The Cannes International Festival of Creativity, popularly known as Cannes Lionssurprised the world of advertising by announcing the inclusion of a new category dedicated to humor in its 2024 awards. The announcement, which took place in November last year on the festival’s website, says that “works entered in this category must use humor and satire to provide fun and create memorable connections that induce laughter in the audience.”
The initiative came after an impactful speech by Andrew Robertson, agency CEO of BBDO Worldwide, owned by Omnicom, during the 2023 Cannes Lions, where he encouraged marketers to return to the use of humor. According to the executive, “making people laugh can be a powerful tool for making the world a better place”.
The resurgence of humor in advertising is remarkable considering the steady decline seen in recent years. Kantar research indicates that the use of humor in advertising has consistently declined since 2002, with significant drops during crises such as the 2008 financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
However, data from Cannes Lions 2023 reveals a change of scene, where 52% of winners in the Film category were intentionally funny, representing an impressive increase of 43% compared to 2022. The Grand Prize was awarded to the provocative ‘RIP, Leon’ from Apple, a cheeky take on pet care.
The data largely suggests that humor works. According to research from Oracle, 90% of consumers say they are more likely to remember a funny ad and 72% would choose a humorous brand over the competition. Similar findings were seen by research from Kantar and System1.
But the return of humor in advertising is not just a consumer trend, as the B2B sector is also adopting laughter in its marketing strategies. Brands like Workday and LinkedIn are finding success with humorous campaigns that challenge assumptions and connect with broader audiences.
The 2024 Cannes Lions Festival promises to be the stage for a revolution of laughter, where agencies and brands will seek to win the hearts of the public through comedy, reinforcing the idea that, even in challenging times, humor remains a powerful tool for connection and engagement. .
* With information from The Drum | Cover photo: Toms Arthuzzi
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