Is Cannes Lions fueling a surge in funny ads?

For a while now, advertising has been neck-deep in emotional storytelling and purpose-led campaigns. Humour, which once was the secret sauce of advertising, saw a steady decline. A report by Kantar found that over the previous twenty years, brands had moved away from humour in favour of more serious tones.

Then, in 2023, Cannes Lions introduced a dedicated Humour category. Suddenly, funny was back in fashion. A lot of brands started leaning into the comedy angle. But the real question is, did Cannes actually cause this shift, or did it simply validate what was already happening on the internet?

“I think as Instagram became Reels-tagram and funny content creators and memes grabbing a lion’s share, is the reason why more brands are trying to be funny now,” says Uddhav Parab, Sr. Creative Director, Interactive Avenues.

So is this resurgence a strategic shift, a mere trend or just award bait? Is humour being used as a creative device with lasting business impact, or a tactical way to win Lions?

We spoke to creative folks and looked at how the ‘funny’ in advertising is evolving, not just to entertain, but to make people remember, relate, and buy.

The stamp of approval 

Indian advertising has always known the power of comedy. From Fevicol’s Moochwali to Centerfruit’s Kaisi jeebh laplapayee, humour has helped build brand memory and love for decades.

But as purpose-driven narratives took over, humour was seen as too unserious and sometimes, even risky. The Cannes humour category gave it a stamp of legitimacy, but the truth is, creatives have long known its power.

“When Cannes adds a humour category, that merely adds credence to what creatives have suspected for years now — humour is one of the most effective ways to make a complicated point in a sharp, succinct way,” says Hayden Scott, Executive Creative Director (India), Virtue Asia.

And data backs that up. Kantar found that humorous ads are 27% more expressive, 14% more involving, and 11% more distinct. Oracle says 91% of consumers prefer funny brands, but only 20% perceive them that way. That’s a gap brands are waking up to.

What’s really changed is the tone of humour. Moving beyond just slapstick comedy, deadpan, self-aware, meme-savvy storytelling is becoming the norm. Think of Cred’s Rahul Dravid as Indiranagar ka Gunda. The ad was funny, unexpected, and completely in sync with the culture.

“Humour has become better, far more nuanced and intelligent. We have the rise of comedy as an art form in India to thank for that,” adds Scott.

We’re seeing a broader range of humour, screwball comedy, satire, observational humour, and even surrealism. And brands are finally seeing that comedy isn’t just filler content.

But who is the audience: the jury or the people?

With the introduction of the humour category at Cannes, another question arises. Are brands being funny for their audience or for award shows?

“There’s been a definite spike in brands and agencies crafting funny work post-Cannes 2023. Though it does feel like many of them are gunning for Lions, not laughs,” says Teresa Sebastian, Founding Member & Creative at Talented. “There’s a difference between comedy that understands its audience and comedy that understands a jury.”

This tension is real. Cannes juries require cultural context, while humour, by nature, works best when it’s immediate. “When you try to define what’s universally funny, you’ve already kinda lost the plot,” she adds. “And putting in the cultural context in your entries and explaining the joke basically kills it.”

Sebastian sees this category as part validation, part creative self-defence, a way for the ad world to remind itself that not everything needs to be driven by tech or trauma to be effective.

Meanwhile, there’s a shift happening in client rooms, too. Parab says, “Yes, the urge to send ‘make it viral’ is a lot more common. And, the easiest way to make an ad go viral is humour. So, brand managers are more open to using humour, comics and comedy creators for their ads.”

In many cases, it’s social media performance and not awards that are pushing brands to loosen up.

Is it even funny any more? 

Humour hasn’t become harder to crack, it has just become easier to get wrong. In the rush to seem more relatable and meme-worthy, a lot of brand humour today feels repetitive and templatised. But this doesn’t mean it’s incompatible with purpose. If anything, humour is what makes purpose land better by being more human.

“Good humour is good business,” Scott says. “If you make a person laugh, they are more likely to remember you. If you’re remembered, you’re talked about. If you’re talked about, you’re shared.”

But with everyone chasing relatability and admin humour, there’s a risk of repetition and templatisation.

“Yes. When some of the most memorable ads of the past 5 years have been coming from Moonshot – led by ex-AIB head writer Devayah/Tanmay Bhatt, we’re now making very templatized but funny ads,” says Parab. “There must be two dozen people like me – who’re comics/creators but also doubling up as copywriters. Everyone’s trying to make funny relatable content. Every brand has an ‘admin personality’. Everyone’s chasing humour, no one’s chasing heart, and hence no one has a unique, standout voice.”

There’s humour fatigue setting in and not because humour doesn’t work, but because the execution lacks range. A funny video once in a while won’t build brand memory. A funny brand will.

“Yes, it does have a tremendous impact. I think it should be an integral part of your marketing playbook if it resonates strongly with your demographic,” says Parab. “I see brands doing one funny video on Instagram, followed by the dumbest, blandest post on Instagram. Humour as a one-off isn’t going to help anyone. Humour used consistently will compound.”

We may not be in a golden age of humour just yet, but we’re certainly closer than we were a decade ago. Audiences want to laugh. Marketers want to connect. And awards shows are finally validating the craft of comedy.

The real win will be when humour is not treated as a category, but a creative approach, a tone that works across categories and campaigns.

Whether you’re a fintech brand trying to talk to Gen Z or a legacy brand trying to stay relevant, humour might just be your most underrated tool, not to crack a joke, but to cut through.

It’s not about being funny for the sake of it. It’s about knowing when a laugh delivers more than a like.