A THIRD OF ADS USE HUMOUR AND THIS IS IN DECLINE

One-third of ads use some form of humour and those that do are more effective.

An overview of humour in advertising:

Humour is used more often in TV (37%) and YouTube (30%) advertising but is less popular in print/outdoor (15%) and website ads (12%).

One-third of ads use some form of humour and those that do are more effective, but this has been in decline since the global recession of 2009, according to research from Kantar.



Only 33% of the ads analysed by Kantar incorporate some form of humour, despite half of its Creative Effectiveness Award winners using humour.Recent winners of the WARC Awards for Effectiveness have also used humour to stand out among consumers, including supermarket Aldi and restaurant chain KFC.Humour is used most often in TV (37%) and YouTube (30%) advertising but is less popular in print/outdoor (15%) and website ads (12%).The type of humour brands should use varies according to the digital platform – TikTok's is fast-moving and often satirical while Facebook/Instagram humour is often more personal. YouTube humour tends to be more story based and longer than other platforms.Humour can play an important role in increasing the effectiveness of advertising as it can build emotional engagement with consumers. However, it needs to align with the brand's core messaging.

Source: warc.com