Tittering. Chuckling. Giggling. Call it what you want, when something’s funny, we laugh. It is a shared, universal reaction that comes in a range of pitches and volumes, and many other mammals, like dolphins, laugh too. As a natural mood booster and emotional regulator, it gives us a hit of good vibe neurotransmitters like dopamine and oxytocin that can initiate pant-wetting, cheek-brightening, hysterical howling.
Social Media platforms know this all too well. TikTok says that 76% of Gen Z want comedic content, and that they are 1.6 times more effective than non-humorous ones – see Zach King's "Magic Ride" which has over 2.3 billion views. The algorithm will feed you funny content because it’s effective across a broad audience. But the big question is, if brands are focusing on funny and it’s everywhere, why aren’t we laughing more?
Last year, The New York Times posted an article titled “If every brand is funny online, is anything funny?" And they might be onto something. If you’ve ever got on a packed commuter train, you’ve experienced it: the silent swiping of countless people on devices. The occasional half-laugh or grunt.
Like many other leading sources, this article argues that even though we are consuming more “funny” content, we’re not actually finding it as funny. This is because the sheer volume of funny things is diluting how we feel about them all. Imagine there was a dopamine menu: we’re getting a regular overload of nibbles, rather than the satisfaction of a single killer main course.
This idea isn’t new. They’ve proven similar with dating apps like Tinder, the more choices we have, the more forgettable and less we feel about each choice. Not good for jokes and really, really bad for dating.
Laughter is still the gold standard for advertising
With this in mind, it seems a good time to talk about the funniest ads of all time. What we find funny is subjective - as you’ll see by my very random taste, with a spread of bonkers to total cheese - and hugely influenced by culture and age. But I think we can all agree: laughter is still the gold standard. It’s not a comment like “how funny is this?” in a group chat or something you say in a creative review.
Laughter is beyond words because it doesn’t need them. And so when looking at the funniest ads of all time, I felt we needed to be clear that the work, no matter the age, or media, has and continues to provoke laughter - not smirks, not smiles, not shares. It has impact and continues to have longevity.
There is so much amazing work out there. So this is not really a definitive list, but me throwing some suggestions in the ring and fighting in their corner. If one of these gets you laughing, like they did me, that will do. This is my extended Mount Rushmore. And with a can of tuna and Peter Kay, what a funny sight it would be.
John West Tuna - Bear (2000)
Daniel Kleinman's 30” hit spot has to be considered as an all time great. It just felt so different from everything else at the time. A single-minded comedy sketch that still cracks up the room - even Gen Z.
John Smiths - No Nonsense (2000s)
Ufff the early 2000s were a good time for comedy and Peter Kay teaming up with John Smiths just about sums it up. Imagine the best sketch in a movie, now multiply it by many TV spots. There was a gag about football, diving, grandma, office crushes. They might not all be your cup of tea, but one is sure to make you laugh.
Dos Equis - Most Interesting Man (2006-2016)
As a copywriter, Dos Equis has always been up there for witty writing - so damn sharp. I’m still jealous of the creatives who worked on it. I imagine an old-school writer’s room with killer lines like “Mosquitoes refuse to bite him purely out of respect” and “The last time he flirted with danger, danger got clingy”, being fired around.
Air Asia - Phuket, I’ll Go (2008)
We see a lot of puns, sometimes they cheapen work, other times they make it. This is the one to beat. The brave, loud, destination pun that is as daft as it is smart. Reads like something from Austin Powers. Even better that it was unmissable as out of home.
CeraVe - Michael Cerave (2024)
A big winner at Cannes last year. Just a simple joke, blown totally out of proportion.The creatives had fun and so did we. A funny play on words that happened to link the name of a dermatological skincare brand and a Hollywood actor. It’s less of a lightning bolt of laughter, but keeps you chuckling across all the different touchpoints.
Writing this article really made me think about what makes me laugh, and since scrolling through newsfeed I’ve questioned what is just entertaining. And so I go back to that New York Times article mentioned above. Perhaps in an attempt to give fans on social media a small hit of dopamine and quick win, we’ve gotten a little lazy. It seems like we could be more selective with what we make. With so many touchpoints, it’s our chance to create work that can be remembered for a lifetime. Until then, Phuket, let’s look back and laugh.