Why Are People Funnier Than Companies
When was the last time you got something in your mail box from a friend saying that you have to see a viral video or web site because it was so funny or brilliant or shocking, and it turned out it was actually from a company? Only a couple come to mind for me tea partay, and the Grand Theft Auto inspired Coke commercial have shown up in my mail box.
They of course pale in comparison to independent creations like Hitler getting banned from xbox live or Maddox’s take on the iPhone (this got dugg over 13,000 times in about 48 hours). Now that’s viral.
Sure, companies generally are terrified of controversy, is it because they are hamstrung by branding theory developed in the 50’s. Would we stop buying brands that had a bit more of a sense of humor? That maybe didn’t take themselves so seriously?
Microsoft made a brilliant video mocking it’s own design process, I actually think I liked Microsoft more after seeing it, it somehow humanized them, and there work with Hugh of gapingvoid is another step in humanizing Microsoft. It seems that in the age of conversation companies should be figuring out how to speak in a more human voice, so sayeth the clue train.
2 Comments, Comment or Ping
peterme
It’s probably worth collecting examples of companies being truly funny. One that I’ve enjoyed recently is a video coming from Kodak:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz6XjXu-oT8
Jul 20th, 2007
Tommi Vilkamo
So true.
Continuing the thread to a bit different direction:
“It’s impossible to find humor in inanimate things. If you must write about an object or a concept, focus on how someone (usually you) thinks or feels or experiences those things. Humor is about people, period.”
- Scott Adams, http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/07/writing-funny.html
So, people have a natural competitive edge over companies (inanimate abstractions) in making humour.
Jul 24th, 2007
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