Is Humor Advertising Always Effective? Parameters for Effective Use of Humor in Advertising

Abstract

The aim of this research is humor consumption and its extensive use in today’s advertising. One of the most prominent features of humor is its convictive nature. A humorous context may increase liking for the source at the same time creating a positive mood. Humor does serve to make the audience laugh, make the viewers happy and create positive mood. In general, humor itself has a permanent presence and a specific role in advertising. However, it should be underlined that humor should be used carefully in advertisements; otherwise it may result in resistance. Using humor is regarded as a win-win situation. While in some cases humor usage depends on the product or brand advertised. In some cases humor is considered not appropriate if attached with some products and particular occasions. Results show correlation effect and in fact humor related Ads found as much more effective than those without humor and this effect is apparent, when it comes to highly complex and sophisticated humor. Also the effect of humor is influenced by the type of product advertised. The implications of these findings for the practice of Advertising are discussed in following pages.