Fine Print

The Protocol for Humour as Strategy

We all appreciate a good laugh, and on Saturday night, we did.

Through economic storms and squalls, riding his own political tower of terror, John McCain stepped up to the commemorative plate and knocked it out of the park. His timely address to the nation via the most-watched vehicle for political news, Saturday Night Live, was sharp, witty, ghost-written, but poignant. And as we await the countdown to today’s vote results in the U.S., one can reflect back upon McCain’s jests last Saturday and ask a bigger question: when is incorporating humour beneficial to strategic operations? Does a gecko or caveman acting like a cosmopolitan emit a bigger response than the dramatization of a real-life crisis? Who really laughs last?

Witnessing a graphic car accident on television and then seeing a logo for car insurance slowly appear on the screen to the sound of horns blaring should evoke emotions of emergency, necessity and panic aversion. However, more often than not, those commercials almost seem to blend in with each other, and I, as an example, grow tired of the endless parade of worry. I’m mildly concerned about the last time I had the oil checked, and I don’t even own a car!  Focus group studies have proven that messages aren’t lost if placed in humour, and in fact, can be more effective because they’re enjoyed.

The chain of events is rather well-documented: being humorous leads to being popular; being popular (and being on television) can lead to becoming a celebrity; behavioural science indicates that celebrities play a much larger role in populous decision-making than previously imagined. Therefore make no mistake — the Geico Caveman, the Gecko sophisticate and yes, John McCain, are celebrities, and even role models. It is therefore clear that those who correlate laughter provided by these celebrities with enjoyment, and enjoyment with approval, might let their message linger in their minds.

These normative values are similar to loving what you do rather than not. When you enjoy what you do, like I do, you want to be involved and immersed, you take in messages and burn the midnight oil because it doesn’t get any better. When you don’t, effort and afterthought don’t come easily, a reason “warning” commercials, save for sharp tempo-driven ones such as the famous “this is your brain on drugs” ad, are usually skipped over.

Therefore I appreciate the effect comedic relief can bring to a campaign or to car insurance, and I’m fairly sure they know I do, too. I, like many, will send these humorous clips straight to YouTube, where they achieve ever-lasting notoriety and forever remain in the public eye, a factor of great corporate and indeed political value. In an era of downloading and Web-sharing, watching content through comedy like John McCain on SNL or the latest new commercial from Coke Zero is, shall I say, refreshing.

~ Sam Amsterdam, Account Coordinator, GCI Canada