The Humor Appeal (Advertising)

What is the Humor Appeal?

The Humor Appeal is one of roughly twenty advertising strategies that marketing professionals use to persuade people to buy a product, pay for a service, donate to a cause, or otherwise be persuaded. The Humor Appeal persuades people to like a company, brand, product, service, or idea by making them laugh and feel good.

When Should I Use the Humor Appeal?

The humor appeal is especially good when the product, service, or idea you are promoting is not particularly controversial and your intention is to create goodwill for your company. Be careful when using humor, though, that you don’t alienate the people you are trying to reach. Different types of humor appeals to different types of people. Recognize what will actually be funny (you never want to try to be funny and then fail) and take note of what your target audience may find offensive. The larger your target audience, the more broadly you want your humor to appeal. The more narrow your audience, the more niche kind of humor and even inside jokes you can pull off.

How Do I Apply the Humor Appeal in Advertising?

Humor requires creativity and ingenuity and it is best when tested on other people before launching it. Humor is espcially good when using visual comparisons and metaphoric or idiomatic imagery that people will understand quickly. Consider using puns and other plays on words. Use language that is catchy and makes people smile.

Examples of Humor Appeals in Action