Are funny ads actually more ๐’Ž๐’†๐’Ž๐’๐’“๐’‚๐’ƒ๐’๐’†? | Nudge Newsletter


Humor Effect

โ€‹Read onlineโ€‹


Are funny ads actually more ๐’Ž๐’†๐’Ž๐’๐’“๐’‚๐’ƒ๐’๐’†?
โ€‹
That's what seven Californianยน researchers set out to test in 2014.
โ€‹
A group of participants were instructed to remember a long list of words.
โ€‹
50% of the participants then waited for 20 minutes in silence. ๐Ÿคซ
โ€‹
50% of the participants then watched a funny 20-minute video. ๐Ÿคฃ
โ€‹
The researchers asked both groups to recall as many words as possible.
โ€‹
Those who sat in silence remembered just 20% of the words. ๐Ÿคซ
โ€‹
For those who watched the humourous video, it was 44% ๐Ÿคฃ
โ€‹
A ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ฅ๐ increase in ๐ซ๐ž๐œ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ.
โ€‹
Which is why Specsavers has kept the same comedic slogan for 24 years.


Tired of boring business news? The Hustle is your answer.

They deliver snappy, unconventional business news for people who hate business news, plus free guides on making money with AI, starting side hustles, and more. Join 1.5M entrepreneurs and aspiring founders who read us every day.

โ€‹Subscribe today.โ€‹

I should add that The Hustle also has a great sense of humour.

โ€‹

Hope you enjoyed today's newsletter โ€” Phillโ€‹

ยนยนBains, G. S., Berk, L. S., Daher, N. S., Lohman, E., Schwab, E., Petrofsky, J., & Deshpande, P. (2014). The effect of humor on short-term memory in older adults: A new component for whole-person wellness. Advances in Mind-Body Medicine, 28(2), 16โ€“24.

โ€‹

As a behavioural science practitioner, I believe in the peak-end rule.

โ€‹

โ€‹Tune into Nudge | Advertise with Nudge | Unsubscribe

Nudge Newsletter

I spend 18 hours each week turning marketing psychology into readable newsletters.

Read more from Nudge Newsletter

Barnum Effect Read online Why does the ad on the ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ capture attention? Well, it might be down to the question.Rohini Ahluwalia and Robert Burnkrant's studyยน in 2004 tested two types of ads. Statement-based ads: "You haven't had a pear in a while."And... Question ads: "When was the last time you had a pear?" The researchers found that ads using questions are rated 14% ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐š๐ฏ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐š๐›๐ฅ๐ฒ than statement-based ads. So, why not turn your statement into a question? I tested this myself in two...

The Country-of-Origin Effect Read online Youโ€™re thinking of buying a new pair of running shoes. Usually, you go with Nike. But this time, youโ€™re considering Umbro (a lesser-known brand). Then you find out: Umbro makes their shoes in the UK. Nice. It's always good to find locally made brands. Youโ€™re willing to pay a decent price. But the next day, you hear Umbro are moving production to South Korea. Now, would you still pay the same? Probably not. Thatโ€™s exactly what these researchersยน found....

The Anchoring Effect Read online In the 1970s, Tversky and Kahnemanยน ran a simple experiment. They asked people: "What percentage of African countries are in the UN?" But before answering, participants had to spin a wheel with numbers from 0 to 100. The wheel was rigged to land on either 10 or 65. Then came the important question: "Is the actual percentage higher or lower than that number?" After that, participants gave their best estimate. Hereโ€™s what happened: People who saw 10 guessed 25%...