The Humor Hijack

There is a costly myth at the heart of modern advertising.

It’s the belief that attention is the ultimate prize. This belief drives brands to spend millions on clever campaigns designed to go viral.

But there’s often a big gap between popularity and real business success. Many brands are known for their cleverness, but that hasn’t boosted sales. This makes leaders question whether they’ve created a memorable joke or a valuable asset.

The key difference between a funny ad that succeeds and one that fails is simple: integration. To understand it, we must first look at one of the most famous—and cautionary—ads of all time.

A Famous Failure: The "Spicy Meatball" Story

In 1969, Alka-Seltzer released a commercial that was, by all creative measures, a masterpiece. It was gut-bustingly funny, and its catchphrase became a national sensation.

The ad used a clever "ad-within-an-ad" format. It showed the making of a commercial. Jack Somack was a hapless actor who kept eating a spicy meatball. He struggled with his lines each time he took a bite. Take after take, he consumed more meatballs until he was suffering from severe indigestion. Only then did Alka-Seltzer come to the rescue.

But there was a problem: the ad was a resounding commercial failure. It failed to increase sales. And some sources say sales of Alka-Seltzer even decreased.

The ad’s fatal flaw was that the humor was so powerful it completely overshadowed the product. Viewers remembered the joke, but they misattributed the brand. As one advertising editor explained, "Everyone thought it was for spaghetti sauce". The humor was attached to the cause of the problem (the meatballs), not the solution.

The "Vampire Effect": When Humor Hijacks the Message

This phenomenon is known as the "vampire effect." The humor is so strong it becomes a "vampire," draining the audience's attention away from the product it is meant to sell.

This isn't just a theory; it's backed by research. An article in the Journal of Advertising by Thomas W. Cline and James J. Kellaris provides a great overview of the research. They write:

In short, humor that is directly related to products works. Humor that doesn’t distracts and fails.

The Modern Trap: Big Laughs and Small Returns at the Super Bowl

This isn't an old-school problem. It happens every year on advertising's most expensive stage: the Super Bowl.

In 2016, Hyundai ran a series of ads that were a massive success by every vanity metric. Their spots—"First Date," "Ryanville," and "The Chase"—were star-studded and hilarious. They earned over 52 million YouTube views in a month. "First Date" landed the top spot on USA Today’s influential Ad Meter, and all three ads were in the top 10.

But the business results were revealing. Hyundai sales only rose 1% that year, and the growth wasn't driven by the heavily advertised Elantra or Genesis. It was driven by the Tucson SUV—a vehicle they didn't advertise during the game.

It was a modern example of the vampire effect. The humor came from funny situations that had nothing to do with how the vehicle worked or the benefits it provided.

The Turnaround: How Integrated Humor Saved a Dying Brand

By 2010, Old Spice was widely perceived as "their grandpa's deodorant brand". It was on a shortlist of brands its parent company, P&G, would consider selling if it could not demonstrate growth.

Their historic turnaround started with a key finding from market research. It revealed that women bought 60% of men's body wash.

Armed with this data, the "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign was born. The ad was a masterstroke of dual-targeting. It spoke directly to the female purchaser ("Hello, ladies"), giving her a compelling reason to choose Old Spice. Simultaneously, it created a charismatic and modern image that appealed to a new generation of male users.

But most importantly, the humor was directly tied to the product's benefit. The ad showcased an actor who delivered a bold and surreal monologue. It was filled with absurd lines, including, "I'm on a horse." The humor wasn't random. It showed the aspirational result of using the product.

The joke was the promise: Old Spice could turn any man into an incredibly cool and confident version of himself. The humor was a demonstration of the transformation.

The results were immediate and historic.

• After five months, sales had more than doubled, showing a 125% year-over-year increase.

• Brand sales saw a 107% lift.

• The campaign propelled Old Spice to become the #1 brand of men's body wash in the U.S..

The humor was a Trojan horse that attracted everyone. But the clever way it mixed with the product's benefit was the true force.

Beyond Humor: The Deeper Principle of Integration

The Old Spice campaign connects humor to a product benefit. But this relates to a larger principle: strong branding links emotions to what the product does. If it doesn’t, it creates confusion, and confusion harms your brand.

A brand that exemplifies this on the deepest level is Corona.

Marcel Marcondes, global CMO of AB InBev, understands how critical it is to integrate these two dimensions. He explains the brand's core emotional promise:

This is the emotional territory Corona owns. It's about that moment of "sigh," of breaking from routine to reconnect with nature and your true self. But this promise would be another empty marketing claim without tangible proof.

Marcondes explains how they fulfill that promise with the product and the company's actions:

The brand's actions are inseparable from its emotional promise. The ultimate goal is to run your business so that your marketing is not just believable. It should be an undeniable reflection of reality.

How to Escape the Entertainment Trap

To make sure your marketing is profitable, not just a joke, check your creative ideas against your strategy. Before launching your next campaign, ask these questions:

1. Does it pass the "Alka-Seltzer Test"? If the audience only remembers the joke, do they still remember your brand and why they should choose it? If not, the link is too weak, and you are at high risk of the vampire effect.

2. Is the humor integrated or decorative? In every successful case, humor is integral to the brand message, not a superfluous layer. Does the humor show a product benefit (like Old Spice) or is it a disconnected story (like "Spicy Meatball")?

3. Are you speaking to the purchaser? The Old Spice case is the definitive lesson in targeting the actual decision-maker, who may not be the end-user. Do you know who truly makes the buying decision for your product, and is your message tailored to them?

The goal is not to be less creative. It is to ensure that creativity serves a clear business goal. Integrating humor with your brand's core message can refresh your brand. It can shake up an industry. And provide a great return on investment.

Onward,

Aaron

P.S. Is your marketing generating buzz but not business? There might be a disconnect between your message and your value proposition. Reply to this email, and I’ll set up a free 15-minute call to help you diagnose the problem and find a clearer path to profitable growth.