Laughing Matters: How Cannes’ Humor Category Could Change Advertising

To some marketing mavens, humor has always been in vogue. But they say the slapstick, snide, whimsical, dark or irreverent campaigns that creatives love to produce—and consumers often turn into viral hits—have yet to get their props from the granddaddy of advertising awards shows.

So the decision to introduce a humor category for the first time into 2024’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity comes as welcome news. Technically, it’s a subcategory across 13 existing Lions, but its addition could have a profound impact on the business going forward, creatives say.

It also shows that comedy is serious business, per creatives.

“There’s momentum in the industry to make comedy a talking point—that’s what it means,” Eric Kallman, founder and chief creative officer of Erich and Kallman, told ADWEEK. “If it can help open the aperture and give comedy a place to shine, I’m all for it.”

Humor was never a lightweight or frivolous tactic, Kallman said. But with the Cannes stamp of approval, funny-bone-tickling may be able to take its place alongside the glut of weighty, purpose-driven work that has dominated the trophy count for years.

“This will bring to the forefront ads that real people in the real world really like,” said Kallman, whose indie shop has launched several cheeky and fantastical campaigns of late and entered “a handful” of humor-based work for 2024 Cannes consideration.

If you build it

The heat on comedy could influence marketers themselves, encouraging them to be more open to ideas in that genre from their agencies, according to Marian Brannelly, Cannes Lions’ global director of awards.

“It’s quite brave to take a humorous point of view because it’s so subjective and potentially polarizing—it requires a lot of trust between the agency and the brand,” Brannelly said. “We want to create space for that and celebrate it.”

Could the result be a Field of Dreams situation, spawning more chuckle-inducing work because of its chances at Cannes hardware? Brannelly isn’t discounting the possibility.

Meanwhile, creatives say there are bottom-line reasons to go for laughs, noting studies from System1, Kantar and Oracle, with the latter finding that 90% of consumers say they’re more likely to remember a funny ad and 72% reporting that they would choose a brand that used humor in its message over a competitor.

“Comedy sticks, and it’s a really good tool to get people to like your brand,” Rob Baird, co-founder and CCO at Preacher, said. “People inside and outside the industry are longing for this kind of entertainment—along with cute animal videos, it’s the kind of thing we share most often with our friends.”

Data and insights

The inclusion of humor was both “data-led and insight-driven,” Brannelly said. She and her team had noted a recent surge in humor among lauded work, including Ogilvy’s “Hornicultural Society” and 2023 Grand Prix winners “R.I.P. Leon” from Apple and “The Last Performance” from insurance carrier Partners Life and Special New Zealand.

Research firm System1 also crunched the numbers, finding that 52% of Film Lions winners in 2023 leaned into humor, a jump from 43% in 2022. More comedy hit the Cannes short lists, Brannelly said, and snagged prizes from regional awards shows.

And Brannelly gathered feedback from industry veterans, who seem to have an appetite for lighter fare after the dour pandemic era, she said, noting that response to the new subcategory has been strong. Cannes has not released entry figures. 

Per the guidelines listed on the Cannes website, those vying in the subcategory “should use wit and satire to provide amusement and create memorable, laughter-inducing connections with audiences.” 

Winners will not take home a Cannes Humor Lions. But humor may be a determining factor in scoring a Gold Lion in the Film or Media or Brand Experience category, putting humor on par with copywriting or art direction.

“Work could get a Film Lions based on the way it told a story through the humor lens,” Brannelly said.

Universal language

Entries must detail the “cultural context” into which the campaign fits. That’s not the same as spoiling the joke by overexplaining it, Brannelly said, but rather giving the lay of the land in the community and country of origin.

“It’s not a comedy show,” Brannelly said. “The juries will be looking at whether its target audience found it funny.”

The trend in recent years toward solemn, mission-driven campaigns may continue, leaving room for both, Brannelly said.

Baird thinks the time is right to elevate comedy, saying, “It’s always been a hallmark of the industry, and now more than ever, we need this.”