It’s often said that the best marketing doesn’t sound or feel like marketing at all. Good marketing tells a story that makes people want to tell it over and over again. The ultimate goal in marketing, which many business owners often overlook, is to get people talking about your brand, not to boast about how amazing it is.
So, how do you get people talking? One of the most effective ways to grab someone’s attention is to highlight a challenge they’ve had or are currently experiencing, and offer a solution.
Want to keep their attention and get them to share your message with others? Make them laugh! Humor has always been one of advertising’s best-kept secrets. Why? A well-timed joke, an absurd visual, a clever play on words; these types of campaigns can quickly turn an ordinary brand message into one that spreads across group chats and social feeds like wildfire.
Why Funny Ads Work
Funny ads work because they tap into universal emotions, such as surprise, recognition, irony, and delight, making us pause, laugh, and, most importantly, remember the brand behind the punchline.
But be careful; not every attempt at humor hits the mark. There’s a fine line between funny and cringe. Some ads fail because it’s clear they are trying too hard, they reference things that the audience doesn’t understand, or their message comes across as tone-deaf, inappropriate, or even insulting. Our advice? Keep it simple, focus on delivering one clear joke, and most importantly, ensure that the punchline directly relates to the product.
But humor in advertising isn’t just about getting a laugh; it’s one of the best ways to make sure your brand sticks in people’s minds. When done right, it builds trust, keeps your message memorable, and gets people talking about your brand.
How to Make Ads That Actually Make People Laugh
Wondering how to make the funniest ads? Here are a few tried and tested strategies:
Shock Your Audience
One of the simplest tricks for using humor in advertisements is to flip the script. This involves presenting something familiar to the audience and then surprising them with an unexpected twist. This could be a clever play on words, a punchline that catches them off guard, or a pairing of two items that obviously don’t belong together.
Leverage Pop Culture
Another approach is to tap into nostalgia or pop culture. A reference to a classic song, a widely recognized movie, or even a trending meme can create an instant connection, as people are already familiar with and enjoy it.
Be Downright Ridiculous
Many brands also use visual exaggeration, such as oversized props or floating eyebrows (see the example ad below), and other out-there visuals that are so over-the-top, they can’t help but grab attention.
Everyone Loves a Parody
Parody takes the ads we all recognize, such as dramatic perfume spots or picture-perfect family scenes, and twists them into something amusing. By poking fun at these clichés, you’ll show you’re self-aware, fresh, and not afraid to laugh along with your audience.
Laugh at Yourself
Another method that can be effective, when used correctly, is self-deprecating humor. When a brand makes fun of itself (rather than its customers), it comes across as confident, approachable, and genuine. Just be careful not to put your brand in a bad light.
Don’t Overdo It
And finally, the best funny ads don’t try to do too much. They focus on one strong joke that’s clear, quick, and easy to remember.
These approaches work across every format, whether it’s print, TV, digital, or even a billboard, and you’ll see plenty of them in the examples coming up.
Ads That Made Us ROFL
We’ve seen a lot of ads, some of which made us laugh so hard we cried, and others have made us shake our heads in disappointment. We’ve compiled some of the funniest ads from recent years across print and video, along with insights into why they work and what business owners and marketers can learn from them.
Most Ridiculous
The Snickers campaign, “You’re not you when you’re hungry,” is a perfect example of capturing your audience’s attention with a relevant problem that everyone experiences from time to time: we all get hungry, and it can drive us to lose our minds! But beyond just relating to the universal feeling of extreme hunger that puts us in a fog, these ads make us laugh – hard. Though they may seem ridiculous, the scenarios the ad subjects find themselves in are hilariously relatable.
Nowhere do they claim that Snickers is the most deliciously satisfying candy that was ever made. Instead, they show you what can happen if you let your hunger get the best of you, and give you real hope that eating a Snickers bar can transform you into a functioning human again.
Best Use of Celebrities
Big celebrities add instant recognition to ads, but more importantly, when ads lean into their comedic side, the results can be pure gold.
Will Ferrell for PayPal
The comedy in this PayPal ad hinges on exaggeration. Will Ferrell takes something ordinary — a digital payments app — and treats it like it’s the best thing since sliced bread. His over-the-top performance makes the contrast even more comical, while keeping the focus on PayPal as the “hero” of the scene.
Cheetos and MC Hammer
Nostalgia paired with a celebrity creates the perfect combination. In this Cheetos Super Bowl ad, MC Hammer bursts onto the scene to remind us that once you’ve got orange dust on your fingers, “you can’t touch this.” The brand is at the center of the punchline, which makes it both funny and unforgettable.
Bateman vs. Batman (State Farm)
Jason Bateman is known for his dry, unemotional presence; he doesn’t get overly dramatic about anything. The name confusion is something everyone instantly gets, but Bateman’s refusal to play it big or silly makes this ad even funnier.
Stella Artois: The Other David
In this ad, David Beckham plays on the idea that “David” isn’t exactly a rare name. It’s funny because seeing one of the most famous Davids in the world laugh about being ordinary flips expectations, and his laid-back charm makes the gag feel effortless.
Snickers: “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry”
In this Super Bowl ad, the sight of Betty White being thrown into the chaos of a backyard football game is genuinely unexpected. While we all know Betty White was a tough lady (may she rest in peace), the sight of her running around the field in her matching sweatsuit and getting thrown into a massive mud puddle has us instantly laughing out loud. Follow that up with her transformation into a young man after taking a bite of a Snickers, and they absolutely nailed this. It’s a perfect example of using a celebrity in a surprisingly hilarious way while keeping the candy bar as the punchline and solution.
All of these ads use celebrities, but the stars don’t steal the show. The humor is built around the product, with the celebrity acting as the amplifier. That balance is what makes the ads feel clever, memorable, and relevant.
Best Exaggerations
Exaggeration makes ordinary scenarios even funnier, because it takes them to extremes we’d never expect.
Ricola Cough Drops
This ad from 30 Funny Print Ads You Can’t Read Without Laughing is iconic because it makes you hear a cough on the page, without any audio at all. The little (cough) turns a confident statement into something hesitant, and the joke is clear: with Ricola, you can clear your throat and say what you mean with confidence.
Little Caesars – Eugene Levy
It’s amusing because his eyebrows don’t just pop off; they keep appearing in unexpected places. They land on other people’s faces, stick to random objects, and pop up in scenes where they clearly don’t belong. The over-the-top journey of the eyebrows, paired with Levy acting like nothing’s strange, makes the whole ad absurd and highly amusing.
Why do these work? Because they take something ordinary, like coughing or facial hair, and take it to a level where it becomes unforgettable.
Ads That Just Make Your Day
We love ads that make us chuckle, but sometimes we come across one that’s just so downright clever. While these might not make us laugh, they can make us smile from ear to ear. For example, one of our team members recently saw this Irving fuel truck (below) around town; being a hardcore Boston fan, it made her day.
Seeing the Red Sox logo and words, “Rooting for the home team,” made her stop and think, “That’s sooo clever!” We thought it was an extremely smart way to promote their brand by connecting with the community through a shared passion for its beloved baseball team.
Imagine how many others had a similar reaction to the truck’s ad–grinning from ear to ear and wanting to scream, “Go Sox!” Now that’s a powerful brand message.
Best Plays on Words (and Images)
Puns, double meanings, and visual wordplay make for some of the funniest print ads and video ads.
McDonald’s Free Wi-Fi
In this print ad, French fries double as a representation of Wi-Fi. It’s a clever, pun-like visual that ties back directly to the brand.
T-Mobile’s Summer Nights Musical
This full parody ad plays off Grease’s “Summer Nights.” It works as both a nostalgic throwback and a playful pun on summer streaming plans.
These ads work because they don’t require lengthy explanations; the jokes are visually and instantly effective.
Funny Print Ads vs. Funny Videos
Not all humor works equally well across every medium. Print ads often rely on visual puns, exaggeration, or rivalry. They need to be understood instantly, often with no audio or motion.
Examples: McDonald’s fries-as-Wi-Fi (above) or Pepsi’s Coke cape.
On the other hand, video ads can incorporate humor in a storytelling way, utilizing setup, timing, and punchline. They thrive on exaggeration, celebrity delivery, or parody.
Example: Snickers’ Betty White or Will Ferrell for PayPal (above).
Ultimately, the medium dictates the type of humor that works. A pun that kills in print may flop in a 30-second spot if it takes too long to explain.
The Punchline: Why Humor Sells
When we laugh, we let our guard down. We don’t feel like we’re being “sold to.” Instead, we’re entertained. And if the brand is baked into that laugh, we carry it with us.
The best funny ads, whether they’re starring Jason Bateman, Eugene Levy’s flying eyebrows, or a Wi-Fi symbol made of fries, share a common trait: the joke is inseparable from the brand. That’s the sweet spot every advertiser should aim for.
Ready to Get a Laugh?
If you’ve snickered, chuckled, or rolled on the floor laughing at these ads, you’ve seen firsthand how humor sticks. Now, imagine the impact a clever, well-timed joke could have on your next campaign. At Pivot, we believe that every brand deserves an advertisement that makes people smile.
Let’s work together to create something funny enough to make your audience accidentally spit out their coffee (in a good way). Get in touch with us today, because when it comes to ads, it pays to be the punchline.
