|
Humor doesn't require any
preface. The word itself
brings a smile on everybody's face. It has a
universal language, which has been utilized by writers, politicians and
filmmakers to communicate various ideas. Humor is capable of
catching everyone's attention immediately and it is the only influential
device that can be used to make people laugh and also send across a
message in a subtle way simultaneously. No doubt, this is why ad experts
are competing with each other in infusing humor efficiently to
sell their products and services. They are conscious that brand building
and sales promotion are the two key goals that their
advertisements should accomplish. Innovative and creative advertisers can
develop ideas that are absolutely on par with the contemporary styles and
can succeed in this area.
Each stage in the development of an advertisement is an
exciting experience for the marketers. Advertisers use several tricks to
gain the attention of the customers and one such tactic is
introducing humor in commercials. When introducing humor in
ads, marketers should keep in mind the target customers and the ad
message that they want to convey. The explosion in the number of
TV channels and other media has compelled the advertisers to
use humor in order to draw the attention of the
audiences instantaneously, amidst all confusion and clutter. One
should also realize the fact that the ads are aired for a maximum of only
30-60 seconds on the TV channels and putting across the ad message in
this short duration is a daunting task. Even though humor is considered
a very effective strategy in gaining the attention of the customers, it is
a hard task to design an ad that has the right quantity and quality
of humor and completely goes with the product and instantly strikes a
cord with the viewers. If the humor is directly related to the product
that is being endorsed, attention towards the product increases manifold,
thus improving the advertising efficiency.
In general, the factors that make the advertisements humorous are
circumstances, characters, dialog and the backdrop against which
the ad is presented. A minor alteration of a phrase, a single facial
expression or even a voice modulation helps to attract attention to a
commercial. The portrayal of humor in advertisements could acquire
any shape. Advertisers believe that funny commercials
induce optimistic emotions in audiences and can help in positive
brand building and can also lead to better brand recall. Generally, humor
takes a key place in ads of low interest and low value products such as
mints, match sticks, pan pasand, etc. In
high priced brands, it could function as a safeguarding tool. What
actually matters is how the advertisers are able to knock down
the communication obstacles and change the mindset of audiences
by making the ads exclusive and vigorous! |
