So, as we navigate what is being called the 'polycrisis' globally, let's try to get people to believe in brands that bring their feelings up, give them something to laugh about and become memorable through the good vibes.

Time to lighten up

We work in a fun, creative industry where we get to do the craziest things and call it work. But this industry sometimes takes itself too seriously. The purpose is essential, but humour and purpose don't have to be mutually exclusive.

In 2023, there were so many examples of this at the Cannes Lions Festival — among them, some great product demo ads for Apple that got the whole auditorium laughing. There was even fun in the innovation space, where we showcased the most active chickens in Australia from our VMLY&R team Down Under.

Incidentally, here in South Africa, Nando's X-Formerly-Twitter feed is an example of a brand that stayed true to the humour that it's known for throughout the pandemic while also including purpose-driven messaging.

It was a balancing act, but it worked. It shows how humour can be the interface that connects the audience with the purpose by getting people to take notice and engage with the content.

People like funny

Research backs that up. Statistics from Kantar shared at the Cannes Festival in 2023 showed that humorous emotions had the most "very large business effects" when it comes to advertising.

That means humour is not just fun and games — humour makes business sense. The Kantar research found that people engage with funny ads more and share funny ads more than they do serious ads. It increases brand affinity and broadens reach.

The case for intentional humour

Of course, humour can also go horribly wrong, and brand managers who are wary of it are not without reason. Make it tasteless, and humour can get your brand cancelled in the time it takes to tweet a scathing emoji. The key is to be intentional with it:

1. Know your audience
It's the age-old content mantra, and it's still true. If you understand your audience well, you'll know what they'll find funny, what they'll find offensive and what will go over their heads.

2. Don't be mean
Schadenfreude gets a lot of engagement, but it's not necessarily the space brands should be playing in. Keep your jokes light-hearted and relatable.

3. Be clever
Advertising has a bad historical track record when it comes to humour.

The industry has been guilty of perpetuating harmful stereotypes in the past, but I like to think that creatives in 2023 know better. Clever humour that taps into the cultural Zeitgeist is the key to being funny without resorting to cheap laughs.

Humour is back, and it's going to be good for the industry, good for the audience and great for business.

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