The Science of Laughter: Why Humour is Serious Business

We live in a time where the heavy cognitive load of global crisis after global crisis leaves us craving for light relief. Above all, people are ready for some levity and light-heartedness, and the Cannes Lions’ new ‘Humour’ category is an acknowledgement of exactly that.

Unserious, yet deeply emotional. Universal, yet incredibly specific. While laughing may often be judged as trivial, it is in reality a scientifically complex phenomenon that brands can use to break down emotional barriers and better connect with their audiences. Humour involves the interplay of physiological, psychological, and social factors; it forms a powerful part of social bonding; it’s also strongly linked to memorability and attention. In short, humour is the perfect tool for brands looking for cut-through and effectiveness. And knowing the science behind it is the first step to unlocking its vast potential.

Humour is a fascinating interplay of physiology, psychology, and social dynamics. It is a powerful tool for social bonding, linked to enhanced memory and attention. For brands, this translates to cut-through effectiveness.

Understanding the science behind humour unlocks its vast potential

This year, the ‘Humour’ category emphasises ‘human connection’ in an industry grappling with a perceived ‘crisis in creativity’. While Al can generate jokes, these often lack the depth and resonance of human-crafted humour. This highlights the irreplaceable role of human creativity and empathy in crafting truly funny content.

The creative industry instinctively understands the power of humour in communication and marketing. Laughter disarms, brings people together, and ultimately, drives connection. This explains the resurgence of humour in advertising and why it has made its grand return.

But what makes humour work? What happens in our brains when we find something funny? Neuroscience offers compelling insights. According to my colleague, the neuroscientist, Dr Dean Burnett, humour is vital for our socio-affective and cognitive functions:

“Humour is a powerful part of social bonding: we’re thirty times more likely to laugh with others than when alone. Humour is heavily intertwined with human mating behaviours. Humour is our brain’s way of displaying prowess and success, the cognitive equivalent of antlers on a stag. Also, humour and laughter are genuinely beneficial for health via their stress relieving properties.”

Laughing triggers the release of endorphins and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters associated with pleasure and reward. Laughing can also reduce stress hormones like cortisol which provides a sense of well-being. Al these physiological responses have great positive psychological effects on us, but more crucially, they make us feel more connected to each other. We cannot forget that we humans are social creatures, and our social needs are a vital part of our biological makeup. Laughter, it seems, is also hardwired into our social fabric and might explain why it is effective.

Neurological processing of humour

The effectiveness of making someone laugh stems from our brain’s ability to recognise incongruity and resolve it. Neuroscientific research has identified distinct neural pathways for different types of humour. For instance, ‘incongruity- resolution’ humour, where a surprising element resolves in a funny way, activates areas like the temporoparietal junction (TPJ). implicated in a variety of processes including multisensory integration, social cognition and attention. This type of humour may be particularly effective for improving recall and creating deeper emotional engagement which can help long-term brand building.

In contrast, absurd humour activates regions like the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and superior temporal gyrus (STG), more involved in language comprehension and linguistic processing to partially resolve absurd incongruities. This suggests that absurd humour might be better suited for grabbing attention or eliciting immediate reactions, but it might have less to do with long-term brand building, unless this absurd humour has the potential to become the brand territory and this brand experience is consistently delivered and reinforced over time.

Similar insights were gathered when we conducted commercial research analysing campaigns using humour. Some were examples where humour was not the natural brand territory and the results did not benefit the brand.

While techniques such as facial expressions showing joy (basic emotion) and smiles were given throughout, brain imaging (high-order emotions) said something slightly different. The campaign could entertain, creating what we called a short-term activation, but it could not motivate or engage in the long term. This is what can happen when humour is not well supported by the brand. As a result, you end up with no impact on your brand equity, lack of motivation, or even a brand misattribution. Nevertheless, scientific research draws a parallel between humour and what storytelling does in your brain: it puts the whole brain to work, activates memory processing and brings personal relevance. While getting the joke involves the brain’s reward system and the way the concepts are delivered generates the engagement and attention that the campaign aims for. Behind the humour there is always a truth, and this is what brands need to own: the brand insight that will support the correct brand attribution, otherwise the effectiveness and the long-term brand impact will be missed.

Cultural barriers of humour

Cultural barriers can impact humour’s effectiveness. What’s hilarious in one culture might fall flat in another. Translating humour is notoriously difficult, as it relies heavily on nuanced wordplay and cultural context.

From the research we have conducted over the years, we have observed that the larger the dose of humour, the harder it is to connect with global audiences. In these cases, it has been crucial to understand and craft those communications taking into account that humour is culturally specific due to different social norms, historical context, meanings and values.

Direct translations of jokes often don’t work because humour relies heavily on wordplay, language, cultural references, and context. Adaptation and localisation are crucial to ensure jokes resonate appropriately.

Universal themes are less of a barrier. Despite linguistic and cultural barriers, certain universal themes like family dynamics, everyday struggles, and human foibles can transcend language and evoke laughter globally.

Global campaigns must navigate these complexities. Universal themes, such as family dynamics, implicit human needs or everyday struggles, can help bridge cultural divides. Ultimately, there are examples of successful global campaigns rooted in a deep human understanding that have been able to resonate across cultures.

Conclusion

Humour is a powerful tool in communication and marketing, fostering connections, enhancing memorability, and cutting through cultural and linguistic barriers when executed thoughtfully and creatively. As the Cannes Lions Festival acknowledges with its new Humour category, embracing humour can breathe new life into advertising amidst challenges in creativity, offering a refreshing approach that resonates globally and a deep emotional weapon to connect with people. Of course, human creativity remains the magic ingredient in comedy writing and humour-based advertising, but understanding emotional reactions can optimise humour for specific communication needs.

By embracing humour, brands can forge deeper connections with audiences, eliciting laughter and creating asense of shared humanity. As the saying goes and WARC Lions reported, “It pays to be funny” – and now we understand why.

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