Managed to cobble together some relaxation hours yesterday night (a somewhat rare occasion at the moment!) to watch the C4 repeat of the 100 Greatest Comedy Stand Ups – having missed it the first time around.
I actually think comedian's are great working examples for brands – regardless of whether the strategy is a humour-based one – in that their whole profession/act is based on cultural relevance and constant reinvention. Their attention to news/media issues, societal tensions and cultural norms is second to none – putting most marketers, planners and cultural researchers to shame. And as one critic pointed out, their ability to talk about high brow subjects in a low brow manner, and vice versa, is often a core part of their stand up strategy - an effective way of 'doing interesting'.
I was happy to see Chris Rock riding high on the list – one of my personal favourites alongside the overall voted number one Billy Connolly. Here’s a classic clip of Rock in action, which ties in quite nicely with a previous post on the cultural construction of race …
I posted on the same programme. I thought it was interesting that here is a diverse range of humour, and yet when it comes to ads, there seems to be just one type - the bland white bread of humour. Do we lack the writers, the vision, the clients or the courage? I dunno
Posted by: simon | March 27, 2007 at 02:43 PM
Yes you're right Simon, there's two core learnings in here. One about cultural relevance and reinvention generally, and another regarding the use of humour in brand communication more specifically.
Posted by: Marcus | March 27, 2007 at 09:04 PM