When you are serious about attracting customers, what is something great you can do? Make ‘em laugh, of course! And we don’t mean that you should make them chuckle, snicker or giggle softly – oh no – we mean you should make them “spit milk through their nose when they laugh” funny!
Comedy is a key element of the most successful marketing campaigns throughout history. Silent movie funnyman, Buster Keaton, made several humorous ads for Alka-Seltzer, Milky Way candy bars, Ford vehicles, and even beer.
In the years to follow, consumers laughed their way through the purchasing process after being told to “Squeeze the Charmin,” “Leggo my Eggo” and asked, “Where’s the beef?”
Target audiences also responded wildly to funny advertising brought to us by the three amigos, “The Most Interesting Man in the World,” the Old Spice Man, and the GEICO caveman.
Because they are successful, funny ads have been an advertising mainstay in print, movie trailers, radio, and television. Today’s marketers are taking their campaigns to the internet to attract clients, but the funny element can still be a part of them.
Here are five funny marketing campaigns, and the lessons each provides.
5 Riotous Marketing Campaigns
Are you ready to laugh your head off?
1. Burger King: “Whopper Neutrality”
Well-timed humor isn’t the only element that can instantly take funny marketing campaigns from good to legendary. Brands that find clever ways to tie buzzworthy news or current social issues into the mix often wind up with big hits on their hands.
For example, who could forget the repeal of net neutrality in the summer of 2018? It meant that internet service providers were no longer legally obligated to treat all web content equally when it came to offering quick, affordable access to end users.
As the public struggled to understand what the repeal would mean for their own web experiences, Burger King rose to the occasion and leveraged humor to teach them by using the iconic Whopper as an example. Its Whopper Neutrality campaign captured the reactions of confused (and sometimes irate) customers after being told they’d need to wait longer for their orders if they weren’t willing to pay extra.
Not only did this reframe the net neutrality repeal using terms people could easily understand, but it scored another advertising win for Burger King, a brand famous for its smart, highly memorable campaigns.
What Works in This Ad:
- Clever use of humor to illustrate social issues
- Candid, relatable reactions captured on video
- Reinforcement of a key product as iconic
2. Coors: “Bear Taxi”
There are many elements that set Coors apart as a leading beer brand, but one of the more iconic examples is their special can. It lets consumers know when their Coors has reached the optimal drinking temperature (the mountains in the picture change from white to blue).
This recent ad leverages cutting-edge special effects to transport viewers to the fictitious Coors Mountains and invites them to follow a group of friends on the way to a nearby party. After ordering their ride, they’re surprised and delighted to see a group of bears show up to take them to their destination.
This commercial works for many reasons and the incredible special effects are only one of them. The real MVPs here are unique ideas, snappy writing, and clever ways to incorporate critical aspects of the Coors brand identity.
Digital marketers can brainstorm potentially viral marketing campaigns that are just as memorable by seeking experienced copywriters via trusted marketplaces like WriterAccess and thinking outside the box regarding fresh, exciting ways to reinforce their brand identities.
What Works in This Ad:
- Use of engaging visuals not commonly seen in association with the product type
- Clever use of humor to associate the brand with fun, high standards, and next-level freshness
- Tie-ins that included trendy methods like influencer marketing and contests
3. Amazon: “Ads That Work as Hard as You Do”
This recent commercial from household name Amazon uses a fictional brand called Cherri to illustrate the intricacies of the advertising world for viewers.
It uses humor to accomplish this in a way that’s both engaging and educational. The result is a memorable ad that shows end users just how important it is to choose advertising solutions that take optimal positioning into consideration (the way Amazon Ads does).
Digital-age marketers should take note of the savvy way that Amazon encourages users to laugh at how embarrassingly wrong even well-conceptualized advertising can go if ad placement is overlooked. The humor also leaves viewers confident that Amazon has the answer to the issue at hand.
What Works in This Ad:
- Use of humor to highlight a commonly overlooked industry issue (effective media placement)
- Acknowledgment of the creativity and hard work that human workers bring to the marketing process
- A lighthearted approach that adds excitement to a concept that’s typically all business
4. Sodastream: “Soda Soak”
Is there really any better time of year than April Fool’s Day to launch viral marketing campaigns meant to leave you laughing? Not only are people already in the mood to laugh on April Fool’s, but brands get major brownie points for being clever enough to fool audiences even though they’re on the lookout for pranks.
Sodastream did this perfectly with their hilarious Soda Soak idea—a fictional product that promised to apply Sodastream’s fun, accessible carbonation technology to baths and soaks. They even used their official spokesperson Thor Bjornsson and name-dropped Bed Bath & Beyond for added realism.
The Soda Soak commercial is an excellent lesson for marketers across all industries on how to combine proven techniques (like influencer endorsement and comedy) with great timing to get incredible results.
What Works in This Ad:
- Great timing for humor (April Fool’s Day)
- Smart use of influencer personalities and celebrities to add credibility
- Clever spoofing of the well-known infomercial motif
5. Samsung Galaxy: “Join the Flip Side”
Although most industries involve plenty of competition, this is especially true within the smartphone market. A positive experience with a particular product can easily lead to fierce brand loyalty, which makes it hard for competitors to get a consumer’s attention.
Samsung’s intelligent, funny “Join the Flip Side” campaign addressed this phenomenon by poking some good-natured fun at the sometimes cult-like devotion that iPhone users have to the Apple name. The goal was to show off the awesome new folding feature of their Galaxy Z Flip.
In the commercial, the feature is humorously presented as being so unforgettable, desirable, and noteworthy that it ultimately convinces even a devoted iPhone user to make the switch. The user sees folding motifs everywhere she goes and even dreams about the Galaxy Z until she buys one.
Again, stellar writing and storytelling are the real star techniques here—techniques that you can easily leverage with the right copywriters and creative professionals in your corner (like the ones you’ll meet at WriterAccess).
What Works in This Ad:
- Next-level storytelling that draws the viewer in
- Good-natured humor that invites people to laugh at themselves
- Demonstrates the functionality of the product in unique, interesting ways
Conclusion
As you can see, funny marketing campaigns never go out of style and are as popular, fun, and effective as ever. And the great news is that humor, timing, and social savvy are techniques that work well across every industry.
Start creating hilarious marketing campaigns that will leave your audience rolling while building incredible brand recognition when you sign up for your free 14-day WriterAccess trial today. You’ll love the magic that the right writers can bring to the table!
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