Should You Use Humor in Your Marketing Videos?

Few creative decisions in marketing are as high-stakes as humor. Get it right and your video gets shared, remembered, and loved. Get it wrong and your brand becomes a punchline — for the wrong reasons.

The question isn't just "should we be funny?" It's: what kind of funny, for whom, and when?

Why Humor Works in Marketing

When a video makes us laugh, several things happen neurologically. Dopamine is released, creating a positive association with the brand. Cognitive defences drop — we're less skeptical and more open to the message. And crucially, we share. Funny content is shared far more than informational content.

But there's a catch: humor is deeply cultural, context-dependent, and notoriously difficult to write on demand. "Make it funny" is one of the most dangerous briefs in marketing.

When Humor Genuinely Works

The product is low-stakes

Consumer apps, lifestyle brands, food, entertainment — these categories can lean heavily into humor because the purchase decision is low-risk. The emotional match is natural. Dollar Shave Club's viral launch video worked partly because razors don't carry much emotional weight; humor was a perfect fit.

The category is boring

When everyone in your industry communicates the same way — formally, seriously, with stock photos of handshakes — humor is a genuine differentiator. Insurance, accounting software, HR tools: categories where a brand that makes you smile stands out instantly.

The brand personality already has wit

Humor in video should be consistent with how the brand communicates everywhere else. If your website is dry and formal and your video is suddenly full of jokes, it feels off. Humor works when it's authentic to the brand voice.

The target audience is younger or consumer-facing

B2C brands targeting millennials and Gen Z have a much wider comedic license than B2B brands selling to enterprise procurement teams. Know your audience and what they find funny.

When to Keep It Serious

High-stakes purchases

Medical, legal, financial, enterprise software — decisions where stakes are high and trust is the primary purchasing factor. Humor can feel tone-deaf or undermine the seriousness with which your buyers approach the problem.

Sensitive topics

If your product solves a genuinely painful problem — mental health, job loss, serious illness — humor requires extraordinary care. The risk of appearing dismissive is real.

When you can't execute the joke well

A failed joke is worse than no joke. If you're not confident the humor lands with your specific audience, don't do it. Earnest and clear beats awkward and funny-ish every time.

The Middle Ground: Warmth

You don't have to choose between "full comedy" and "completely serious." Most successful marketing videos live in the middle: warm, human, and occasionally light. A moment of lightness, an endearing character, a slight absurdity in the scenario — these create emotional resonance without the risk of full comedy.

This is the approach that works for most of our clients. It makes the video enjoyable to watch without alienating anyone.

Practical Advice

• Write the funny version and the serious version. Sometimes the difference in engagement is obvious when you see them side by side.
• Test with your actual target audience. Your team's sense of humor is not representative of your market's.
• Make sure the message still comes through. A video that's funny but nobody remembers what company made it is a failed video.
• Keep the CTA clear. Humor should serve the conversion goal, not replace it.

When we work with clients on video projects, tone is one of the first conversations we have. Getting it right from the script stage is far cheaper than reworking a video in post. Get in touch and let's figure out what tone fits your brand.