Written by: Vickie Sullivan | June 25, 2024
The Last Barf Bag: How Humor Transforms Content Marketing
Many people use humor in content marketing as a trusty sidekick, adding levity to their serious problem-solving. Here’s a great example: Dramamine’s recent campaign that pays tribute to barf bags, an invention that the nausea relief brand has helped make less relevant.
For the campaign, the company made a mini-documentary in which the producers interviewed barf bag collectors, medical experts, and everyday people with memorable vomit-related stories.
“In ‘The Last Barf Bag,’ these enthusiasts detail some of their favorite airsick bag finds and other endeavors, like trying to come up with a more sophisticated term than ‘barf bag,’” according to an article in MarketingDive. “The doc also dives into how the barf bag came to be and its current manufacturing status, along with talking to everyday consumers about their most impressionable tales of upchuck and Dramamine marketing executives on the success of the brand.”
The “oddball content” brings a level of humor to a serious topic that you would not expect. And it works! The documentary not only highlighted the product’s benefits, but it also became a highly shareable piece of content.
2 Reasons Why Humor in Content Marketing Works
• The campaign highlights the popular. Recognition is the spark plug of this content strategy. People laugh when they see themselves in the situation. Then, they share it, using the content as an inside joke. To apply this tactic, ask your favorite clients: “What is happily gone as a result of my work?” If their answers are relevant, you have the beginning of a long-running joke.
• The campaign taps into emotional motivators. It is a graphic reminder of what happens when this medicine isn’t used. It taps into avoidance, which is a powerful motivator. Your buyers have emotional reasons, too. Humor is a safe way to remind folks of something of value that you provide but often isn’t discussed.
When you make humor the star of the content, the point still gets across. The big difference is people will remember it and share it. Humorous takes like this can serve as a starting point for campaigns that boost attention and engagement. Think about including this type of content on your publication calendar.
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