—Purpose-driven ads have increasingly become the norm, but what does a specific humour category mean for the ad landscape?—
By Shauna Lewis
There have been growing grumbles that advertising's obsession with purpose has usurped whether an ad is actually any good.
At 2022's Big Awards, co-chairs Felix Richter and Shelley Smoler, chief creative officers of Mother London and Droga5 London respectively, talked about a "saturation" of purpose-led work on the shortlist.
Writing for PRWeek earlier this year, James Herring, founder and chief executive of Taylor Herring, commented: "Sometimes drain unblocker is just drain unblocker. Dental floss doesn’t need to possess a higher calling."
It's with this in mind, perhaps, that Cannes Lions introduced a humour category to its 2024 awards ceremony.
Some might argue this makes humour and levity in ads aspirational. Others might say that purpose has become the de facto norm in reaching for adland glory, and that humour has become a side dish in the meal of marketing.
So, is purpose our purpose now? Or are we having a laugh?
Trevor Robinson
Founder and executive creative director, Quiet Storm
The awards circuit has been completely dominated in recent years by serious, cause-led work. Juries seem to gravitate towards emotive, poignant campaigns or utilitarian, tech-led initiatives, because they’re perceived as more important, so a comedy Lion is necessary to put the spotlight on humour in advertising. It’s just a shame that humour has been so sidelined recently that there’s a need to create a separate awards category for it.
In the past, there was more of a comedy culture in the industry, and comic ads were more celebrated and got more recognition. As we’re living in bleak times, people need comedy more than ever. Meanwhile, all the evidence shows that humour is an extremely effective marketing tool, and that funny ads stick in consumers' minds. Clients define and dictate advertising, let’s hope that this new category helps to encourage more marketers to invest in humour.
Helen Rhodes
Executive creative director, Bartle Bogle Hegarty
This new humour category at Cannes is jaunty music to my ears.
They’re asking for entries to use "wit and satire to provide amusement and create memorable, laughter-inducing connections," which is right up my street and weirdly identical to my Tinder bio (prior to getting married and having three kids, of course).
Surely creating a category solely dedicated to humour can only be a good thing. It will push the funnies up the agency/client agenda. Not that hilarious ads aren’t already being written; they are, and lots are getting the plaudits they deserve. But hopefully this will allow them to be valued even more, and even more to be made. Cos we all like a laugh, and the world needs it now more than ever.
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Chaka Sobhani
Chief creative officer, Leo Burnett UK and global
While I know humour is hugely subjective, I'm so pleased to see Cannes introduce a new category to celebrate the art of making people laugh.
Because it is just that—an art—and in my humble opinion, one of the most difficult to excel at, especially at scale.
I think sometimes the exceptional craft and design of great ideas celebrated at awards can shadow this. As if funny ideas are maybe a bit light, or daft, or indulgent.
I don't think the truth could be further away. At a time when the world needs hope, optimism and joy more than ever, brands turning up with humour have the greatest chance to create the deepest connections with their customers and audiences. And become more likeable and loved in the process.
I can't wait to hear the debates in that jury room: wit, satirical, slapstick, daft, visual, written and everything in between—what will win out? I hope this encourages us all to turn on the funny a little more. And laugh a lot more along the way.
Matt Lever
Chief creative officer, BMB
Considering that funny ads are generally the ads that real people actually like and remember, perhaps it’s a good thing to specifically create a category (and therefore an incentive) for the award-hungry people of adland to enter. Anything that gets more funny advertising in front of the public is fine by me, anyway.
Of course, cynics might argue that it’s just some mercenary ruse to separate agencies from even more of their money, and further fill the already overflowing coffers of the south of France’s most polished money-making operation (I’m joking, of course. They would NEVER be that money grabbing…would they…?).
Either way, I’d sooner see funny ads getting awarded over cynical, purpose gibberish that bears no relevance to the brand, and has only been seen by juries, agency staffers and agency staffers’ mums.
Although, thinking about it, some of those purpose-based “drain cleaner company helps reformed prisoners to cleanse their soul” ideas are so risible, perhaps they’d have a chance of sneaking a bronze in the new humour category as well.
Zoe Nash and Sali Horsey
Creatives, Adam & Eve/DDB
Cannes, as much as we don't want to admit it, influences the style of work made in the industry.
While it’s important that purpose-driven work is awarded, humour also has a purpose. We always talk about the power of emotion in advertising, but often skip past the power of laughter.
And the least we can do if we are showing up uninvited in people’s living rooms is entertain them.
So hopefully this addition will encourage more fun work in advertising.
Having said that, it is a bit odd to section off humour into its own category. Will it be judged on what gets the most laughs, rather than the idea? Does this mean there’s less of a place for humour in purpose-driven work? And, of course, the spectrum of humour is huge and hugely subjective, so the judging room could get interesting.
Dan Warner and Andy Vasey
Creative directors, 4Creative
It’s a funny one. Literally. It’s great that the awards are encouraging more humour in advertising, but for us a great piece of creativity that uses humour can be just as powerful, engaging, and effective as something that’s serious in tone. It shouldn’t be treated as a frivolous sideshow.
But, ultimately, this new category will make the whole industry look closer at the use of humour, debate it, and understand better what it looks like when it’s world class. Juries will become more confident awarding it, creative teams more confident in writing it, agencies more confident in presenting it, and marketing people more confident in buying it. So with any luck, the whole industry will start taking funny more seriously.
