Why Having Fun With Your Meta Ads Actually Works

Have you ever been scrolling through your feed and come across an ad that made you laugh out loud? Or one that was so relatable you couldn't help but click through? As consumers we're bombarded with ads constantly, so the ones that cut through are almost always the ones that feel a little different.

I know a lot of brands get caught up in being perfect and 100% on brand at all times, and I get it. Brand consistency matters. But injecting a little humour and personality into your ads can pay off in a big way, and I want to show you why.

Why it works

Relatability. People don't want to feel like they're being sold to all the time. There's a growing appetite for ads that don't look like ads. When your creative is too polished or too sales-y, it gets scrolled past. When it feels human, funny, or genuinely relatable, people stop, engage, and sometimes even share it.

Differentiation. There are a lot of ads out there. If you want your brand to stand out, you need to do something different. Being willing to have a bit of fun shows you're not afraid to take a risk, and that personality builds brand recognition and loyalty over time in a way that a perfectly formatted product shot rarely does.

Some proof it works

Dollar Shave Club. One of the most famous examples of a brand having fun with their advertising. Their launch video, featuring founder Michael Dubin talking about their "f***ing great blades," went viral and helped the company rocket to success. It was funny, irreverent, and spoke directly to their audience of people tired of overpaying for razors. That was back in 2012 and people still reference it today.

Dinosaurs and fashion. One of our clients is a relatively polished fashion brand. A customer sent through a photo of herself running away from a cardboard cut-out T-Rex. I knew immediately it was gold. After a little convincing, we ran it as an ad. That one ad generated over $8,000 in sales with a 7.6x ROAS. Essentially $1,000 turned into $8,000 because they were willing to have a bit of fun.

BarkBox. The subscription service for dog owners has built a loyal following off the back of ads that feature dogs doing silly things: wearing party hats, sleeping in ridiculous positions, causing chaos. Dog owners love it because it's exactly what their own lives look like. Relatable content builds communities, and communities buy things.

Cow puns. Another client sells equestrian apparel. A customer sent through a photo of both a cow and a horse wearing a horse rug, paired with some genuinely terrible cow puns. The engagement was huge and one ad from that creative hit a 14x ROAS.

The common thread in all of these? UGC. You don't have to manufacture the fun yourself. Your customers will often hand it to you if you're paying attention.

Whether you're a small brand just starting out or an established business looking to shake things up, a little humour and personality can go a long way. Don't be so afraid of getting it wrong that you never try something different.