Hey Adland, Why So Serious?

Are funny commercials an endangered species? Drop into agency creative departments and word around the ping pong table is, “feels like it.” Whether it’s a troublesome feeling or an oncoming fact, it does appear that humorous commercials are appearing less and less.

Maybe it’s a matter of society’s collective “wokeness”—more brands are getting in touch with their inner golden circles by the day. Maybe certain humor doesn’t translate from culture to culture. Or maybe it’s because betting money on funny is hard; especially when an older generation of decision-makers has to approve the humor-driven ideas offered up by a younger generation. Not everyone appreciates the same joke. And heaven help you if you offend someone with an itchy Twitter finger.

 We’re a production company, so we see scripts grounded in every emotion. We’ve produced everything from heart-tugging PSAs to knee-slapping 30s for financial institutions. All have been effective. Still, we always side with spots that make us chuckle. So, here is our public service announcement to you, Adland: Save the Funny.

 C’mon, you know funny works. Humorous ads are often more watchable, likable and persuasive. Best of all, they can really drive sales if you manage to make them relevant and informative. Look no further for proof than a series of digital spots we wrote and produced last year for Navy Federal Credit Union. All the ingredients are there. They deliver useful banking information in a comical premise. And they worked, which is why we just launched year two of the campaign.

 As for humor being difficult to translate—we’re not buying it. We recently worked with our agency friends at Gravity and produced humorous commercials for Boss Revolution in English and Spanish. And the laughter all sounds the same. So, keep pushing your clients to find their funny bones, or the joke will be on us.