Spotify’s second time lucky OOH ad

This version of the Spotify ad started off as a "Dear Person in LA who listened to Forever Alone playlist for 4 hours on Valentine's Day. You OK?" ad.

We much prefer this version.

Being funny as a brand is really hard because comedy is so subjective.

And while your brand's sense of humour can be as weird and wonderful as you like, there's one golden rule that makes writing funny copy so much easier: punching up, not down.

Punching up is the golden rule for writing funny stuff and it dates back all the way to the Roman poet Juvenal , who said that humour is only funny when it “punches up” or takes aim at people in positions of power.

👉 It’s funny to joke about your boss around the coffee machine

👉It’s funny to roast a president or a mega-corporation

👉 It’s not funny to make fun of the intern, a struggling customer, or people making choices about how they live their lives

(Hey Ricky Gervais 👋 You might wanna take notes.)

And the difference between good funny copy and bad funny copy is almost always an issue of power dynamics. 

In fact, consumer psychology research shows that the relationship between brands and customers closely resembles interpersonal relationships, with your brand playing the role of an authority figure or trusted advisor. Because you're in control of what customers see, what they pay, whether they can return things... that's a power imbalance. So if you poke fun at your customers, it feels icky real fast.

But that doesn't mean you need to be a brand that only does Disney Channel humour.

You can make your customers the butt of the joke, if you make yourself the butt of it too.

That's exactly what Spotify do in this ad.

It's pointing the joke at themselves and making themselves relatable.

And studies show that sharing a joke with a brand creates psychological safety and stronger connection. And playful self-deprecation specifically — AKA making your brand the butt — sends humility and relatability signals that customers love. Harvard Business School notes it's one of the most effective ways to humanise a brand.

So remember: whatever joke you're cracking, make sure you're not punching down. Punch up at something bigger (like your favourite drink but, you know, not evil and stuff) or make yourself the butt of the joke (Us: ethical consumption is important! Also us: sale now on! Buy more stuff!).

And if you want to see some examples of brands absolutely stinking up the room with funny copy gone wrong, come with us. (Be warned, you'll need the eye bleach.)