It’s no wonder when business owners take to advertising they commonly use humor. The daily bombardment of advertising makes it enjoyable to catch some marketing that gives you a laugh. Unfortunately, being funny in your advertising can be the very thing that will cost your budget the most. In this article we’ll explore why it’s best if you avoid working comedy into your ad campaigns.
Companies like Allstate, Chick-Fil-A, Oldspice, Budweisser and a long list of others have led us to believe that a funny ad is a great ad.
For years, here in the US, Super Bowl commercials really pumped this idea into us. It goes without saying the entertainment from those brand’s advertising was arguably the best part of the entire show. Also, the reason why many of us even tuned into the Super Bowl to begin with.
Shelling out for a spot of air time during the game meant big bucks. Making it a pretty big deal to get a spot. And almost all of them were always funny. Every year. And it’s these types of commercials that have tricked us into thinking that if marketing is funny then it’s successful.
There’s just one fatal flaw to the concept.
I don’t know about you but I’ve never seen an ad that made me laugh so hard that I ran to the store and bought the product. Nor have I chuckled my way into the ‘ol wallet, pulled out the credit card and started dialing a 1-800 number because a punchline seriously drove me to the brink of buying.
Funny ads, great as they are, don’t sell. They entertain. And they do it well. Because of this we often think since they nailed a setup and punchline then advertising that way too will be a hook, line and sinker for us.
Don’t get me wrong though. If we have MILLIONS of dollars to play with then that type of marketing is a great way to be on the tip of the consumer’s mind. It lends itself, a bit, to being like a form of hypnosis.
At the store you see Axe deodorant and you see Old Spice deodorant. The better entertainer might just edge ahead that much more in the race for who you choose to buy.
Now, if you’re a plumber and your ad uses some toilet humor (pun intended) then the entire point of why you’re advertising gets thrown out with the bath water. In place of where you would usually sell is now occupied by jokes. And those jokes end up being remembered instead. Briefly remembered at that.
Attention is a scarce resource. Meaning the chuckle-fest of an ad ends up becoming part of the hazy entertainment mosaic of consumed content. In other words, it won’t stand out.
Think of it like this, if you were running ads in a magazine, the last thing you would do is format your ad to look like an article. You wouldn’t blend your marketing to be camouflaged into the rest of the issue.
Your offer needs contrast to grab attention and then say, “Hey, this is what we do. Let us solve your problem or fulfill your need.”
Simple enough but an ad that promotes a chuckle instead of an urge to buy, or get more info, is a failed ad. The point of advertising is to SELL. The marketing landscape should not resemble America’s Got Talent. Entertaining is for getting fans, likes or followers. Not clients and customers. That’s what advertising is for.
Put a finishing touch of humor or lightheartedness in your ads? Sure. Having a little piece of your ad garnished with your business’s sense of humor is fine. That does take some expert finesse to pull it off though. Otherwise, if you’re trying to make a great ad, sticking to business never ever hurts. Because a great ad isn’t about entertaining. It’s about selling.
If you’re interested in getting a second opinion on your advertising and marketing in general, get in touch with us today for a free marketing analysis.
And if thinking about how to get more customers for less dollars then take a look at our Meta guide.
