It is often said that effective advertising is all about capturing a wide audience’s attention. More than capturing attention, it is about creating memory. In recent history, some of the most memorable advertising campaigns are those that have involved humour. Most advertisers these days use this strategy to attract consumers to their product. Whether it’s broadcast, print, online or paper cup ads, all involve humour. Today, audiences like to be entertained not pitched.

Funny advertising always sells

If an advertisment has something funny in it, only then consumers open themselves to be influenced by it.

However, the key to funny advertising is to assure that the humour is appropriate both to the product and the customer. If humour distracts from the product being sold, the ad will be rendered ineffective.

The best products to sell using humour are those that the consumers have to think the least about. Marketing relatively inexpensive and consumable products is pretty easy with humour.

Creative examples of humorous promotional campaigns carried out around the world:

• Recently, Wrigley’s Extra Gum in collaboration with Starbucks ran an extremely funny paper cup advertising campaign in the United States of America. The campaign was all about promoting the new gum with tooth-whitening capabilities. The base of the paper cup had a clear film with a picture of sparkling white teeth. Each time the drinker would tilt the paper cup to drink, it would give the impression that he/she has big white teeth. The humour used by Wrigley’s was taken positively by all the customers that visited Starbucks during the period of the campaign.

• In a ‘Friends of the Earth’ paper cup advertisement, the back of a car is shown on the lid which has a straw in the place of an exhaust pipe. When consumers drink from the straw, it is like they are inhaling poisonous emissions from the vehicle. The tagline on the lid says ‘Pollution is closer than you think’. The branded paper cup not just used humour subtly but also gave out a powerful message about environmental pollution.

• A paper cup advertising company in Korea came up with hilariously funny takeaway paper cups with lips. They put lips on the tops of lids so that when the drinker goes to sip his coffee, it looks like he is locking lips with someone. They were applauded by many for their quirky paper cups.

• A marketing agency in Canada made a creative paper cup ad for plastic surgery. To attract their target audience to go in for a nose job, they used different types of noses on the rim of the paper cup. They campaign ran with the tagline ‘pick your nose’. When people drank from the paper cup, it would show how they would look with their new nose. The ad instantly became a big hit.

It is quite evident how big brands have used a dash of humour effectively to change the way consumers perceive their brand. To make your brand relatable, it is always better to inject some humour in the copy you put on your paper cup. Today, humour in ads is not just being used abroad, but in India too. However, having a professional tone is always important. Remember, a little humour can go a long way.