Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One: Humour Works

Making the case for less meh, more ha.

Most ads today are trying so hard to play it safe, they end up saying nothing at all.

Bland. Inoffensive. Immediately forgettable.

Which is a shame because humour is one of the sharpest tools we’ve got, not just for grabbing attention, but for making people care. And crucially - remember.

Take the John Lewis Christmas ad. For years, it was the emotional benchmark. But in 2023, it was Amazon that stole the show with a story about a girl, her sled, and three pensioners who decided to give gravity the slip. Heartwarming, yes- but also gently funny. It was the wink that made it memorable.

Or look at MoneySuperMarket. A brand that lit a dull category up with epic struts, inflatable crocodiles, and, most brilliantly, Skeletor and He‑Man recreating Dirty Dancing. It was ridiculous. It was joyful. And it worked. A viral success with over 27 million views in days, trended on Twitter, and a reported +6% revenue lift.

Then there’s Surreal, the challenger cereal brand that turned bland breakfast marketing on its head with fake celebrity endorsements from people who just happen to be called Dwayne Johnson or Serena Williams. Funny, scrappy, and shared everywhere.

Even Nationwide, yes, Nationwide, used comedy to brilliant effect - casting Dominic West as an out-of-touch banker who gets calmly corrected by a savvy assistant. The delivery is dry, the punchline subtle, yet it’s one of recent memory's most distinctive finance ads.

Why (W)It Works

Humour isn’t fluff. It’s function.

It makes us lean in. Pay attention. Remember the message. Share it. Quote it. Like the Specsavers sheepdog ad (still brilliant). Or Yorkshire Tea’s “where everything’s done proper” line, which managed to be both a punchline and a positioning.

And crucially, in categories full of sameness - insurance, utilities, finance - it’s often the only way to be distinctive. You can’t always outspend the competition. But you can outwit them.

The Trouble With Funny

It’s subjective. Hard to write. Easy to screw up.

It also requires trust between the client and the creative. You can’t test your way to a laugh. You have to back the idea, not the safety net.

And yes, sometimes the joke won’t land. But better that than not being noticed at all.

For the Nerds (and the CFOs)

If you’re wondering whether there’s data to back all this up, there is.

Field and Binet’s work for the IPA shows that emotional campaigns drive stronger long-term business effects. System1 data consistently ranks humorous ads among the top performers. Orlando Wood has written entire books on how right-brain creativity (like humour, character, and narrative) outperforms left-brain rationality.

In short, funny sells.

The Punchline

In a world of hyper-optimised blandness, humour is a strategic advantage. It humanises. It cuts through. And done right, it converts.

So yes, be clear. Be distinctive. But if you can, be funny.

Your customers might thank you. Your CFO definitely will.

At Pathfinder, we help brands find the ideas people feel - funny, emotional, human. Because distinctiveness isn't just a creative choice, it's a commercial one.