Humor in Advertising
Many of the most memorable ad campaigns around tend to be funny. Advertisers use this strategy to attract customers to their product. Audiences like to be entertained, but not pitched. People will pay more attention to a humorous commercial than a factual or serious one, opening themselves up to be influenced. The key to funny advertising is assuring the humor is appropriate to both product and customer. The balance between funny and obnoxious can often be delicate; and a marketer must be certain the positive effects outweigh the negative before an advertisement can be introduced.
The best products to sell using humor tend to be those that consumers have to think the least about. Products that are relatively inexpensive, and often consumable, can be represented without providing a lot of facts, and that's where there's room for humor. Candy, food, alcohol, tobacco and toys/entertainment related products have proven to benefit the most from humor in their campaigns. One of the most important things to keep in mind is relevance to the product. An example of an extremely successful humorous campaign is the series of "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" commercials. The star, a tiny talking Chihuahua who is passionate about his Taco Bell got people repeating the company's name across the country. The repetition of the company name and the actual content of the commercial reinforce the message in a relevant manner. Taco Bell saw a substantial rise in sales and their own mascot became a pop icon.
Another point to consider when using humor in advertising is that different things are funny to different people. A commercial that may leave one person gripping their sides from laughter may leave a bad taste in another's mouth. The target market must always be considered. What's funny in a client presentation may not be funny on an airplane, at a country club or in a hospital. An example of a recent humorous product introduction is Mike's Hard Lemonade. These commercials feature over exaggerated and comical violence with the underlining message that no one's day is hard enough to pass up a Mike's. It failed, ranking as one of the year's most hated campaigns by both men and woman according to 2002's Ad Track, a consumer survey. The series of commercials are aimed at 21-29 year old males and the repetition of comical violence (such as a construction worker being impaled on the job and a lumberjack cutting off his own foot) gets less and less funny every time it's viewed. Eventually the joke just wore out and the commercial became annoying and offensive.
Humor in advertising tends to improve brand recognition, but does not improve product recall, message credibility, or buying intentions. In other words, consumers may be familiar with and have good feelings towards the product, but their purchasing decisions will probably not be affected. One of the major keys to a successful humorous campaign is variety, once a commercial starts to wear out there's no saving it without some variation on the concept. Humorous campaigns are often expensive because they have to be constantly changed. Advertisers must remember that while making the customer laugh, they have to keep things interesting, because old jokes die along with their products.
Mark Levit is managing partner of Partners & Levit Advertising and a professor of marketing at New York University. Partners & Levit's clients include Procter & Gamble, UnitedHealth Group, and GE Commercial Finance. For more information call 212-696-1200 or visit http://www.partnerslevit.com.
 Google News Updated : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:51:44 GMT Rapper 50 Cent sues Taco Bell over ad - New York Daily News
New York Daily News - BY THOMAS ZAMBITO The rapper - real name Curtis Jackson - is suing the fast-food chain for using his hip-hop persona to tout its tacos. 50 Cent sues Taco Bell over ad campaign Rapper 50 Cent says Taco Bell stole his endorsement Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:15:09 GMT Billionaires Back Antismoking Effort - New York Times
New York Times - Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced their antismoking initiative on Wednesday in New York. By DONALD G. MCNEIL JR Bill Gates and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced on Wednesday that they would spend $500 million to stop ... Video: Gates, Bloomberg Pool Riches to Fight Smoking The $500 million war on smoking Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:23:48 GMT Christian Bale's lady sidekick: Sibi Bale - Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times - Like the Dark Knight/Bruce Wayne, Christian Bale is a real-life man of mystery. Averse to personal publicity, he is well-known for not wanting to discuss his private life. Christian Bale, Wife "Solid" at Knight's Spain Premiere Bale's family feud led to scuffle Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:10:31 GMT Zimbabwe Parties May Sign Unity Deal Soon, Business Day Reports - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By Carli Lourens July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Zimbabwe's ruling and opposition parties may sign a power-sharing agreement soon as they have already agreed on a wide range of issues, Business Day reported, citing people it didn't identify. Fearsome Zimbabwe militias are afraid Delayed Zimbabwe Power-Sharing Talks Seen Beginning Thursday Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:23:06 GMT Discovery may boost statin safety - BBC News
BBC News - Scientists have pinpointed a gene mutation as a major cause of a rare side effect of the cholesterol-lowering drugs statins. They hope the discovery could lead to a simple test to identify patients at increased risk of myopathy - severe muscle pain and ... Gene May Predict Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Risk, Study Says Genetic Cause of Statin-Related Muscle Pain Found Publ.Date : Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:14:24 GMT Favre's heir? With backing from mates, Rodgers waits patiently - USA Today
USA Today - By Matt Ludtke, AP By Larry Weisman, USA TODAY He no longer sounds like a retired player after seemingly passing on the opportunity to lead a talent-laden Packers squad. Video: The Rift Between Favre and the Packers Finding new home for Brett Favre won't be easy Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:06:18 GMT Karadzic lived the good life with wine, song - Reuters
Reuters - By Ivana Sekularac BELGRADE (Reuters) - Radovan Karadzic lived the good life while hiding from justice for 11 years: he watched his diet, fell in love and hung out in a small bar where hardliners gathered to sing about his wartime exploits. Video: Karadzic's arrest sparks clashes - 23 Jul 08 Karadzic's secret life enthralls his fellow Serbs Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:05:33 GMT Increase Website Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Today, more than ever, it is crucial that your ad... Read More I recently saw an ad taped to my mailbox, mind... Read More So many business people neglect this valuable asset that may... Read More I am always amazed when I hear about companies who... Read More Depending on whom you ask, you will get told many... Read More Starting a placemat ad business can create more business for... Read More Many people online are not using one of the best... Read More Pay close attention and make it work the best for... Read More Touring is a bands greatest opportunity for success. But, touring... Read More I caught myself wracking my brain over what kind of... Read More Today's online marketplace is extremely competitive. People want to market... Read More Without a powerful headline, your message stands little chance of... Read More Are you confused by all the information you receive from... Read More Do you remember how proud you were the first time... Read More If you haven't made many sales or perhaps none at... Read More In this article, we want to explore the idea of... Read More Are your business-to-business ads working for you? If they are... Read More When used effectively, classified ads can be one of the... Read More One of the best and easiest ways to advertise without... Read More If you own a mobile detailing business or mobile car... Read More The great Claude Hopkins (Author of Scientific Advertising) once said,... Read More When you read the newspaper, do you read advertisements as... Read More Advertising on humans using tattoos is rapidly kind of freak... Read More Advertising, when done well is a very effective way to... Read More Philadelphia retailer and US Postmaster General, John Wanamaker, once said,... Read More
Adsense
websites
Turn Your Ad Copy into a Goldmine!
Creditability In Advertising
Business Cards: Why Waste Valuable Space?
10 Reasons Why Your Company Needs Custom Invitations
The Only Bad Advertising Is No Advertising - Or Is It?
Placemat Ad Advertising
Offline Advertising Secrets: Using Offline Advertising to Get the Most from Your Name Squeeze Page
Buying Radio? Read This and Dont Waste Your Money
How To Get Big Sponsorship Money for Your Band, Tour, Event or Production
How to Write Ads that Increase Your Business
Effective Promotions Through Local Classified Sites
5 Reasons Why Headlines Are Crucial To Your Website?s Success
How Can All the Radio Stations Be #1?
Why Would Anyone Want Your Business Card?
How to Breathe New Life into Your Advertising Campaign
Using The Popularity of Celebrities and Currrent Events to Promote Your Business
How to Write B2B Ads That Catch Customers
The Secrets of High Money Classified Ads
Advertising Inserts
Cable TV Advertising; Mobile Detailing Customers
The Benefits of Specific Advertising
Become a Storyteller Not an Advertiser and Watch Your Traffic Increase
The First UK Man To Become a Human Billboard an Interview
Advertising Primer for Fast Learners
Do Your Adverts Get You More Sales?
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Radio and Television Ads: Clever Vs. Annoying
Ever heard or seen a radio or television commercial that... Read More
How To Tell If An Advertisement Costs Too Much
People say it all the time: "This advertising costs too... Read More
11 Ways To Make Your Business Cards Work For You
1. Spend money on decent quality business cards. Home made... Read More
Custom T-shirts -- Put Your Company Logo on Cotton!
An effective way to gain company recognition is to order... Read More
How To Write Kick-Ass, Profit Pulling Adverts For Your Business?
Doesn't that just grab you by the eyeballs and make... Read More
Media Planning: Smart Choices for Your Success
Media Planning for SmartiesYou say you're ready to advertise. How... Read More
Too Much Build-Up: Over-Zealous Ad Copy Can Break The Sale
How many times has this happened to you?A friend recommends... Read More
Pros and Cons of Establishing an In-House Ad Agency
There have been several ads promoting books and reports on... Read More
Fax Advertising : Hitting Your Target Immediately
In the business of marketing and advertising, it used to... Read More
Vinyl Banners for the Right Occasion
The sinage marketplace is competitive! Consequently, some companies are going... Read More
Lamination of Signs
I suspect that everyone has an idea of what lamination... Read More
Change, or Reinforce?
Do you know about the distinction - and it's a... Read More
How To Write Eye-Grabbing Headlines That Catapult Your Prospects Into Your Ads
If you're interested in improving the selling results of your... Read More
Mortgage Marketing - Broadcast Advertising vs Direct Advertising
Do you know how to design and deploy a marketing... Read More
The Skinny on Billboards
Several years back the billboard people put a big picture... Read More
Advertising That Annoys: The Real Story
Critics conclude that entertaining or "creative" commercials sell better than... Read More
Advertising Headlines and How to Write Them
1. Attract prospects with your headline Use your headline as... Read More
Design Your Own Newspaper Ads
Many people in business lay-out (design) their own ads. That... Read More
LED Score Boards
LED scoreboards can be utilized in most of the sporting... Read More
Why Hire an Advertising/Marketing Consultant?
As a business owner, you have the option of taking... Read More
Information To Include On Your Business Card
The logo and graphic elements that you include on your... Read More
Moving Message Display
Moving message display are designed to be installed into environments... Read More
Localized Advertising ? Door-to-Door Ad Distribution on the Fly!
Have you ever had to distribute door-hanger advertisements for your... Read More
Double Your Sales Potential With Double-sided Business Cards
Swapping business cards is one of the most basic and... Read More
How To Use Pictures To Immediately Start Increasing The Response Rates Of Your Marketing
There should only be one, over-riding reason why you're doing... Read More
Advertising |