Is humor a countercyclical advertising strategy?

Abstract

Based on a longitudinal content analysis of commercials appearing in Super Bowl between 1969 and 2009, the present paper aims to investigate the use and the impact of humor oriented and information oriented advertisements on advertising effectiveness in recessionary and expansionary periods. The findings challenge the long-standing belief among practitioners that humor is a countercyclical advertising strategy. Indeed, it seems that humor oriented commercials are more pervasive in economic hardship, while information oriented advertisements are more common in times of affluence and wealth. However, humorous commercials tend to be effective at generating positive attitudes toward the ad both in recessions and expansions. On the contrary, information oriented commercials lead to less favorable attitudes toward the ad over the different economic periods. These findings may imply that advertisers have expanded their understanding of advertising effectiveness, encompassing a broader vision to improve the general mood of the times.