How to make any ad funny

What's up, Marketers! This is Aazar.

This newsletter is about leveling up your paid growth marketing skills by analyzing the best brands' paid strategy, tactics, positioning, and value props.

This newsletter is divided into:

• Sharing what I've learned (this issue)

• Sometimes sharing some other performance marketers’ lessons with you

• And I analyze & compare the best ads on the internet

A CEO of a 9-figure DTC brand, True Classic, shared what kind of ads work for him. When asked which marketing and advertising methods have proven most effective, he said:

In today’s newsletter, I want to explore little ways we can make our ads funny. The concepts are taken from stand-up comedians and applied to ads below.

1/Hyperbole

Hyperbole (pronounced hy-PER-buh-lee) is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. But there is a slight difference between hyperbole and exaggeration.

Exaggerate A LOT. 

An example of Exaggeration is when you are waiting for your friend and have been waiting for 5 minutes, but you say to him, “I've been waiting for like half an hour!”

Hyperbole means an unreasonable exaggeration. That's the keyword: “I've been waiting five years for you. Where've you been?”

Three brands using Hyperbole:

Melts in your mouth, not in your hand – M&M’s

Gives you wings – Red Bull

Stronger than dirt – Ajax

You can use hyperbole by adding unrealistic claims about:

• How your product works

• The benefits of the products

• The audience you’re trying to attract

• The outcomes you got

Example ad for you to steal:

You can read my full analysis of this brand + ad here.

2/Understatement 

Understatement deflates reality. For example, if someone says, “It seems to be raining a little,” in the middle of a hurricane, that would be an understatement.

Understatement can help you create a memorable and distinctive concept that stands out from the crowd. It can also help you communicate your value proposition in a clear and concise way, without overselling or exaggerating.

Here’s an example of an Understatement ad:

Here’s a classic visual that covers this concept:

This ad understates the size of the vehicle but promises that you’ll have sex appeal regardless.

Here’s a UGC example using understatement perfectly:

You don’t need a sugar daddy; you only need an AI assistant. You don’t need something big; you just need a small framework (but it works). 

3/Irony

Irony is defined as putting out something that was intended to have a better result only to be given a different one, often a negative kind of result.

Simply put, irony expresses the opposite of what it really is. 

Examples of irony: a traffic jam on the way to a conference promoting better public transportation or a marriage counselor filing for divorce.

You can basically create humor through contradictions.

Here’s an example from Liquid Death using Irony with plastic surgery and how plastics don’t get recycled at all:

There are multiple types of irony, such as situation, verbal, historical, and others. If you like, you can find some ironic examples here. 

Here are some ironic ads to make you laugh :) 

3.1 Olympus:

3.2 Lifebouy

3.3 Jumbo Peanuts

You get the idea, right?

3.4 Nova Schin, non-alcoholic beer

You can also find some ironic ads in this DTC brand’s ads examples I shared previously.

4/The Punch

This is the classical pattern of almost every joke in the history of jokes. You build an expectation, and then you build it, and you build it, and then you deviate. And that's the punchline. I moved to the most exciting town in the United States of America–Boise, Idaho. Ba dum tss.

Examples:

When I graduated from school, I joined what I thought was the noblest, most admired, most respected profession in the world: I became a lawyer.

Another example: I came. I saw. I got divorced. 

Here’s a really good ad that leads to Punch perfectly:

This is an even better example of a Punch as an ad:

5/Schadenfreude

The emotional experience of pleasure in response to another's misfortune. Schadenfreude is a German word that combines Schaden, which means “damages,” and Freude, which means “joy.”

Ad example:

I could not find an ad that specifically focused on this concept since it is taken from the comedian's playbook.

But this ad comes close to making fun of the “odd one out” that’s both funny and offers a great solution:

6/Self-deprecating humor

It is basically making fun of yourself. According to Wikipedia, it means, “the act of reprimanding oneself by belittling, undervaluing, disparaging oneself or being excessively modest.”

It creates a sense of community and humanizes the brand that gets all points for authenticity and relatability. 

Volkswagen invented the self-deprecating ad. 

With the eye-catching headline, “Think small,” Volkswagen starts by acknowledging the Beetle’s obvious shortcomings. They were honest and wrote this in the ad:

“Our little car isn't so much of a novelty any more. 

A couple of dozen college kids don't try to squeeze inside it. 

The guy at the gas station doesn't ask where the gas goes. 

Nobody even stares at our shape. 

In fact, some people who drive our little flivver don't even think 32 miles to the gallon is going any great guns.”

Apparently in 2024, GenZ’s love these kinds of ads; look at this:

@styl.app

Hope this helps someone #marketing #startup #college #advice

Here’s another example: everyone hates Duolingo’s notifications and so they created an unhinged video that went viral to make it a point of it:

7/The Alpha Dog

Comedians make fun of the strongest or the most powerful person in the room. You can also do that. Alpha dog framework means poking fun at the VIP or a popular person in your audience.

In fact, it is the easiest way to gain attention. It’s similar to the enemy or competitor ads but with obviously more fun.

Here’s an example of a UGC ad that I created and it is probably the best ad in our accounts:

Here are some fun static Alpha Dog ads (vs competitors or enemies):

When to use it

If I were a small brand, I’d use the Alpha Dog, Hyperbole, Irony and the Punch when you are starting out.

If I were a big brand, then definitely the Alpha Dog, Schadenfreude and Self-deprecating humor. 

But to be honest, funny ads do work but simple ads work as well.

Final thoughts

While these ads might give you shiny-ad syndrome, you should definitely give humor a try. I always recommend that brands start with simple problem-solving and JBTD ads. 

You don’t need this immediately when you’re at an early stage, but definitely try these as you expand and want to diversify your creatives in the ad account.

Happy Growing with Paid Social,

Aazar Shad

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