Humor can be one of the most powerful marketing tools. Millennial and Gen Z audiences love humor, so it’s only natural for Millennial and Gen Z artists to use humor in their pitches. Humor is effective, relatable, and helps to get the message across; it’s also an easy get-out-of-jail-free card when the storyline doesn’t quite hit the mark.
These days brands are looking for the most viral, shareable, “in your face” content that will draw viewership. So, it’s not surprising that the likes of Dollar Shave Club or Frank’s Hot Sauce go for the quirkily funny spots. Even politicians running in the 2020 Georgia senate runoff election, like Rev. Rafael Warnock, utilized humor in his campaign ads to speak to a younger audience.
But is humor always appropriate? The answer is a little tricky. Sometimes it’s unnecessary, or simply the wrong choice for an advertising campaign. How can you tell when you should include humor in your pitch? Reading the brief and doing a quick dive into the brand’s past campaigns will give you insight into their tone, but here are other ways to know when NOT to include humor into your pitches.
Let’s have a brief recap of when it’s okay to deliver the laughs in a pitch. Humor is most appropriate when:
It fits the overall brand message. If using humor has been consistent with the branding, there is no reason to change course now.
The target audience is primarily Millennials or Gen Zs. To get those viral hits, you need to grab the attention of the younger consumers. Sight gags and a snappy call-to-action with Millennials and Gen Z content viewers is the way to go.
When is it not okay to use humor in a pitch? Let’s have a look:
It doesn’t fit the overall brand messaging or it is inappropriate for the current product/service. Rarely do you see comedy in healthcare, pharma, criminal justice, political, or corporate-leaning ads. Sometimes there might be an outlier, but for the most part, if you’re pitching to a vitamin company, it’s likely going to be straight to the point.
The demographic skews older. Humor is subjective and sometimes generational. Be sure to tailor the creative to what has been found to work with the demographic at hand.
It’s not the right humor. Again, think of what your parents and grandparents find funny. My grandma laughs at the Liberty Mutual commercials every time they air. That’s fantastic demographic marketing and feedback on their digital ad team’s part! It just takes some clever writing and good feedback to know who you’re pitching to.
Humorous advertisements no doubt attract attention and entertain consumers. However, attempting humor can be a risk. In 2015, Wendy’s missed the mark with their “The Memer” campaign, which referenced outdated memes and garnered some internet infamy. As Cursed Commercials Wiki puts it, “It's yet another example of a commercial trying to stay relevant by featuring outdated trends and memes to stay hip.” Many re-edits of the video exist across the internet, including the one below, and Wendy's adept social team even made light of the ad's reception. So at the end of the day, this was still a win on their part.
So, when is humor appropriate? At the end of the day, it’s ultimately up to you to decide, but trust your judgment and follow the brief. With the proper understanding of the brand, hopefully making an informed reading on the kind of humor to include (if any) will help you write a memorable piece of content that you feel confident about.
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Note From Tongal: "Should This Be Funny? When To Pitch Humor To Brands" is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Tongal. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here and then Pitch us a topic you'd like to write about for the Tongal Blog!
