Cinema Media Space; It is No Laughing Matter!
Remember “Pearl &Dean”, probably the most famous brand in cinema media space? Course you do; pa papa papapapa pa papa papapapa. I bet you are hearing it in your minds’ ear right now. And are you visualizing that falling into a pit of schematic skyscrapers, image. And what about the feelings the memory evokes: Kia-ora orange, can you taste it? Or the sticky toffee popcorn with all the little bits at the bottom of the bag? Magic memories or what? But what do you remember of the adverts that they showed? The really memorable ones are the funny ones because the messages that advertisers put into the Pearl & Dean cinema media space are far more likely to be received and remembered if they are associated with laughter.
Although scientists haven’t yet been able to prove exactly why we laugh and their theories about sense of humour as a human prerogative have fallen on the banana skin of mischievous monkeys sniggering at morose peers. One thing is for sure though, and that is laughter is common to all races, is therapeutic and begins with tension relief from threatening situations.
However humour is a funny thing, (or at least it is if you do it right). It is totally subjective and depends on gender. Women prefer badinage while men are amused by more visceral quips. It also depends on your education, culture, maturity, context and personal perception. So when thinking of buying cinema media space you better have a clear picture of whom your best customers are, before you try to tickle their funny bones.
Freud identified three sources of comedy, the comic, the witty and the humorous. The comic plays best on a big screen because it is all about visual gags and typically uses childlike features such as clumsiness, puzzlement and disproportion. Think of Wily Coyote’s eyes in a spiral as he lands on his head after an enormous cliff fall. The witty is subtler being the way the conscious mind gets past self-censorship and allows itself to express ‘threatening’ ideas in a paradox that is amusing because it is true. The humorous source of comedy means the momentary suspension of sympathy, making us laugh cynically at situations that we are briefly insensitive to. This source explains satire, sarcasm, stereotyping and “gallows” humour.
So what do you think is the funniest joke in the world? What joke is most universally appreciated across national cultures? Here it is:
Two hunters are on trip in a remote forest when one of them falls seriously ill. His friend has no idea what to do to help his friend so he gets out his mobile phone and calls the emergency services. “Help me please. My friend has collapsed. He’s hardly breathing. His eyes are open and staring and he’s very pale. What should I do? I think he’s dead!”
The emergency operator says. “Ok sir, calm down. The first thing to do is to make sure if your friend is dead. Can you do that?” “Ok, I can do that, hold on”. The phone goes quiet then the operator hears a gunshot. The hunter comes back on the line and says, “Ok, now I’m sure he’s dead”.
The lesson from all this psychology of humour is, that as an advertiser, you had better test your cinema media space filler with your target audience long before you put it onto general release.
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