Brand advertising, with a few exceptions, has often been reluctant to play the humour card.
Too risky.
Too unserious.
Too easy to get wrong.
Ironically, in the age of AI, that may be exactly why brands should reconsider it. We are entering a world where polished, competent communication is abundant. AI can now write headlines, captions, scripts and campaign ideas with frightening efficiency.
But efficient is not memorable.
The more AI-generated sameness floods our screens, the more people will gravitate toward things that feel recognisably human. Not just human in language, but human in observation, timing, imperfection and wit.
Humour carries those fingerprints.
Not because AI cannot technically generate jokes. It can. But real humour rarely comes from structure alone. It comes from social observation, emotional intelligence and recognising the tiny absurdities of everyday life that everyone notices but few articulate.
That is why people trust comedians.
A good comedian walks onto a stage with nothing but observation and delivery, yet entire audiences lean forward because they believe this person understands something about life they themselves have felt but never fully expressed.
That is powerful territory for brands.
Science supports this too. Humour releases dopamine and endorphins associated with pleasure, bonding and reward. Studies have also shown humour improves memorability and lowers resistance to persuasion.
In simple terms: when people are amused, they become more open.
And consumers today are exhausted.
Exhausted by interruption.
Exhausted by hard selling.
Exhausted by algorithmic sameness.
Exhausted by “buy me, buy me, buy me.”
Humour cuts through because it does not arrive as a demand. It arrives as a gift. I think about shows like Cheers and The Bob Newhart Show. The humour was often understated and observational. Sometimes you had to work a little to get it. It respected the audience enough not to overexplain itself.
Modern advertising often does the opposite.
Everything is over-signalled.
Over-written.
Over-explained.
Over-reviewed.
Over-approved.
But sophisticated humour trusts the audience.
And trust is a branding asset.
Who decided categories like banking, mayonnaise, mortgages or investments must permanently speak in the tone of a tax form?
Humour makes serious subjects more approachable and emotionally intelligent.
The challenge, of course, is that humour is difficult. Timing matters. Tone matters. One wrong read can turn clever into cringe very quickly.
Which is precisely why humour may become even more valuable in the AI era. Because while AI can generate competence endlessly, genuine wit still requires taste. And taste is hard to automate.
Maybe that is where brands need to find their funny bone
Not louder.
Not more chaotic.
Just more human.
