The ‘intelligent’ evolution of ‘funny’ in advertising

We have all encountered humour in advertising. Some examples are plain silly; a few in bad taste and some others, God forbid, aren’t even funny. While humour is an old tool in Indian advertising, over the last few years, it has evolved from slapstick to intelligent, and if creative gurus are anything to go by, the trend will reverse again. exchange4media spoke to a few creative heads on the evolution of this double-edged sword in advertising.

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Jun 15, 2009 7:25 AM  | 4 min read
The ‘intelligent’ evolution of ‘funny’ in advertising

Indian advertising has employed humour as a tool for many years now. Some believe that it is the exposure to international advertising that had allowed Indian creative heads to dare and be funny, and others believed that it was one of the fallouts of the growing self-confidence of Indian advertising professionals.

If the more recent ad campaigns are seen closely, Indian advertising has been looking at humour in a different light. There is a clear attempt to move away from slapstick, which was the order of the day, to ‘intelligent’ comedy --- the Vodafone ads including the Zoo-Zoos is one case in point; the Fastrack Move On commercials is another; The Sprite campaigns, the Parle-G ads or even the recent Idea campaign... the list can go on.

Speaking to a few advertising honchos, exchange4media finds out how ‘humour’ has evolved in advertising.

Bobby Pawar, Chief Creative Officer, Mudra, said, “Humour has different shades. There is a very thin line between humour and something that is not humorous. Humour is evolving like any other culture. An ad should have a funny premise to begin with to be considered humorous. The formula really lies in the hands of the brand. From the slapstick kind of humour, we are gradually moving on to ‘intelligent’ and ‘subtle’ humour. One great ad would be the ZooZoos for Vodafone. It is understated, yet charming. Advertising has evolved out of popular culture. The client and the creative agency have to be brave to create that culture.”

Agnello Dias, Chief Creative Officer, Taproot, noted, “Evolution is not just in advertising. There is an evolution in music, movies and art forms. Everything evolves over a period of time. Talking of advertising, after a set pattern, people look for different kinds of humour. The current trend becomes passé. Tastes and preferences change. We are now looking at understated vs. slapstick. I would bracket the Chlormint ad in the slapstick genre, and Virgin mobiles ad in the understated smart genre. However, I do feel the slapstick trend will come back. In fact, all trends that go away come back.”

Senthil Kumar, Executive Creative Director, JWT India brought a different point of view to the discussion. He believes that the Indian audience likes brash and slapstick over understated humour. He observed, “For over a century now, laughing-out-loud has caught the fancy of audiences in cinemas, street theatre, folk plays and even in real life. Show me someone who doesn't laugh at a good joke out there. Even the most difficult consumers will remember the funny brand, and even tough clients will break ice over a hearty laugh.”

For Kumar, after sex, slapstick has been the next bestseller in the Great Indian Copywriters' manual but that's what's Indian about it. He elaborated, “The Indian audience has rarely been tickled by wry or dark or even subtle humour. What works is when the joke is in your face and at times, even a double take or the triple take Madras-cut slapstick.”

The evolution of humour in Indian advertising according to Kumar has been the journey from laughing-out-loud at others to laughing-out-loud at us, and he is of the opinion that this has taken a long while. He said, “While the Thai's have established Thai humour as a certain type of humour, we are still struggling with Indian ‘shtyle’ humour. Though I would like to add that a few brave brands like Amul, The Times of India, Pepsi, Fevicol, Happy Dent and Vodafone have managed to push the envelope consistently on a big idea with a humorous execution, clearly using humour as the means to tell a story and bring the big idea alive, versus humour being the idea?”

Humour is understood differently by different people. It cannot and should not be subjected to a set pattern or norm. Intelligent humour in advertising is currently ruling the roost but in times to come it would for sure sway in another direction. And why not, nothing remains constant forever. It’s funny only till it sells.

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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