This year has been another turbulent one, with global conflict and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis impacting people, places and brands around the world. However, despite a more gloomy outlook on 2023, the world of advertising made a delightful turn back towards comedy and humour - a prediction that was made at this year’s Cannes Lions Festival.

According to data from Kantar, 56% of TV ads so far this year have incorporated humour compared to 45% in 2022. Additionally, a study by Oracle reveals that 91% of people prefer brands to be funny - proving that ads can still bring laughter, joy and entertainment even during times of hardship.

Below are my top five funny ads of 2023, as well as what's in store for comedy in advertising next year. 

The top 5 ads using humour of 2023

Ocean Spray 

In 2022 Ocean Spray unveiled a truly bizarre ad that captivated audiences with its brilliant oddity, as dinner goers copied the jiggling movement of the cranberry sauce. The campaign’s second film this Christmas really upped the ante. This time we see them mimicking the swirling cranberry drink - all orchestrated by a puppet master grandma. This campaign has seen sales of its jellied cranberry sauce rise by 27% and juice sales also spiked in 2022. We can expect to see much the same this year as this absurd take has provoked a strong reaction amongst audiences.

Tubi 

Tubi, the content provider, also made a mark with an autumn campaign that was refreshingly weird. The ‘just keep going’ campaign brings to life the endless content you can get on Tubi. Like all “the rom coms where sexy heartthrobs lift up their shirts to reveal the most perfect abs you’ve ever seen.” The first task of any ad is to be memorable and this one has that in spades.

It’s no surprise then, that Tubi has been able to build brand presence and audience awareness to a great degree of success - they are currently the number 1 AVOD player in the US. 

Uber Eats 

Back across the pond in the UK, Uber Eats enlisted legendary actor Robert De Niro in a fantastic way. De Niro and Asa Butterfield deliver a funny (and unexpectedly touching) narrative. The humour is largely fueled by the awkward interactions between the two famous faces as Butterfield keeps up a series of probing questions. And their friendship blossoms based on two universal and tenuous themes - eating food and going places. Funny and simple in equal measure.

Audible 

Audible, the audiobook and podcast platform, created an ad campaign that brought to life the relatable experience of laughing out loud while listening to a funny podcast. The woman at the centre goes from having a broken down car, to losing her keys in muddy muddle, to having her car smashed by passing traffic and ends with it getting destroyed by lightning. But she just laughs along. Why? She’s listening to comedy on Audible of course. This smart ad takes that universal truth and brings it to life in a fantastic way. It’s really nicely directed too. 

TK Maxx 

One of the strongest Christmas ads this year has come from TK Maxx. This spot is packed with charm. With animals dressed in designer clothes and a lighthearted conversation between farmer and wife, it definitely raises a smile. It’s also such a welcome break from the John Lewis formula. I found myself so happy there was one Christmas ad that had a proper stab at being funny. And just 40 seconds long. What a welcome break from the three minute epics. 

What does 2024 look like for humour in advertising? 

This resurgence of humour in advertising has set the stage for a promising trend for more comedic brilliance in 2024. But it also offers several valuable lessons for advertisers and brands as they look ahead.

More businesses must remind themselves that people are in the main are actively trying to avoid advertising. So brands need to make ads entertaining and worth watching. One tried and tested way of being entertaining is to be funny. And needless to say, time and time again it has had proven tracked results in driving sales. In fact, 72% of people would choose a brand using humour in their ads over the competition.

Humour is becoming ever more prevalent and recognised in the advertising industry. For example, the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival is adding a humour category, looking specifically for work that uses ‘wit and satire to provide amusement’. Funny ads have also been proven to be more memorable, with 90% saying they’re more likely to remember a funny ad and 80% saying they’re more likely to recommend a funny brand.

In 2024, I’d like to see more humour that takes risks, like Ocean Spray or Tubi. They get it right because they surprise the audience. Things are often funny because they are unexpected. If brands keep rolling out the same hackneyed jokes, they are likely to fall flat. Simply because people have seen them before.

So, my advice is to take a few more risks. It will pay dividends in short term sales impact, and in the long term too.