Where did all the funny ads go?
Today’s trends are showing that anxiety is soaring while humour is plummeting, with advertising feeling the after-effects. It’s enough to prompt Brad Bennett, head of client success at Paper Moose, to ask, “why are brands shying away from laughter, and should they reconsider?”
In Orlando Wood’s “Look Out” he maps out how in our technologically saturated world we are becoming more anxious, inward-facing and drawn to stare at our screens. His argument is supported by a sobering chart that reveals search trends for anxiety versus humour over the last decade. Summary: anxiety is up, humour is down.
As a reflection of culture, we see a corresponding decline in humour in advertising. Yet, humour remains one of the most potent tools at advertisers’ disposal for building brands and driving sales.
So, why are brands shying away from laughter, and should they reconsider?
Too much woke?