Is it too late to make a prediction for the year? Probably, but I’ll do it anyway. In the world of business and marketing, 2024 will be all about humour and having a laugh. It will be the year of fun. I’ve seen anecdotal evidence of this. I’ve noticed that people re-branding their businesses have used playful cartoons. Or have incorporated amusing copy. Here’s an example. There were lots of funny ads during this year’s Superbowl. Celebrities were not taking themselves too seriously. The Beckhams. Ben Affleck. And in my favourite ad - Arnie and Danny.

So why is this?

1 Funny Ads Are More Effective

Studies have pointed out that people love amusing advertising. Plus they work. They help build positive brand associations and grow the business. The agency System 1, has been arguing the case for some time. Click here and the marketing world seems to be cottoning on. Studies by the IPA and agencies like Kantar also make the case for more humour in communication.

Humour helps you stand out. The eatbigfish podcast ‘Let’s Make This More Interesting’ highlights that dull advertising is costly. One surefire strategy is to be funny.

2 Purpose Fatigue

In recent times, creating ‘brands with purpose’ was all the rage. Now this interest has waned. We’ve realised that not all brands need a purpose. Often, the result was worthy but dull campaigns. Or else attempts to shoehorn ‘purpose’ into every brand positioning.

Influential marketing thinkers, such as Mark Ritson, have pushed back. Unilever used to be advocates of purpose-driven brands. Not anymore. Indeed, the recent Hellmann’s Superbowl ad featured a talking cat.

3 We Need Levity in Our Lives

Covid is over but times are tough. The world is uncertain. All the news is bad news. War, climate change, the economy. It’s relentless. We need to escape from this and business has a part to play.

It’s not just in advertising. Post Covid, there’s been a return to ‘in real life’ workshops and events. Whilst we’re all familiar with remote working and online tools, people love meeting up. And part of the brief is always, let’s find time to have fun together.

Summary

So, I predict that 2024 will be the year of fun, at least in the world of business.

Expect to see more humourous advertising in 2024. We enjoy them and they’re effective. Lots of brand re-launches will be wackier. Expect to see more Liquid Deaths. There will be much less emphasis on brand purpose. We’ll have more IRL workshops with more social time. Even Zoom sessions will be lighter and jokier. Could the boozy lunch make a comeback?

Maybe this is wishful thinking. We shall see.