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When times are tough, people look for an escape. And amid the constant doom scrolling, nothing offers a moment of respite — or the potential for a memorable, meaningful connection — quite like a light-hearted laugh.
With the right blend of creativity, authenticity, and humor, even a quick smile can turn a curious consumer into a new fan. Read on to see three leading companies cueing the laugh tracks this year and find out how your brand can get in on the fun.
State Farm’s Batman vs. Bate-man
For its 2025 March Madness campaign, State Farm took the classic celebrity mix-up trope and ran with it. The premise? People think they’re about to be saved by Batman, only to realize it’s just a regular guy named Bate-man — played by funnyman Jason Bateman himself. Beside the superhero, Bateman’s less-than-heroic presence makes State Farm’s message clear: generic insurance doesn’t offer the same level of protection.
Related Reading: Best Brand Antics: 5 Attention-Grabbing Marketing Stunts
Why It’s Best-in-Class
By playing with name recognition in a way that’s both clever and instantly funny, the joke lands immediately — especially with Bateman’s signature dry humor and deadpan delivery elevating each punchline. And with a stacked cast spanning generations, the campaign maximizes shareability as well as mass appeal.
“You’ve got Jason Bateman, who Gen Xers grew up with; Kai Cenat, the biggest streamer in the world; SZA, who’s in fashion, music, a movie, the Super Bowl, and on tour with Kendrick Lamar; Jordan the Stallion, a social media influencer; [and] the cultural phenomenon that is the Batman franchise,” said Alyson Griffin, State Farm’s Head of Marketing. “It was an easy construct that we could play with over time that could break through generationally, depending on where we were targeting.”
It’s all about being in culture, understanding who matters and who’s breaking through, and how we can reach different audiences with the message that we need.
studioID Takeaway
Aligning humor with major cultural happenings or fandoms can make a serious impact. Look for inspo in familiar elements like superheroes or celebrity mix-ups and brainstorm what kind of fresh, funny spin you can put on it. That way, your brand message gets tied into a bigger picture that makes your content feel like an organic part of the moment instead of a random add-on.
Related Reading: Fervent Fandoms: How Marketers Can Tap Into Stans + Pop Culture
Duolingo’s “Death” of Duo the Owl
In February, Duolingo took its famously persistent mascot, Duo the Owl, and did the unthinkable. They killed him off… or so it seemed. The brand dramatically announced that Duo had died — struck by a cybertruck while waiting for users to complete their language lessons. The stunt included everything from a memorial video and a letter from the CEO to “RIP Duo” merch, leading to extensive press coverage until the ploy was revealed: a reminder for users to open the app before more characters “perished.” [Insert evil laugh here.]
Related Reading: 4 Brand Characters Building Trust and Engagement in 2025
Why It’s Best-in-Class
Duolingo has mastered self-aware branding, leaning into the internet’s long-running joke that its mascot is a passive-aggressive, micro-managing taskmaster. And by embracing the meme instead of fighting it, the morbidly funny campaign feels natural and authentic. In response, fans created eulogies, memes, and “rest in peace” posts, fueling organic reach and follow-up video efforts. But most importantly, the campaign was an effective re-engagement strategy — because who wants a cartoon owl’s death on their conscience?
A lot of our social is what our community wants us to do. We’re very fast with reaction. It’s a priority.
— Zaria Parvez, Global Senior Social Media Manager at Duolingo
studioID Takeaway
Humor works best when it builds on what audiences already believe about a brand. Instead of avoiding or downplaying internet jokes about Duo’s tendency to nag, the company turned the long-running joke into an engagement-driving marketing event. Moral of the story? Embrace your quirks; letting your audience in on the joke can help build stronger community connections.
Related Reading: Delightfully Weird: 7 Best Absurdist Marketing Campaigns
New York Festivals Says “No BS Allowed.”
To announce this year’s call for entries, the New York Festivals (NYF) Advertising Awards came up with something a little different. “No BS Allowed” pokes fun at the industry while challenging advertisers to move beyond superficial metrics and focus on work that truly matters. Humorously reimagining inflated stats and fabricated buzz as rendered fertilizer, the spot suggests that your typical marketing “BS” has the potential to transform into something much more valuable. Because real creativity beats bloated numbers every time.
Related Reading: Misleading Metrics: What Your CTR Isn’t Telling You
Why It’s Best-in-Class
Bold, brutally honest, and laugh-out-loud relatable, this campaign stands out because it openly points a finger at our love of self-congratulatory fluff. The humor lands because it’s true; anyone in advertising knows exactly the kind of meaningless metrics they’re talking about. Plus, the fertilizer metaphor is just too good, turning a tired trope into something fresh and funny.
“New York Festivals has always been about celebrating creativity that pushes boundaries and drives progress,” said Scott Rose, President at New York Festivals.
This campaign is a reminder that our jury wants to rise above the noise of awards gamification and…honor the true achievement: the courage, creativity, and dedication it takes to bring powerful ideas to life, inspire action, and shape the future of our industry.”
studioID Takeaway
Self-awareness and tongue-in-cheek critique can be powerful tools in B2B marketing. By openly addressing common pitfalls within their own field, NYF manages to capture attention and successfully position themselves as champions of authenticity. Because sometimes, the best marketing move is to call out the nonsense. How might your brand use humor and a healthy dose of honesty to make a similar splash?
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