The bright and the dark side of humorous ads: Literature review on the potential effects of humorous advertisements
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15170/MM.2023.57.02.04Keywords:
humorous advertisements, the impact of humour, negative humour, Benign Violation TheoryAbstract
THE AIM OF THE PAPER
The study aims to review the literature on humorous advertising, the apropos humour theory that has rarely been discussed in Hungarian literature, and the Benign Violation Theory (McGraw & Warren 2010). We seek to integrate classical humour and humorous advertising models with the new theory. Our aim is to integrate classical humour theories, theories on humorous ads and the new model.
METHODOLOGY
The study is a review of the literature on general humour theories and humorous advertising. The novelty of the review lies in the fact that it extends the potential negative effects of humour. Classical theories and more recent publications are included in the summarized material.
MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS
In general theories and typologies of humour, offensive forms of humour have appeared from the very beginning, and the negative effects of applying humour have been recognised. Although the studies on the impacts of humorous advertising often indicated negative effects, models on humorous advertising described almost exclusively positive effects. Recent research on humour showed that considering negative effects while studying humour is paramount. This is particularly true in cases of offensive humour. An integrated study of the positive and negative aspects could be the next logical step forward in the scientific study of humorous advertisements.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In addition to the much-studied positive effects of humour, negative aspects should also be emphasised in humorous advertisement studies. An integrated approach to the study of the impacts of humorous advertisements would be a step forward, as beyond being attention-grabbing, humorous ads can be offending or outrageous. The effect depends on the ad type, the brand and the cultural norms. When designing research of impact, one should consider humour types evoking both positive and negative feelings to model and predict the effect of an advertisement in a more complex way. This could lead to a more accurate prediction in designing an advertisement or a whole marketing campaign.
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