Humor Mechanisms for Creating Hilarious Ads

2 min | Brainstorming

Philosopher H. Bergson discovered three mechanisms that make humans laugh.
Here’s how to use them for marketing.

Philosopher H. Bergson
Henri Bergson

1. Inverted World

inverted ads wonderbra and pringles hot and spicy hot air balloon

To come up with “Inverted World” ideas, I ask myself:

  • What are the social norms regarding my product and the way people use it?
  • Can I turn it right around?
  • Reverse roles? Positions? (e.g., human vs. animal, man vs. machine)

2. The Unaware Person

unaware person ads

Ask:

  • What problem or danger might the product’s BENEFIT cause?
  • Under what circumstances will you need the product most?

3. Word Play

Ask:

  • What idioms, lyrics, or quotations does this product bring to mind? Can you twist them?
  • What other words sound like the product or its features? Can you develop wordplay around them?
  • What if I spell it wrong, or backwards?
  • Are there any double meanings hiding in the product’s description?

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