Clever marketing isn't always clever
I don't know about where you live, but around here in Sweden, parking tickets can really hurt your wallet. This morning, when I got to my car, there was one of those bright yellow tickets stuck under the windshield wiper.
I ripped it off, cursing myself, before I saw what it was: a company trying to be funny by advertising their service with a fake parking ticket.
My reaction? No way in hell would I ever use their service. I crumpled up the ad and threw it in the trash.
Later, I saw one of those window cleaning company cars. Their slogan was, in Swedish: "Vi är bra på sikt.” A pun where the meaning can be interpreted as "We are good at visibility," but basically reads "We will be good eventually."
Two clever ways to market yourself. Two companies I would never use.
I love humor! Especially puns and cheesy dad jokes. But I don't want a prank or a dad joke if I'm going to buy a service to keep my parking fees down or get my home cleaned. It just feels wrong, like marketing a comedy with pictures of lung cancer.
More humor, please, but in the right context.