Humour effects in South African advertising

This paper develops the idea of humour as a multidimensional construct and attemptsto examine its effects when used as a strategy of advertising. A conceptualisation ofhumour based on previous research is presented. The humour taxonomy is used tocategorise a sample of advertisements appearing on South African television between1994 and 1996. The content analysis is measured for its advertising effects by correlatingthe types with the noting and liking scores of South African audiences. The resultsconfirm that different types of humour generate different advertising effects. Theimplications for practitioners and for researchers are explored.