These new ads for classic rock radio station Q107 show that, "Everything’s Better With Derringer in the Morning."
However, while the salon scenario is funny (everyone is laughing at the atrocious hairdo of the woman, including the woman herself), the other two ads are in very poor taste.
One ad shows the cook at a restaurant on fire while the other shows a construction worker with a huge metal bar that just went through his stomach. In both cases, everyone in the picture is laughing… because you know, they're listening to the incredibly funny radio station.
Even though the intention is quite clear about this being a lighthearted ad, taking deadly work injuries lightly is not OK in my book. Just imagine how someone who has lost a family member in such a scenario would feel when seeing these ads.
Adding Humor to Danger
Q107 Radio Laughs at Deadly Work Injuries
Trend Themes
1. Humanising Marketing - The use of humor in ad campaigns to humanize serious industries can be a disruptive innovation in marketing.
2. Mindful Advertising - The trend of mindful advertising, steering clear of controversial content, can disrupt the media industry
3. Empathy in Advertising - The trend towards empathetic ads with relatable themes could disrupt conventional advertising by resonating with wider audiences.
Industry Implications
1. Marketing - Marketing agencies should explore the use of humor to humanize serious industries and increase engagement from audiences.
2. Media - The media industry should consider shifting towards mindful advertising, avoiding controversial content and focusing on empowering messages.
3. Advertising - Empathy in advertising could provide an opportunity to revamp traditional advertising models, and evoke emotive responses from wider audiences.