Ad Title: “Cheeeeese” — for Hardee’s Cheddar Biscuit

I find this ad inexplicably hilarious. I don’t know if it’s the ugly-cute family, the harmonizing of the word “cheese”, the simultaneously puzzled and fearful reaction shots of the guy eating the biscuit, or just the pure awkwardness of the entire situation, but it’s a rare example of a commercial that absolutely hits me in just the right way. It’s just… FUNNY. That being said, I can definitively say that I’m not going buy a Hardee’s Cheese Biscuit. Probably ever.

And therein lies the problem with funny.

Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s (anyone know the deal on that?) is known for its offbeat, zany, sometimes-sexually-suggestive ads. The most recent agency I could find for the brand is Mendolsohn Zien, and their site would lead one to believe that they are still the minds behind this sort of outlandishness. But while the two fast food chains have staked a significant claim on edgy/sexy ads, are they really doing anything unique here?

Quick serve restaurants have traded on funny for a long time, so much so that both Wendy’s and Burger King have dropped most humor in recent years and instead launched campaigns focused on freshness and quality. Holy regicide— BK even dropped the King. It would seem these brands figured out that bringing the funny didn’t necessarily bring the money. They may be on to something.

Funny works great for getting people engaged and making the ad memorable. But too often ads will sacrifice a point of differentiation, a call to action, or a simple truth in favor of a cheap laugh. Why abandon all of the things that are proven to make people want to buy your product? That’s where funny fails.

That isn’t to say that funny has no place in advertising. In fact, in has a huge place. Take Allstate’s “Mayhem” series. It’s clever. It’s situational. It’s relatable. The humor relies on the audience making a connection. And most importantly, it communicates a legitimate benefit of the product being sold. Allstate protects you from mayhem. Other cut-rate insurance companies don’t. Funny done right.

I said before that the Hardee’s ad wouldn’t get me to buy a Cheddar Biscuit. I was being a little hard on them. The ad is fine. It’s a quick laugh, the family is cheesy, they’re saying “cheese,” and it’s a perfectly serviceable way to introduce a new fast food item. But with giants like Wendy’s and BK turning to “quality” as a point of differentiation, and Allstate crafting darkly funny ads that are also somehow effective… the easy laugh shouldn’t always be a fallback for brands looking to make an impact. Give the consumer a real reason to believe.

30-Day Challenge #4