Waylaid In A Manger: Humor, Utility & Advertising

Why the greedy no-good-niks–!!

And you know they’re just gonna go out and spend it on hay…

A little Christmas humor– and it inspired a few thoughts:

Humor springs from the unexpected. It’s mostly looking at something familiar from a different angle.

You need to take the same approach to blogging, marketing, and copywriting– to creating any kind of content. Because it’s all been said, really.

You have to find a different way to say it.

It helps to think funny. Be weird, make jokes. Toss out ideas that would never work. You’ll be surprised how doing so will trigger new thoughts and ideas.

You’re probably reading this because you laughed at the cartoon. It put you in a good mood. You decided to keep reading.

Humor does that. It helps people relax. They lower their shields and give you a chance.

I came across the following quote recently. It’s from Martin Boase, who founded a famous London ad agency. It refers to television advertising, but I think it’s true for all advertising, and all content marketing:

If you’re going to invite yourself into someone’s living room for 30 seconds, you have a duty not to bore them or insult them by shouting at them.

On the other hand, if you can make them smile, or show them something interesting or enjoyable – if you’re a charming guest – then they might like you a bit better, and then they may be a little more likely to buy your product.

So add some humor to your content. Humor opens up a channel called shared humanity. It’s about putting people at ease and making them feel welcome.

The above cartoon also triggered a funny memory:

I once worked as a bank teller for about six months. An older guy came in one day to cash a check. There was a reference to the Screen Actors Guild on it.

I asked him if he was an actor. He told me he’d been an extra on the old Phil Silvers Show (“Sergeant Bilko”) which ran from 1955-59. He was still getting an occasional royalty check because of syndicated reruns of the show.

So like the ox and ass, we all have roles to play. The Nativity Story wouldn’t be the same without them.

The cartoon also made me think of utility, meaning, “the expected return on an investment.” Freelancers like myself incorporate utility into our fees.

Have you ever wondered why some design agencies charge thousands of dollars for a logo? (OK, you might be able to buy a logo for $5 if you hire someone on Fiverr, but that’s not a serious investment.)

Think about Nike’s famous “swoosh“– so simple!! Why should it be worth a lot of money?

Utility. Think about how much use it gets. It’s everywhere and instantly recognizable. You’re paying for something that will be used over and over again.

St. Francis invented the nativity set (creche). Think about how many have been sold over the years. Think of the utility.

Now you know why the ox and ass got a lawyer. 😊

I’ve had some fun with manger animals before. Here’s a little something to get you in the Christmas Spirit.

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About Mark: I’m an illustrator specializing in humor, editorial, branding, social media, and content marketing. My images are different, like your brand needs to be.

You can view my portfolio, and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Questions? Send me an email.

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