Laughter may well be the best medicine but it could also unlock considerable opportunities for agencies and brands, write Shaunagh Farelly and Fiona Bain, senior strategists with Boys+Girls.
“Hey Kate, it’s me, the guy from the bar!”
“Margaret…we’ve the hall booked until 11…”
“I don’t know what a tracker mortgage is.”
This year, we saw Cannes Lions introducing a ‘Use of Humour’ category for the first time, marking a significant shift in how the international industry recognises humour and creativity. By celebrating the art of humour, Cannes Lions acknowledges that clever, well-crafted comedy not only entertains but also strengthens emotional connections with customers and, as Binet & Field have been telling us for years, has a very positive impact on a brands business.
But surely this is telling us all something that deep down that we as a nation have always known. That humour is one of the quickest ways to get someone to pay attention, like and remember you.
Go back to the three lines of dialogue up top. One from 20 years ago, one for 10 and one from the last 5. We will bet even with the time that has passed since these ads were aired, a majority of readers will still immediately recall the ads and brands in question.
The effect of humour is more important than ever when every piece of communication is fighting for attention and when your brand needs work that demands and commands interest.
And with social and user-led digital platforms becoming more and more dominant, punters are watching your work alongside the best and most immediately relevant content. So, if that work stands a chance of cutting through it needs to be as entertaining as the content around it.
All of the research on effective communication is backing this up, pointing to the increasing importance of work that entertains and connects. A YouGov and Spikes survey from earlier this summer found that humour was the largest contributor driving recall of favourite recent and all time ads.
Kantar’s AdReaction study showed that humour is the most powerful creative enhancer of receptivity. And their Link testing data based showed that it’s not only a great way to get a reaction but it can also make your advertising really stand out from the crowd. Humour is the spoonful of sugar that makes your rational message go down as it were.
So why does it feel like so much of the advertising we see out there is boring, po-faced and self-obsessed ?
This isn’t us ranting, the research backs this up. Kantar has detailed how the use of humour in advertising has been declining over the last 20 years.
The reasons for this drop aren’t entirely substantiated but the fear of mis-speaking in our volatile world means every cent of spend is more carefully considered than it used to be.
Brands are so fearful of offending, alienating or being cancelled for getting it wrong that they opt for vanilla and end up with messages that are so ineffective they fall into the trap what System1, Peter Field and Adam Morgan have dubbed ‘The Cost of Dull’.
At Boys + Girls we’d also argue that too much work doesn’t start and end with the same objective question – why would anyone bother to pay attention to this? Humour is often a great answer to that question.
This is particularly true for Ireland. Though It’s important to consider how our humour differs from other nations.
In Ireland, we’re known for our unique blend of wit, warmth and in particular self-depreciation. We love clever wordplay, playful banter and have a knack for turning everyday misfortunes into sources of amusement. We use laughter as a way to navigate challenges and build connections. It’s deeply embedded in our culture.
Much of the best of Irish advertising understands and reflects that tonality and sensibility, and uses humour to embed their brands into Irish culture and into the hearts and memories of the Irish audience. Ultimately making every advertising euro work harder.
At Boys+Girls, we’ve seen the success of using humour to create distinctly Irish brand characters; from Conor, our McDonnells Curry Sauce cult leader and his Ooooooooh chips curry; to our more recent advertising with NOW. There we introduced our characters Owl and Fox, using humour to, in a mere 30 seconds, imbue them with a dynamic and camaraderie typical of Irish social circles. This uniquely Irish humour saw the launch campaign achieve exceptional brand fluency and emotional intensity scores when tested with System 1 and well and truly avoid the dreaded ‘dull’ label referenced above.
With evidence showing us over and over that humour is an effective way to communicate with customers, let’s throw away our shackles of fear associated with humour and instead embrace the benefits that outweigh its risks when executed thoughtfully and strategically.
Ireland is being celebrated on the global stage this year more than ever. From fashion to music, film, sport and even the Irish language, our culture is under the spotlight.
We’re a small, yet incredibly talented nation and bringing our culture of humour into advertising might be our next big ticket to Cannes.
