Table of Contents
List of Tables, Figures, Boxes
Preface and Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 Historic Attempts at Advertising Humor
The Rational Consumer and Atmospheric Advertising: 1900–1917
Entertaining the Rabble: 1918–1940s
USP and the Creative Revolution: 1950s–1960s
Back to “The Basics” and Riney Goes Soft: 1970s –1980s
Advertising Humor Gets Aggressive: 1990s–2000s.
So How Did We Get Here?
Chapter 2 Theoretically, What’s So Funny?
Incongruity Theories
A Semantic Theory of Incongruity Humor
Actual vs. Non-Actual Contrasts
Normal vs. Non-Normal Contrasts
Possible vs. Impossible Contrasts
Disparagement Theories
Arousal-Safety and Release Theories
Are We Related?
Intentional Relatedness
Thematic Relatedness
Structural Relatedness
Applying the Theory
Chapter 3 Why Typology is a Funny Word
Humorous Ad Typologies
The Comic Wit Ad
When To Use Comic Wit
The Resonant Wit Ad
When To Use Resonant Wit
The Resonant Humor Ad
When To Use Resonant Humor
The Satirical Ad
When To Use Satire
The Full Comedy Ad
When To Use Full Comedy
Conclusions About Humorous Ad Types
Chapter 4 How Does Silly Sell?
Advertising Humor and Cognitive Message Effects
What Do the Pros Think?
Match up: Academics and Pros
Audience Perceptions of the Humor’s Source
What Do the Pros Think?
Humor and Persuasion
Humor and Liking
Distraction Can Be Good
What Do the Pros Think?
Match up: Academics and Pros
Humor Effects and Audience Characteristics
Do Smart People Like Funny Ads Less?
Sense of Humor
Do Guys Like Humor More?
Make it Funny…Or Else
What Do the Pros Think?
Match up: Academics and Pros
Responses to Humor by Medium and Media Context
What Do the Pros Think?
Match up: Academics and Pros
Humor Effects by Humor Type and Product Type
Incongruity Humor Rules
Moderate vs. More Intense Humor
Surprise and Playfulness
Humor Use and Effects by Product Type
What Do the Pros Think?
Other Factors
Questions for Another Day
Chapter 5 When Humorous Ads Aren’t Funny
Advertising That Offends
Why Should Funny Advertising Offend People?
Humor and Potentially Offensive Products, Services, Ideas and Themes
Humor Type and Audience Offense
Humor Relatedness
Humor and Media Type
Examples of Offensive Humor
“Cam’s Exam”
The U.K.’s Most Offensive Ad of All Time
Trivializing Suicide With a Tater?
Offending America’s Truckers
Proclaiming Jihad on the Automotive Market!
Big Tobacco Offends with a Jingle
Scary Direct Mail in the U.K.
The Ethicality of Audience Offense
Is Offending People with Advertising Unethical?
Two Good Reasons for Being Ethical
What’s Unethical and Why?
Harm to the Individual, Society or the Advertising Industry
Conclusions About Humor and Offense
Chapter 6 Campaigns That Made Audiences Laugh…and Buy
CDW Corporation: “Empathetic” Humor
The Advertising: Goals, Theme, Humor Type and Relatedness
Effectiveness
Did It Have Legs?
Holiday Inn Express: “Smart” Humor
The Advertising: Goals, Theme, Humor Type and Relatedness
Effectiveness
Did It Have Legs?
Unilever Bestfoods Pot Noodle: “Slaggy” Humor
The Advertising: Goals, Theme, Humor Type and Relatedness
Effectiveness
Did It Have Legs?
Selected Bibliography
Creative Credits and Awards
Index
About the Author
