The best advertisements don’t just sell products — they are creative and make us think about the brand long after we’ve seen it.
These campaigns employ a variety of tools to hook us, such as clever wordplay or eye-catching visuals, but one of our favorite ones is humor.
Sadly, over the years, many brands have chosen to play it safe, which is why bold and funny ads stand out instantly — especially when you spot one on a billboard while sitting in traffic after a long, tough day.
Scroll through this list to see how humor in ads can grab anyone’s attention, even if you don’t know the brand.
#1 Bad Ad Is A Good Ad
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#2 Durex
#3 “Text & Drive” Wathan Funeral Home Billboard
Image source: SicilSlovak
Comedy creates positive associations in people’s minds, making the brand easier to remember.
In a 2022 survey across 14 countries, 80% of consumers said they are more likely to buy again and recommend brands that make them laugh.
Funny ads, if cleverly executed, are interesting because we are wired to pay attention to the unexpected.
“There are many reasons why this happens; purely on a physical level using humor lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) and increases dopamine (the pleasure neurotransmitter). This makes people far more receptive to the ad’s message,” says HumourScope founder Paddy Gilmore.
#4 Utah Ski Resort Gets A 1-Star Review From A Guy In Los Angeles Because The Mountain Was Too Difficult. They Used The One-Star Review To Advertise It
Image source: rightcoastguy
#5 Ricola
Image source: Miami Ad School Europe
It’s really hard to come up with just the right amount of humor in ads, since there are many risks — funny content can be easily misunderstood if not done right, it can also offend the audience or distract from the brand message.
Over the last 20 years, these challenges have pushed brands to move away from humor and instead favor safer and more serious tones, according to a report.
The pandemic and global recession made the brands even more cautious, the report says.
#6 Simple, Yet Effective
Image source: acamu5x
#7 “Get Them Off Your Dog.” – Frontline Flea & Tick Control
Image source: Mantschgo
#8 Don’t Know If It Counts As An Ad, But Still Funny
Image source: 2na2unatuna
But funny is gradually coming back in fashion, after Cannes Lions, an international festival that rewards creativity, introduced a dedicated Humor category in 2023.
With funny content and memes taking over social media as well, brands have once again started using the comedy angle in their campaigns.
“When Cannes adds a humour category, that merely adds credence to what creatives have suspected for years now — humour is one of the most effective ways to make a complicated point in a sharp, succinct way,” says Hayden Scott of Virtue Asia.
The festival led to a sudden rise, and data shows that 75% of US or UK winners used humor in their campaigns in 2024, up from 52% in 2023.
#9 Advertising Done Right
Image source: mperez4855
#10 McDonald’s
#11 Hyundai
Image source: Shalmor Avnon Amichay / Y&R, Tel Aviv, Israel
Humor is like a secret weapon that companies can use to engage consumers and start viral conversations.
When a product itself isn’t very interesting, such as eye glasses or a shipping company, it needs humor to capture some attention.
“Humor works astoundingly well in B2B marketing. And the B2B brands who know this treat it like a well-kept secret in their marketing toolbox. It’s good for them, good for their clients and – most of all – good for the bottom line,” says Gilmore.
#12 Oatly Bench Ad, 2019
Image source: strivelyco
#13 Dreamies
Image source: MagicMoonBeans
#14 This Ad At Dusseldorf Airport
Image source: GermanPlatypusMan
Brand battles take humor in their campaigns a step further.
Pepsi’s Halloween ad that shows a Pepsi can with a Coca-Cola-like cape, delivers a playful and competitive message — it pushes the other brand to defend themselves, but also highlights its own strengths.
These kinds of ads feel less like a sales pitch and more like a shared joke with the buyers or loyal customers of the brand.
#15 Creative, Location-Specific Ad For Copenhagen Skatepark
Image source: kid_is_insane
#16 Picks Up Five Times More Woman Than A Lamborghini
Image source: twixonurface
#17 Dated (But Funny) Anti-Gastroenteritis Medicine Ad
Image source: ForLackOfAUserName
#18 Pepsi
Image source: StephenMcGannon
While funny ads are risky, and hard to sell to clients, if done right, they can quickly become part of pop culture and make millions of people laugh.
And we sure do need them in an age where attention is scarce and laughs are few and far between.
#19 Tic Tac
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#20 This Advertisement From A Dental Office
Image source: reddit.com
#21 This Ad Is Going To Become The Next Copycat Template For So Many Brands
Image source: lazymentors
#22 An Advertisement For Keloptic.com – A French Website That Sells Glasses
Image source: Gaget
#23 Delhi’s Homeless
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#24 Deadpool & Wolverine
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#25 Mercedes-Benz
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#26 Bic
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#27 Tailgating Isn’t Worth It
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#28 Bus Stop Ad For A VPN Provider
Image source: 1m0ws
#29 Know The Facts I Have Beautiful Teeth Too
Image source: mosti_shosho
#30 Tabasco
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#31 This Bose Advertisement Made Me Laugh
Image source: Greenlightxx
#32 Honest Advertising
Image source: SharkRancher
#33 I Now Have An Advertisement Stuck In My Head, Genius
Image source: TeachMeImWilling69
#34 Kiss Fm 97.7
Image source: Garcia Robles, Guatemala
#35 Google
Image source: Grey, Istanbul, Turkey
#36 Calgary Zoo
Image source: Trigger, Calgary, Canada
#37 Crest
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#38 Audi
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#39 NYC Closets
Image source: proc_bofa
#40 My Friend Found This Ad On His Way Home
Image source: S3nosrs
#41 This Guy Must Be Feeling Pretty Great On This Ad
Image source: ErickJail
#42 1991 Range Rover Print Ad ‘And You Thought Your Teenagers Were Rough On A Car’
Image source: kervokian
#43 Hubba Bubba (1980)
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#44 Burger King, 2024
Image source: abaganoush
#45 3m
#46 This Ad By Eskom
Image source: Aequitas19
#47 Cedars Sinal Spine Center
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#48 Specsavers
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#49 Above The Trash
Image source: pacmanisfun
#50 Mcdonalds
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#51 1971 Listerine Print Ad ‘I Hate It, But I Love It’
Image source: kervokian
#52 Hush Puppies
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#53 Ephone900
Image source: JST Beijing China
#54 IKEA
#55 National Geographic
Image source: Heads, Sao Paulo, Brazil
#56 Listermint
Image source: JWT Sydney, Australia
#57 Mountain Riders
Image source: Publicis Conseil, Paris, France
#58 LEGO
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#59 Nivea Men
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#60 Kerrygold
Image source: StephenMcGannon
#61 Knacki
Image source: Ogilvy, France
#62 Juicy Fruit
#63 Classic Ad For Cough Syrup In Canada
Image source: jon-in-tha-hood
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