Humor and marketing have a tricky relationship. Many marketers use humor in ways that actually undercut their objectives – people remember the joke but forget the company or the product. Here is an example that caught my interest and which I thought did a nice job of making an impersonal situation feel a bit more genuine.
The breakfast bar in most hotels is a spread of slightly stale bagels, over processed cereal, and a mound of melon chunks. Personally I’m not aware of anyone who actually likes this experience for anything but the perceived savings of a “free” breakfast.
At the Fairfield Inn they have found a way to have a little fun with this routine – but one that produces a subtle chuckle and a feeling that “hey, there are real people behind this.”
See for yourself.
Don’t see the joke at this level? Look a bit closer at the graphics they used…
They took the off hand joke we tell each other about coffee – unleaded equals decaf etc. – and used the image to bring a smile to your morning.
It’s a small detail done extremely well. Put a bunch of these together and you have a brand that connects with people far better than the usual faceless, nameless, humorless, no risk road that most marketers take.
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