#AAD: What Makes a Design Laugh-Worthy?

Cat videos.

Dad jokes.

Memes.

The Internet is a goldmine of humor. We laugh over…what, exactly? Why are these images, GIFs and videos so funny?

Humor is in the eye of the beholder, and while there’s no mathematical equation or scientific formula behind humor, there are some universal truths.

Humor functions as a tool, opening the door to a glorious world where puns, plays on pop culture and funny images convey a message.

Majority Strategies has relied on humor and wit for over two decades to create a brand of political advertising and influence marketing that gets right to the heart of the message through our funny bones.

Humor leaves a lasting impression. Cue the mic drop.

In this edition of #AskaDesigner, we wanted to know, “What makes an image funny? What role does humor play in design?”

“It’s the little things. Many of our attack pieces are funny by nature, but I add in subtle details that someone would only notice if they were really looking. That’s where the grin is.”
–Jess

“Funny to me means taking something ordinary and transforming it into something clever, like turning an opponent into a bobblehead or a puppet.”
–Karley

At Majority Strategies, we strive to deliver hard-hitting, clever messages without making cheap shots. We’ve learned how to go for the jugular without going for the obvious.

“The humorous aspect of design might be overt, but it tends to be more of a subtle wink. People like to think they’re in on a joke and small details accomplish this.”
–Jess

A recent article echoes this sentiment and highlights the importance of having a split personality, in essence “thinking like a comedian but solving like a designer.” This means injecting creativity and humor into design while still playing by “the rules.”

The creative team at Majority Strategies finds that fine line to use humor as the vehicle to deliver a compelling message.