The Power of Humor In Advertisements
Humor can turn a mundane ad into a memorable one. It's like adding hot sauce to your favorite dish–it spices things up. Brands worldwide use humor, not just because it’s fun, but because it works.
Funny ads grab attention and make people more likely to remember the brand. They help create an emotional response that connects consumers with brands.
And let's face it: laughter feels good. Ads that entertain are more likely to be shared or talked about.
Everybody loves a bit of merriment at times, don't they? So does an advertising campaign. The key is making sure the joke lands while keeping your message intact—just like walking on comedic eggshells.
Humor: A Great Tool in Ad Campaigns
When we think about what makes an advertisement stick, humor often comes to mind. A funny ad not only catches our attention but also leaves a lasting impression.
Research shows that laughing can help decrease pain, tension, and blood pressure levels, prompting individuals to consider a business more favorably and purchase its items. Moreover, 90% of people are more likely to remember a brand's ad if it is funny. That’s the power of humor at work.
It's a great tool for making your brand memorable and engaging and offers a great opportunity to humanize your brand.
Humor Connects with Consumers
A funny advertising campaign can forge an emotional connection between brands and their audience. By tickling our funny bones, they tap into positive emotions that foster trustworthiness. In today's saturated media landscape, countless brands vie for consumer attention daily. Standing out from the crowd requires creativity – this is where humor can play a part in strengthening brand communication.
Iconic and Memorable Commercials
Famous insurance company Geico has long recognized the power of humor in its marketing campaigns. They understand that a good laugh not only captures attention but also leaves a lasting impression.
Their ad features often revolve around funny scenarios or characters, such as Geico's beloved Gecko or Progressive's quirky Flo. This clever play on humor helps increase brand awareness by making people remember them more easily.
A case in point is the Super Bowl ads where brands showcase their most humorous and memorable content. A standout example is the Old Spice body wash campaign, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” campaign, which was such a hit and a fan favorite due to its wit and charm.
Dollar Shave Club's commercial titled "Our Blades Are F***ing Great" was another triumph of using relatable humor to connect with consumers. Their tongue-in-cheek approach garnered massive success for this once small start-up company. The hilariously honest representation of their product made viewers laugh while effectively communicating the value proposition - quality razors at an affordable price delivered right to your door.
Adding Humor to User-Generated Content
Let's delve into the secret weapon of the digital age – social media, a platform that connects consumers in unprecedented ways. According to Oracle's study, 48% of users feel they don't connect with brands unless their ads spark joy or laughter.
When it comes to promoting your brand, there's no better platform than social media. Humorous ads possess a unique knack for going viral because people love to share things that make them laugh. It's like a digital ripple effect.
When your advertisement entertains and amuses your audience, they're more likely to share it with their friends, family, and followers, creating a wealth of user-generated content that can amplify your reach and help you tap into new audiences you might not have otherwise reached. Just think about the countless funny Super Bowl commercials that everyone eagerly waits to share on their social media feeds.
Using Humor to Connect with Gen Z and Beyond
Humor is a viral catalyst, especially when it comes to engaging Gen Z and other generations. Social media platforms thrive on content that engages, entertains, and sparks conversations. Humorous ads, with their ability to elicit smiles and laughter, are inherently shareable. They encourage viewers to hit the share button, becoming advocates for your brand as they share the humor with their network. This organic reach can extend far beyond your initial target audience, introducing your brand to new potential customers and amplifying your message.
Driving Sales and Conversions
Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, humor is great for capturing attention and building brand awareness, but does it really drive conversions and sales for an effective campaign?" Absolutely! When done right, humorous advertisements can create a positive association with your brand, improve customer perception, and ultimately increase purchase intent. According to Marketing Dive, “The Happiness Report” found that 90% of people are more likely to remember funny ads, and 72% of people would choose a humorous brand over the competition. This means your audience is more likely to remember your brand and what you're offering when humor is used.
Challenges and Trends in Using Humor in Advertising
Business execs confront difficulties in employing comedy for adverts, as a large majority (95%) are scared of amusing their target market, and 85% feel they don't possess the proper resources or approaches to do so properly.
A misstep could result in an ad being seen as outright offensive or just falling flat, making people remember your brand for all the wrong reasons. In other cases, some humorous campaigns might resonate well with niche groups but alienate others because humor is so subjective.
In terms of future trends, relatable humor seems to be gaining ground. Brands like Dollar Shave Club have used this technique successfully by adding a touch of everyday situations into their ads that everyone can identify with.
Making people laugh isn't just about being funny–it’s also about creating an emotional connection that leaves a lasting impression and ultimately increases brand awareness. So while there may be challenges associated with using humor in advertising today, brands willing to take risks and innovate will likely reap significant rewards tomorrow.
Tips for Creating Humorous Campaigns for Businesses
Humor can be an effective tool to capture an audience's attention and foster an emotional connection for businesses. However, it is not just a matter of including some humorous quips. The humor needs to be relevant to your brand and resonate with your audience.
To begin, it is necessary to comprehend who your target market consists of. Are they more into slapstick or do they prefer subtle wit? A deep understanding of what makes them laugh will help you craft ads.
Next up is the element of surprise. Unexpected twists can make an ad memorable, much like how a good punchline does for a joke.
Avoid offensive humor at all costs; it could lead to backlash instead of laughter. Use inclusive humor that everyone can enjoy without feeling targeted or excluded.
Lastly, keep things light-hearted and fun. An upbeat tone tends to draw people in more than heavy-handed comedy does.
Ready to add a dose of humor to your next advertising campaign? Get in touch with EraserFarm, where we specialize in creating ads that connect with your audience and drive results.
How to Create a Brand Story Video
On YouTube alone, users upload a staggering 5 billion videos a day.
With that many videos on various online platforms, creating high-quality content for your video marketing strategy is essential, so your ideal customers can find you.
Additionally, you should build a brand for your company or small business to really connect with customers. Instead of just a business, a brand allows you to build relationships with potential customers and retain them as loyal buyers.
And one of the best ways to build brand awareness is by creating a brand story video. Without further ado, let’s dive into how to create a brand story video that will connect with your target audience!
Determine Your Video’s Purpose
Before making video content, you must identify the purpose or the ‘why.’
Your ‘why’ is the common ground you share with your clients; your desire to fix a problem drives your ‘why.’
Clearly define your goals for the video before you strategize the content. This ensures your video meets the mark. Plus, your production company will need to make fewer edits after filming.
Identify What Hooks Your Audience
When creating a video strategy for your brand video, you should always begin with a fantastic hook to grab the audience’s attention. Without it, no one will watch past the first few seconds of the video, even if you’re telling a good story.
Building an initial emotional connection is the perfect way to start a compelling brand story.
Yet, to craft a hook that works, you need to know your target customer inside and out, including their pain points and desires. Then, you can be intentional about the message you’re sending to them.
Don’t forget to include subtle brand elements in the hook, as well, for maximum effect.
Make a Plan for Your Video
At this point, you must also decide what type of video you want to make and the information you’ll share. Some examples of video content include:
- Behind-the-scenes (BTS) videos
- Case studies
- Company culture videos
- Explainer videos
- Interviews
- Meet the team or employee spotlight videos
- Mini documentaries
- Origin story videos
- Product demos
- Q&As
- Testimonials
- Tutorials
If you’re unsure what type of video to make, look at your general marketing plan for guidance. It can help to see your overarching marketing goals to identify which video will fit best into your strategy.
Also, it would be best if you started coming up with the concept of the video and the elements you want to include. For example, which employees will be in the video? Will you need voiceover or animation elements? What’s your budget?
Now is the time to nail down all the details.
Show Your Brand’s Story in a Relatable Way
You’ve probably heard it a million times, but video storytelling focuses on the ‘show-don’t-tell’ concept. Show customers your brand values so they can see what sets you apart from the competition.
Simultaneously, you should do this in a relatable way. Your customers want to feel seen and heard. Don’t let the video be solely about the company.
Spotlight the viewers. Tell them what you’re doing as a business owner to solve their problems. The more your video resonates with customers, the more successful it will be.
Incorporate Your Brand’s Visuals and Sound
To drive home your brand message, use all aspects of video content, such as editing, music, and visuals. You likely already have brand colors, so definitely integrate them into the video, too.
Whatever visuals customers connect with your brand, you want them in the video to lay the foundation of your story.
Be Creative and Unique
Often the most overlooked tip regarding how to make a brand storytelling video is to think outside the box. There are no rules for content creation, so you can be as imaginative as you want.
When you tell your brand’s story, break free of all previous preconceptions. Go big and push the envelope! Forget video templates and come up with something uniquely different.
As long as you stay true to your brand, be bold with the videos you create. It will help you stand out.
Include an Effective Call to Action
Every great brand story ends with a call to action (CTA). Your viewers must know what the next step is after the video ends.
Typically, you use a soft CTA rather than a hard sell for a brand video. The takeaway won’t be to “Buy Now!” as you don’t want to come off too strong.
Instead, you want the viewer to search for more information about your company and how to do business with you. Remember, the brand video is often part of the beginning of the journey. The viewer is at the early stages of the sales funnel.
So gently guide them in the right direction, using action language that empowers your audience to make the next move.
Share Your Brand Story Video Online
Social media is an incredibly powerful tool, especially if you know how to use it to your advantage. Even if you don’t create a video specifically for social media, you can still post it on your channels.
This allows you to access more people with one video, thus maximizing its return on investment (ROI). When posting on social media, use the metrics and analytics features to see the best time to post. Also, include a creative caption and some hashtags. Following this video production guide can also give you more ideas for sharing your video.
If you’re making a video specifically for social media, decide ahead of time which platforms you want to use. This will help you determine which video format is best.
Get Help Creating an Engaging Brand Story Video
Creating a brand video that has a broad reach and brings customers to your doorstep is possible when you follow our advice.
But if you still have questions about how to create a brand story video, let’s have a chat! Our team of creatives has the skills and expertise to make amazing videos for your business.
In addition to marketing videos, we also make other types of content. So let’s discuss your marketing goals and create an action plan together that will drive memorable messaging and brand enthusiasts.
What Is an Advertising Agency? | The Ultimate Ad Agency Guide
Today, quality alone is insufficient to sustain a business; you also need to portray your products and services in a manner that attracts customers. If you do not have your own marketing staff specializing in this area, it can be difficult to achieve effective results with your advertising. The solution, oftentimes, is outsourcing your advertising tasks to an ad agency.
Advertising agencies are a type of creative agency that ensure your products and services attract your target audiences while staying consistent with your brand’s image. Their aim is to create impactful, visually powerful content that captures your target market’s attention and brings customers to you. Let’s look at their work in detail:
The Objectives of an Advertising Agency
Your advertising agency’s job is not as simple as to entice people to buy your products; in addition, their focus is on generating brand awareness and putting your story out in a way that you gain loyal audiences. While their primary goal is to get viewers to respond to your call to action, their secondary role is far more intricate – and perhaps more critical – and involves influencing people’s attitudes and perceptions.
An effective advertising agency will keep your brand in the minds of your consumers, ensuring that when the consumer thinks about buying a product or service in your business niche, your business will be the first one they consider.
The Functions of an Advertising Agency
The services performed by an advertising agency can include:
Market Research
No effective advertisement can be planned without knowing your industry’s current market landscape. You may not have the best technology to stay on top of all market trends on your own, but an advertising agency makes it their job to know.
Advertising agency experts monitor trends in consumer preferences and know what elicits the right responses. More importantly, they track your competitor’s marketing strategies to design advertising campaigns that distinguish you from other companies in your niche. As a result, your campaigns are planned after carefully considering all external and internal market factors.
Design
Designing an effective advertisement is arguably the most important yet challenging aspect of marketing. It’s resource-intensive, time-consuming, and requires careful planning. It’s an advertising agency’s job to design ads that are impactful but stay true to your brand’s values and stories. They won’t make you choose between your brand’s culture and their version of a good ad; instead, they will integrate both of these into a combination that lands you customers who share your values.
Media Planning
A well-designed advertisement will be of no use if you do not use the right platforms to leverage it. Advertising agencies know the trends in electronic media consumption, so they’ll design your campaigns accordingly. This goes beyond looking at popularity statistics, including your audience’s age, demographics, geographical region, and your product’s niche. Their strategic approach will ensure that your efforts and budget are spent in the right direction.
Endnote
To a business owner, their brand means more than a source of income. The brand story and connection – and the effort that goes behind design and creation – can be hard to portray if you do not have the right talent working for you.
An advertising agency will take this burden off of you and use its expertise to create content that represents you and lets consumers build connections with you. We’ll recommend that you outsource your marketing campaigns to experts so that you can focus on what you’re best at. Contrary to popular belief, the smaller an agency, the more closely it will work with you.
Start the discussion today and contact EraserFarm for a consultation with a multifaceted advertising agency dedicated to communicating your brand’s unique personality.
4 Content Marketing Tips that Will Elevate Your Content Game
There are almost endless ways to build a brand for a company, with content marketing being high on the list. A content marketing strategy creates and distributes consistent and relevant brand information to keep a hold of your audience’s attention and, ultimately, make greater returns on your investments. As the market is becoming increasingly saturated, competition between businesses is also on the rise, making marketing content the proper way more essential than ever. In this article, we’ll provide you with a few ways in which you can improve your content marketing style.
Use Varying Content for Different Social Platforms
Social media platforms are integrated into almost everyone’s daily, normal routine. Be it the comments section on blog websites or link sharing on landing pages, social media is everywhere. Social media marketing trends are constantly evolving, and many businesses struggle to adapt to these quick changes, costing them market value. A good digital marketing strategy should have the ability to bring in your complete digital footprint under one umbrella, but this does not mean using that same post everywhere. Whatever content you create, you should determine ways to tailor it to different social media platforms. For example, post witty quotes on Twitter, use images and videos or go live on Instagram with a new product, and provide excerpts on Facebook. Make the most out of your social media presence.
Quality Matters More Than Quantity
Engaging, quality content will resonate with your audience far more than monotonous, repetitive information. Many business owners and entrepreneurs believe that if they just put out enough content, their company will gain the exposure and awareness they desire.
Back in the day, this would’ve been an acceptable marketing policy, but Google searches now make it extremely clear that relevant, quality content is the best way to attract attention. You want to create content that your users and prospective clients actually enjoy reading to ensure they keep returning for more.
Cater to Various Audience Needs
The internet is always brimming with educational information, which is why businesses keep churning out blog posts and articles as a way of promoting their brand. However, most companies tend to overlook that everyone learns in a different manner, so creating general, rigid content may not always be the way to go about the process.
Articles aren’t the only option to familiarize your audience with your products or operations. Sounds and visuals are an important part of brand marketing too. Initiate a podcast for your auditory learners, design slides for your visual learners, and organize webinars for people that like reading, writing, and learning through auditory stimulation. This will let audiences connect with you better.
Incorporate a Style Guide
The increasing marketing efforts by businesses everywhere have created the need for brands to stand out. Presentation matters. Consumers should be able to associate a particular style with your brand’s products and services. Your marketing strategies should appear cohesive and complement your established values, goals, and beliefs. Style guides are indispensable in this regard. A style guide will take care of the tone of voice, font type, linking preferences, overall goals, image preferences, and several other factors. As your brand develops, your style guide should also evolve to cater to changes in your business.
Parting Thoughts
The content you build and choose to convey your business’s brand, vision, and the message is dependent on the marketing approach you adopt. By marketing content that is in tandem with your company’s values, you can maximize your reach and develop long-term relations with your targeted audience.If you’ve been struggling with content marketing, go on and take a step back to look at things with a fresh perspective with the tips provided above. To learn more about the approach to content marketing—or to start your journey in building an airtight brand personality—contact our team at EraserFarm today.
What'ya know, fortunes do come true.
Sometimes fortunes do come true! So while we’ve been busy making great stuff, we haven't been too busy to find some new dance partners. EraserFarm is so very pleased to announce new partnerships with 8 new clients! And in no particular order, they are Reimagine Office Furnishings, Dermeleve (Anti Itch Cream), Tailored Twig, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Grable Plumbing, Treated Lumber Outlet and Solved By Tanna (Financial Solutions).
Reimagine Office Furnishings offers a unique combination of services and grade-A furniture brands, both new and refurbished. Their products and services include new and used office furniture, office cubicles and workstations, refurbishing services and complete project management and installation.
Dermeleve is a miracle cream providing much needed relief to patients suffering from the intolerable and unrelenting itch. Created by dermatologists, Dermeleve stops itch at its source, breaks the itch-scratch-inflammation cycle, is steroid-free and formulated to heal.
Tailored Twig isn’t your ordinary florist. Far from it, in fact. Tailored Twig blends layers of floral textures with foraged architectural elements to create a style that speaks to all of the senses by combining age-old design principles and a modern, dynamic approach to floral artistry. In Tampa Bay and around the world, they customize designs for their client's personal style and the distinctive venues. Working with world-renowned event planners, international photographers, and other strong collaborative forces have opened doors for Tailored Twig's design team to expand their knowledge and explore new inspirations.
As part of the Bloomin’ Brands family, Carrabba’s all began with the idea from two Sicilian boys from Texas who love to cook and eat. Using many recipes from their mother, time-honored Italian dishes in a fun atmosphere bring people together like family. Bonefish Grill focuses on every little detail of your experience, anticipates your needs, and provides personalized service that allows you to enjoy freshly prepared seafood in a comfortable, vibrant atmosphere.
Got a plumbing problem? Then you need Grable Plumbing. They’ve served the Tampa Bay and surrounding area for over 40 years. Grable has been serving customers throughout the communities of Lutz, Brandon, Carrollwood, Tampa Bay, and beyond, fully committed to providing homes and businesses with everything they need to keep their plumbing running smoothly.
Treated Lumber Outlet supplies all things for outdoor builds. Decks, porches, whatever you can think of to build, this massive supplier has all of the exterior stuff you'll need.
And last, but not least, Solved By Tanna is a financial and accounting solutions start-up by Tanna Mock. They take the time to truly understand your business and focus recommendations allowing clients to overcome their business concerns. Using a hands-on approach ensures their partnerships are profitable and businesses are set up for success.
We’re extremely excited to create award-winning work for each one of these clients and, as always, we are very appreciative to have the confidence from them to partner with EraserFarm.
EraserFarm featured in Communication Arts
To honor female aviators who flew into the history books for Woman's History Month, EraserFarm created a campaign featuring women who forged a path of greatness for LJS Aviation, a global specialist in evacuation slides and component sales with a focus on Airbus and Boeing platforms based in Great Britain. LJS Is also a women-owned business and the messaging aligned perfectly with the structure of the company and its beliefs.
The campaign included posters, print ads and also organic social posts honoring these brave and courageous pioneers.
"It’s truly impressive to see so many feats of bravery and determination performed by so many women around the world so long ago. Thinking how aircraft safety back then wasn’t, shall we say, the best, it is astonishing that these women risked so much for their love of flying and their commitment to inspiring others. Unfortunately, we also learned that many of these women did perish in aviation accidents", said James Rosene, Creative Director at Eraserfarm.
People involved in visual communication turn to Communication Arts for ideas and inspiration more than any other creative publication and have done so for 56 years. They are the leading trade journal for visual communications, and the largest creative magazine in the world using a unique combination of respected juried annuals in design, advertising, illustration, photography, interactive media as well as typography; in-depth profiles on designers, photographers, illustrators, design and advertising firms;
To learn more about EraserFarm and how, together, we can help make your brand famous, contact us today.
It's Official. EraserFarm And Valley Bank Are Partners.
We are so proud to share our new partnership with Valley Bank. For the past two years, we've been working with these fine folks on various projects helping rebrand the bank through an ongoing new logo, a big ‘ol Times Square takeover to announce their huge Nasdaq announcement and an ad campaign. Today, we've been named their official creative partner. With two main corporate offices in New Jersey and New York City, we've had the privilege of meeting so many of Valley's amazing team members and with them developing an all-new brand strategy. This sets Valley up for not just maintaining the strong relationship they have with their current customers, but opening doors for new audiences and introducing the brand as they roll into new markets and continue their expansion. "There is something to be said about working with people who understand you and understand your brand. Our friends at EraserFarm get us. They have played a key role in creating a voice for Valley that we love and truly touches our customers. We're thrilled about our new commitment to each other and look forward to continued successes," said Mark Fernandez, Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer, Valley Bank. We're looking forward to expanding on the new campaign as we move through the year and exceeding our goals for this amazing client.