the usage of humour in advertisements

8/18/2019 The Usage of Humour in Advertisements

1/7

Nafsin, Nehla

Mr. Eisner

AP English Language

December 12, 2015

The Usage of umour in A!"er#isemen#s

$hen a %ro!uc# is mar&e#e!, much of #he a!"er#isemen# occurs a'a( from 'here #he

ac#ual %ro!uc# is being sol!. )ecause of #his, a!"er#isers mus# !esign #heir a!"er#isemen#s in a

'a( #ha# ca#ches #he a##en#ion of #he au!ience an! remains in #heir memor(. Pa#hos is a common

a%%eal #ha# can be foun! in man( a!"er#isemen#s, an! humour is ho' man( com%anies ma&e

#heir mar& on #heir au!ience. $hen some#hing is funn(, i# regis#ers %osi#i"el( 'i#hin %eo%le an!

ligh#ens #heir moo!. More im%or#an#l(, because #he( fin! i# funn(, #he( are more li&el( #o

remember i# an! #he( are also more incline! #o share i# 'i#h #heir frien!s an! famil( li&e a *o&e

#he( migh# ha"e hear!. o'e"er, #he 'i##( as%ec# of an a!"er#isemen# can of#en mas& subliminal

hin#s #ha# i# ma( ha"e.

+n #he McDonal!s mil&sha&e a!"er#isemen#, a co' s#an!s on a #ram%oline in a %lain fiel!

'i#h grass an! #rees in #he bac&groun!. -n #he bo##om lef# corner is #he McDonal!s logo an!

#heir slogan, +m lo"in i#/. The #e# besi!e i# sa(s The eal Mil&sha&e./ This %la( on 'or!s is

humourous because #he 'or! mil&sha&e/ is #a&en an! %resen#e! i# li#erall(. The "isual of #he

co' an! #he #ram%oline a%%eal #o (ounger chil!ren 'ho migh# no# un!ers#an! #he #he #e#ual

elemen# of #he a!, an! #he #e# i#self a%%eals #o #eenagers an! a!ul#s 'ho !rin& mil&sha&es. The

image of a co' on a #ram%oline is ra#her surreal, an! #he sill( na#ure of #his a!"er#isemen# inci#es

a ha%%( an! %osi#i"e emo#ion in #he au!ience. $hile on #he surface #his a! sim%l( 'an#s (ou #o

bu( a mil&sha&e, #here are cer#ain im%lica#ions #ha# are no# ob"ious. a##le is of#en raise! in


2/7

highl( mechanical farms 'here #he( are fe! an! slaugh#ere! in a 'a( #ha# is far from na#ural.

The fiel! an! #he grass in #he %ic#ure loo&s li&e #he &in! of %lace 'here a free3range co' migh#

gra4e. Al#hough i# is no# !irec#l( im%l(ing #his, seeing #he co' in such an en"ironmen# migh#

cause #he au!ience #o unconsciousl( assume #ha# #he co's #ha# go in#o #heir foo! is raise! in such

a %lace 'hen #ha# is har!l( #he case.

+n #he AE- a!"er#isemen#, or American Eagle -u#fi##ers for #hose 'ho are familiar 'i#h

#he bran! ini#ials an! logo, consis#s of a girl. he is (oung, %ossibl( in her earl( #'en#ies, an! is

!resse! in a re! s'ea#er, *eans an! a beanie. The ou#3of3focus bac&!ro% is of a fores# 'i#h 'ha#

seems #o be %ine #rees. -n #he righ#, #he #e# sa(s, 6ule Lo"e This/ follo'e! b( #he 'ha# is

%resumabl( #he bran! logo7 an eagle. )elo' #ha#, #he #e# rea!s, 253809 off/ along 'i#h #he

AE- holi!a( collec#ion/ an! selec# s#(les. Prices as mar&e!/. Using (ule/ as a %un for

(oull/ causes a humorous effec#. This a!"er#isemen# 'as %u# u% righ# aroun! earl( December,

'hich ma&es i# seasonall( a%%ro%ria#e since (ule/ is a !irec# reference #o hris#mas. +# no# onl(

!oes i# %u# #he au!ience in a ha%%ier moo!, bu# i# also %u#s #hem in a more fes#i"e moo!. The re!

from #he girls s'ea#er an! #he green from #he bac&!ro% also ma&e i# "er( seasonal. o'e"er,

e"en #hough #he girl in #he %ic#ure is 'earing re!, i# canno# be sai! #ha# #he( are s%ecificall(

hris#mas clo#hes as 'ha# she is 'earing is ra#her generic. This allo's #he au!ience %ool #o

con#ain %eo%le o#her #han *us# #hose 'ho celebra#e hris#mas. The %un once again hel%s ca#ch

%eo%les a##en#ion #o #he a!"er#isemen# an! ma&es a %lace in #heir memor(. The ne# #ime #he(

see #ha# s#ore, #he( 'ill be more li&el( #o go in. o'e"er, i# is #he 2538:9 off/ #ha# migh# cause

%eo%le #o %ur%osefull( see& ou# #he s#ore. E"en #hough #he( 'ri#e selec# s#(les. Prices as

mar&e!/, i# !oes no# affec# #he au!ience grea#l( because #he si4e of #he fon# is rela#i"el( smaller

#han #he res# of #he #e#. The sale is 'ha# #he( no#ice, an! #he sale is 'ha# #he( remember.


3/7

The T3Mobile a!"er#isemen# !is%la(s a sense of humour !ifferen# from #he McDonal!s

an! #he American Eagle -u#fi##ers a!s. The commercial s#ar#s 'i#h #he celebri#( ;im ;ar!ashian

in#ro!ucing herself an! #hen e%laining ho' !a#a is 'as#e! e"er( (ear. he #hen lis#s eam%les of

ho' #ha# !a#a coul! ha"e been use! #o see %ic#ures of her an! as&s #he au!ience #o &ee% #heir

!a#a. A #e# screen follo's informing #he au!ience abou# #he Da#a#ash %lan, an! i# en!s 'i#h a

#he T3Mobile logo an! name. Throughou# #he commercial, she main#ains a "er( gra"e #one e"en

#hough #he #hings she sa(s are no# e"en remo#el( serious. This con#ras# crea#es a sa#irical effec#

#ha# sub#l( cri#icises %eo%le 'ho are o"erl( infa#ua#e! 'i#h famous %eo%le, 'hich is gi"es a

feeling of amusemen# #o %eo%le 'ho #hin& !isli&e #he general masses obsession 'i#h ;im

;ar!ashian. The( fin! i# funn(, 'hich ma&es #hem remember i#. The( a%%recia#e #he humour,

'hich crea#es a bias in #hem #ha# ma&es #hem consi!er bu(ing #he %lan #ha# 'as a!"er#ise!. -n

#he o#her han!, for #hose 'ho !o li&e her, #his a!"er#isemen# is s#ill a%%ealing because #he( as

soon as #he( see her, #he( %a( a##en#ion. E"en if #he( are a'are #ha# #he a! is sarcas#ic, #he( 'ill

s#ill be incline! #o remember i#. ;ar!ashian being #here im%lies #ha# she en!orses #he %ro!uc#,

'hich migh# ma&e her fans %urchase #he %lan so #he( can be more li&e her.

Peo%le are incline! #o bu( #hings because bu(ing is an essen#ial e%ression of free!om

an! in!i"i!ualism/


4/7

funn(, #he au!ience remembers i#, an! #he ne# #ime #he( come across #he a!"er#ise! %ro!uc# #he(

are more !is%ose! #o bu( i#. All #he li##le !e#ails #ha# go in#o each a!"er#isemen# are uniue #o

each one, bu# #he %ar# humour %la(s in each is essen#iall( #he same. umours *ob is #o sim%l(

ge# #he au!ience #o loo&. The subliminal clues #a&e care of #he res#.


5/7

$or&s i#e!

)ro'n, Lu&e. B$h( Do $e )u(@ +s +# )ran!ing or )rain'ashing@B E!. Me!for!C The Tuf#s

Dail(, 200:. 1213125. Prin#.

;ulman, Lin!a. BMa#erialismC -ur onsuming +n#eres#B E!. U.. Ne's $orl! e%or#, 200:.

110311:. Prin#.

The eal Mil&sha&e. Digi#al image. McDonald's Real Milkshake Cows. The +ns%ira#ion oom,

1: ul( 2012. $eb. 12 Dec. 2015.

6ule Lo"e This. Digi#al image. Twitter . American Eagle -u#fi##ers, 10 Dec. 201:. $eb. 12 Dec.

2015.

T3Mobile. N). Los Angeles, alifornia, 1 Feb. 2015. Tele"ision.


6/7


7/7

the usage of humour in advertisements

Documents