A particular ad of a body deodorant for men shows this bare-body man spraying the deodorant on himself, surrounded by some mesmerised angel-costumed girls, with the caption reading: 'A fragrance so strong, even angels will fall!'
How often these days do we smirk after reading advertisement like this in the newspaper in the morning, or chuckle at a similar ad on a roadside billboard when we are stranded at a traffic signal? Adding the witty and humorous element in endorsing the client's product, is an emerging trend in the advertising industry, which has proven to be quite successful worldwide.
Gone are those days when ads in the newspaper used to be full of words in praise of the product, or when roadside billboards used to be gaudy, heavily lit or showcasing the beauty of a gorgeous model, trying to draw the attention of the beholder.
Ads these days are more of a line amidst an expanse of white space, that tickles our laughter nerves; make us think out of the box without being verbose. This current and dominant trend in the advertising world has proved to fetch success due to the fact that onlookers have a wide variety of options in a particular category to choose from, and thus advertising gurus need to sell their client's brand in a way so as to appeal to their intellect, more than their physical senses.
However, making people laugh at an ad, and simultaneously endorse the client's product successfully is not quite the easy job that it may seem. Advertising managers and industry experts in the sultanate say that they tread a very thin line, where an overstep can lead to a loss of relevance for the ad or might even end up offending both the client and the end consumer. There are also chances that clients may opt for a more perceivably attractive advertisement over a humorous one, and convincing them is not always easy.
Sonia Sharma, general manager, Advertising International, says that advertisers have not really been able to tap the colloquialism of the local touches of humour that might exist in this market.
"Though many advertising agencies have a fair mix of local and expatriate talent, it is still difficult to extract a particular local insight or a reference to a context that could make a humorous advertisement successful in Oman. Young people here are as much open to humour as anywhere else in the world, whether it is situational or tongue-in-cheek. There is a lot of scope, but it still remains unexplored."
Advertising firms believe that one of the reasons for humorous ads not being successful is the fact that the television medium has not reached that stage where it can be used as an effective medium to advertise, and it is slightly difficult to go down that road in a print or radio ad.
"Television itself in Oman is still not a very popular option for clients because of its limitations in this market. So in that context, getting down to doing humorous ads on TV becomes all the more challenging.," says Mahesh Anawekar, creative director, DDB.
However, not everyone is of the same opinion. Najeeb Mohamed, general manager, FP7 McCANN World Group, is of the opinion that it is the fault of the art directors that they are not able to convince the client to go for a humorous campaign. "Some creative directors have forgotten about the usage of hand drawn cartoons and caricatures, that form a crucial part of humorous advertising. The excessive usage of internet to download images and develop ideas around that particular image has taken the 'funny bone' out of advertising. If we want to compare the Omani advertising market to the international arena and think of laughing our heart out by seeing an ad, it's possibly a bit far fetched."
Market challenges
While opinion might be divided about the feasibility issue of humorous advertisements, all agree with the fact that they face the same challenges when it comes to presenting a humorous campaign to the client.
Samer Lahoud, creative director, TBWA/Zeenah, agrees that Oman is certainly a growing market for humorous or light-hearted ads, but also adds that it is at times the apprehensions of the client that leaves hardly anything for the creative director to do.
"Creating something humorous is absolutely feasible in Oman, the culture seems to be right for it. The only challenge is that you need a brand that is ready and suitable for this kind of communication. It is one of the trickiest forms of advertising.
Clients can be apprehensive about humour in their ads and there are no universal jokes, it always depends on the context and the audience. It is also a tough call, though a rewarding one, for a client to take in order to be different from the whole lot."
Farid Hassan, creative director, The Agency, is also of the same opinion about the clientèle in Oman, adding that clients here always prefer the safe way of advertising.
"The market is conservative, or it will be apt to say that clients choose not to go with humorous advertising, hence ad agencies always choose to go the safe way. But it is also said that safe advertising is sometimes dangerous, because if creative people always take the safe route, ads will never be productive. We need to change that; the agencies are still apprehensive because we always feel that the consumer will not get the essence of the good humour," says Hassan.
Bala Krishnan, creative director, Euro RSCG Muscat, says that there are a lot of hurdles to overcome, adding that there is a delicate balance that art directors need to maintain when it comes to adding humour to an advertisement.
"A lot of global brands use humour in their advertisements, some of them so successful that they go down in history. But there also is a fine line between a successful, humorous ad and a joke that people end up not liking. The idea or the humour itself is something that can be recreated to be used more than one time to make the viewers laugh."
Changing wave
Ad agencies believe that it will take some time for clients in Oman to open up to the idea of using humour for an advertisement.
"We always depend on the kind of clients who come to the agency. In Oman humour only works for brands which involve little investment. It will still take some time for clients to open up to the idea of having a full fledged humorous ad for an important brand," says Hassan.
Anawekar of DDB says that there is a crunch of local talent in Oman, which can actually alter the face of the advertising market in Oman. "There is a dearth of local talent here. We need locals to understand how advertising works. It's not just graphics that determine an ad but the idea behind it and the ability to evolve the concept, both in terms of copy and art."
Lahoud believes that the future will see an upward trend in humorous advertisement if ad agencies constantly keep on reinventing themselves with new ideas.
He says,"We always have to think fresh, reinvent the way we communicate and create a unique image for the brand. The minute we become too easygoing, the exclusivity factor drains out.
We always look at the conventions in the market and see how our brands can benefit from standing out and being different. The only way for humorous ads to exist is if they capture the unique Omani culture and create a difference in the market by connecting to the local audience."
People say that humour is one of the toughest ways to advertise and it's very difficult to make a person laugh twice at the same joke.
Ad experts in Oman see a great potential in the advertising sector when it comes to adding humour to an ad. The industry is slowly undergoing a definite change, a conscious effort to put a smile on the faces of viewers via advertisements.
© businesstoday 2012
