Last weekend we went to two different shows that were part of the Melbourne Comedy Festival.
I had forgotten just how well a comedian can hold a mirror up to society and reflect our silly side.
Good advertising can do the same thing, only with a commercial message attached.
If we laugh at a joke in an ad, and that joke is relevant to the product, then there is a far better chance that we will remember that ad and therefore the product.
One of the acts we saw was Ronny Chieng, a Malaysian comedian who was educated in Melbourne. Ronny had that wonderful ability to be both self deprecating and an astute observer of human nature.
He could poke fun at himself while making fun of his audience.
Many advertisers take themselves and their brands too seriously. This results in boring, predictable advertising that tries too hard.
More ad men and marketers should learn the art of comedy. Maybe they might produce better ads, that sell more products, without boring us senseless.
Ronny Chieng
