Make 'em laugh?

The most effective and memorable television commercials are the ones that give us a chuckle. Depending on the store, a humorous approach just might work.

Craig Gordon has found humor very effective for his store, Gordon’s Surf Shop in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. He puts A-frame chalkboard signs out on the sidewalk saying things like, “We have fast service, as long as it takes,” and “We have gluten-free surfboards.” They convey a lighthearted irreverence the surfing crowd really responds to.

But Gordon says those cheeky messages are really aimed at people who’ve never “hung ten” in their lives. “We’re a surf shop in a downtown area,” he says, “Most people walking around aren’t interested in that. But the humor draws them inside, and then maybe they’ll buy a candle.”

Humor can also be a gamble, as some customers might be turned off. Lisa Moore doesn’t think it would work for her store, Blue Heron Gifts and Boutique, Havre de Grace, Maryland. “That might work for the store down the street that has crazy socks and T-shirts with wild sayings, but not for us. We’re trying for a different vibe here. We want people to know when they come into our store that they’re walking into an elegant boutique.”