Laughter: The Best Medicine for Your Postcard Mailer

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There is no doubt about it: if someone laughs at your ad, it has been received favorably. Obviously humorous advertising does not work for every industry (sorry to those of you in the mortuary business). But for most, laughter is the best medicine. Moreover, if you can target your humor into a cogent message that promotes your product, your marketing campaign will undoubtedly exceed expectations. Personalized postcards are a great way to connect with your potential customers on a direct level and cost effectively reaching a large demographic. Postcards combine a widespread reach and personal touch with a direct way to catch your customers attention without breaking the budget! Additionally, if you can make someone laugh with your postcard, you'll have peaked their interest in your brand. Here are 4 keys to designing a humorous postcard mailer:

1. Everyone won't get your joke!

Just as in all advertising, you will not get a 100% response rate. Some people might not find your ad funny, or might not get your reference. This is OKAY. Some people are afraid to go with comedy because they think humor will isolate those who do not find the joke amusing. THIS IS FALSE! If you and the other members of your marketing team think your ad is amusing, I guarantee plenty of the people you're mailing it to will find it amusing as well. They aren't different from you, they are human too! Sure some people will not get it, but they will still see the offer and a few will still respond. More importantly, the majority who find your ad amusing will remember it much longer than a standard piece of direct mail. Some humor is more obvious and some industries lend themselves to jokes better. You need to find the right balance for your product and market. Here is a great example from a local pizza franchise:

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2. Humorous Ads Can Inform 

Just because not everyone will get the reference, doesn't mean you should avoid a humorous advertisement. As long as your scope is not too narrow; if your reference is historical or pop culture related, don't be afraid to use it. If your worried about it, you can always add a caption or postscript (p.s.) with a one line explanation. Some people might look up something you referenced in your joke and remember the ad that peaked their curiosity. Others can be more thought provoking, such as this Whiskey ad referencing Sir Bedivere - One of Sir Arthur's Knights of the Round Table - and his infamous Cask.

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People are more likely to remember an ad that educated them about something, peaked their curiosity or interests, AND made them laugh rather than just the latter. 

3. Using Personalization

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So once you've identified who you want to market your product to, you need to have an idea about their interests. Personalize your postcard using names and local references if you can. Even if your working on a nationwide campaign, try to create unique themes for regions and timely themes for holidays and seasons. 

4. Keep It Simple

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Especially with advertising, people want to be entertained and informed about the offer, quickly. Most people become bored with statistics and prolonged sales pitches. So using a funny postcard with a personal touch inevitably will generate more interest in most industries. 




Postcards are a great way to use humor, convey your message, generate business/brand interests, and more importantly, mass expose your product. Mailers in postcard form can be more effective and less costly because your message is in front of the recipient as soon as they view the piece. With a postcard, you can catch their eye much more effectively than using an enveloped mailer. 


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By: Will Pearlman