Humour

It is completely true that humour is universal and everyone uses it. Though, not everyone has the same sense of humour, which means not everyone will laugh at the same kind of punchline. Every person is different and they all have different thoughts of everything. Sometimes, these thoughts can be very personal, which shouldn't be humourous to them. The slightest humour against that personal thought may trigger some negative emotions. Though, their personal thoughts of an idea is their personal issue, not the company of the advertisement. The advertisement will have a different target audience for this reason such as those who do appreciate the humour. The key to a successful humourous advertisement is to sell and to provide truth about the product/service. The main idea is to get noticed, whether people like it, enjoy it or even hate it. Being noticed would mean having a reputation and it's about getting your product out there and making a name for your company. 

I do believe it is worth the risk of a humourous advertisement to some extent. As long as your advertisement speaks the truth of your product/service, the people who have a personal issue with the humour are not an issue. Yes, humour within advertisements do gain attention, but most do not encourage buyers. On the other hand, these advertisements are a great starter point to gaining attention for the product/service. It isn't necessarily a waste to produce such advertisements, but there is a major risk of targeting the wrong audience. 

It all comes down to who you are speaking to through the advertisement. It all depends on who's your target audience and how you can gain their attention. Your target audience may be a certain group of different minds, but they all want a certain or similar benefit that your product/service offers. Therefore, it's necessary to include that certain information (USP or benefit) that your product offers and it has to be a benefit or need of your target audience. If this information is included in the advertisement with the humour, the advertisement can be a successful encouragement.

This Chupa Chups advertisement speaks the message of the product using light humour. It's possible that some people may just not enjoy lollipops or any candy, but it speaks the message of the product. Whether people enjoy Chupa Chups or not, they know it's sugar-free and that's the message. 

21st Century Healthcare Repella Insect Repeller: This advertisement adds humour with the, "Change the way insects see you" with the 'people' easily enjoying a picnic outdoors. Again, some people may not understand the humour within the use of a reptile, but it tells them that the repeller is that strong and that's exactly the benefit of the product. 

Here's a few more humourous advertisements that sends the message of the product, whether people enjoy the humour or not. (Personally, I really enjoy these last few advertisements because they instantly grab my attention with their bizarre humour. Plus, the strange humour makes them unforgettable and gets you thinking.)