Playing off social fears and anxieties has been a long standing tool towards promoting personal hygiene-related products. Listerine plays into that method with a comical twist in its 'No One Follows Bad Breath' campaign. The two print ads feature characters from historically tragic moments trying to avert the oncoming disaster. One photograph depicts the Titanic’s captain sipping his coffee as a mortified passenger tries to warn him about the approaching iceberg while the other depicts a woman trying to warn a Roman guard about soldiers spewing out of the Trojan horse.
Incorporating humor into an ad campaign such as Listerine’s No One Follows Bad Breath does is effective in that it demonstrates a company’s understanding of its product’s intended audience and illustrates the benefits of said product through a lighthearted tone rather than a guilt-ridden proclamation.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Humor in Advertising
- Opportunity for brands to use humor to connect with consumers and create memorable campaigns.
- Playing on Social Fears
- Using people's fears and anxieties to market products and capture attention.
- Personal Hygiene Products Marketing
- Exploring innovative ways to promote hygiene products and emphasize their benefits to consumers.
Where This Applies
- Advertising
- Disruptive innovations in advertising techniques and creative campaigns.
- Consumer Goods
- Innovations in marketing strategies for personal hygiene products.
- Entertainment
- Opportunities for incorporating humor in entertainment media and content creation.
