and businesses. This strategy helps to ‘humanise’ the brand and make it far more relatable, which is something that lots of people appreciate. Digging into the benefits of this type of advertising made me realise that younger people, in particular, seem to like the honest approach from brands.?

Increased authenticity

While researching, I came across a report in The Economist from 2015 claiming that authenticity was a key driver behind brand popularity. Well, I think that this still stands today, particularly among the increasingly brand-savvy younger generation. With self-deprecating ads, brands come across as far more authentic, and this is very appealing to consumers who are tired of seeing adverts from brands claiming to be perfect in every way.?

More memorable

I also think that a brilliantly created self-deprecating ad is far more memorable for consumers. People are bombarded with polished adverts every day, whether it’s online, on the TV screen, or in magazines. When they see an advert that is honest, unique, and down-to-earth, it’s far more likely to stick in their minds. They’re also more likely to sit up and take notice of this sort of ad because of its honesty, humour, and authenticity.?

A great strategy for some brands

After looking more closely at self-deprecating advertising, I’ve come to the conclusion that it might not be the right strategy for all brands and industries, but it could certainly work brilliantly for some. I think that seeing a brand make fun of itself rather than claiming to be the best thing since sliced bread has a real appeal to it.?

For many brands, self-mockery and honesty seem to have helped them achieve far greater success than they would have with their usual glossy ads. This type of advertising is nothing new – it’s been around since the 1950s. However, I do think it’s become increasingly popular over recent years, with brands realising that they don’t have to take themselves mega-seriously to win over consumers.

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