How humor could be your best content marketing tool.

Whether you’re trying to gain some traction for a new (and perhaps obscure) product, or you need to spice up what might otherwise be considered a mundane, run-of-the-mill product or service, humor can prove a powerful tool for garnering some much-needed attention.

For instance: heating and air conditioning. Not the most exciting stuff. But — it’s a pretty essential service, is it not? Especially if you live at the beach, or in the mountains, or anywhere where it gets uncomfortably hot and/or cold. So, how do you distinguish yourself from the pack? With a penguin costume. Naturally.

Maybe not always. But it certainly helped generate some attention for Inspire’s production of Atlantic Heating & Cooling, Inc.’s latest commercial. Perhaps you’ve seen it.

If nothing else, humor makes a product memorable — even if it doesn’t necessarily appeal to your tastes. It grabs your attention, which is step No. 1 for golden, magical advertising success. And it’s something that businesses big and small are making use of in nearly every industry — car sales, insurance, toilet paper, big-name beer, not-so-big-name beer, deodorant — companies are getting on board with prompting a laugh out of their customers.

Some brands go so far as to craft their entire identity out of humor. Dollar Shave Club, for instance, does more than just produce funny commercials — their brand positively exudes wit and clever puns at every turn. Their website, packaging, even their testimonials, all feature the same comical style. And people can’t stop talking about it.

Not only does a dash of comic relief make a product more memorable, it helps to add a relatable quality. The medium is the message, as they say. And when the medium is hitting you over the head with its pushy, salesman-like attitude, you’re less likely to feel inclined to make a purchase. In fact, quite the opposite — just like nobody likes advice when it’s not asked for, nobody likes to feel like they’re being told what they need to buy.

Yes, we are living in a material world and, most likely, we are all somewhat of a material girl (or boy) if not solely for necessity’s sake, but can we stop acting like marketing is so mysterious? It’s not. It’s people selling products/services that other people need or want. Let’s relate to each other, not condescend. Or frighten, for that matter — Nationwide’s gloomy commercial for Super Bowl XLIX definitely got a message across, but not without putting a major damper on the mood during what is typically considered a time for fun commercials. Create good feelings for customers to associate with your product, not scary, bad or disturbing feelings.

So take the latest Atlantic Heating & Cooling, Inc. commercials:

They’re light, funny and generally adhere to the company’s overall laidback, relatable image. Peruse their site, and you’ll find simple language, friendly-looking staff, an occasional pun and links to all of their hilarious commercials. You also get the feeling they know what they’re talking about, and they care about your home and well-being; they’re not just trying to sell you. That right there, that’s the best message you can communicate to your client base.

Need to freshen up your image? Maybe it’s time to lighten up. I mean, who doesn’t like a good laugh?