Selecciones - Webs

Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
IMC PERSPECTIVE 6-4
186
III. Analyzing the
Communication Process
6. Source, Message, and
Channel Factors
Do Humorous Ads Wear Out Too Fast?
An issue of much concern to advertisers is the problem
of commercial wearout, or the tendency of a message
to lose its effectiveness when it is seen repeatedly.
Wearout may occur for several reasons. One is inattention;
consumers may no longer attend to an ad after
several exposures, so the message loses its effectiveness.
Another reason is that consumers may become
annoyed at seeing an ad many times.
While wearout is a problem for any type of commercial,
some advertising experts argue that humorous
ads wear out much sooner than other formats because
once the viewer gets the joke, the ad becomes boring.
However, advocates of humor argue that ads filled with
yuks are effective longer because consumers can tolerate
a well-executed humorous commercial again and
again.
So who is right? Well, a study conducted by
Research Systems Corp. concludes that neither view is
correct. Humorous ads wear out at the same rate as
other types of ads, whether the commercials include
comparative messages, celebrity spokespeople, or
other approaches. According to the study, the average
ad’s effectiveness wears out within eight weeks.
Not everyone agrees with this study. Another
research firm, Video Storyboard Tests, claims that
humorous ads lose their effectiveness faster than
other ads. Says the company’s president, “The first
time the ad is funny, the second time the ad is acceptable,
and the third time it is a bore.”
While individual humorous ads may get old fast,
advertisers often get around this problem by using
humorous campaigns consisting of many different
commercials. For example, the Little Caesar’s pizza
chain, FedEx, Energizer batteries, Pepsi, and Anheuser-
Busch (Budweiser and Bud Light beer) have made
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
effective use of humor by constantly developing new
commercials and working them into the ad rotation.
One media consultant argues that it’s quite simple
to determine if a humorous spot or campaign is wearing
out. “If the viewers laugh with you, you can be in it
for the long haul. It’s when they laugh at you that
you’re in trouble.”
Sources: Dottie Enrico,“Humorous Touch Resonates with Consumers,”
USA Today, May 13, 1996, p. 3B; Kevin Goldman, “Ever Hear the One
about the Funny Ad?” The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 2, 1993, p. B11.
their feeling toward the product or service. And humor can distract the receiver from
counterarguing against the message. 63
Critics argue that funny ads draw people to the humorous situation but distract
them from the brand and its attributes. Also, effective humor can be difficult to produce
and some attempts are too subtle for mass audiences. And, as discussed in IMC
Perspective 6-4, there is concern that humorous ads may wear out faster than serious
appeals.
Clearly, there are valid reasons both for and against the use of humor in advertising.
Not every product or service lends itself to a humorous approach. A number of studies
have found that the effectiveness of humor depends on several factors, including the
type of product and audience characteristics. 64 For example, humor has been more
prevalent and more effective with low-involvement, feeling products than highinvolvement,
thinking products. 65 An interesting study surveyed the research and creative
directors of the top 150 advertising agencies. 66 They were asked to name which
communications objectives are facilitated through the appropriate situational use of