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Humour the secret ingredient to making an ad sucessful

NEWS HIGHLIGHT

Humour the secret ingredient to making an ad sucessful
67 per cent of Canadians say humour is the
secret that makes an advertisement successful, compared
to only seven per cent who feel that ultimately, sex sells.

A full 67 per cent of Canadians say humour is the secret ingredient
that makes an advertisement most persuasive, compared to only 7 per
cent who feel that ultimately, sex sells.

Moreover, 65 per cent of Canadians believe this country should veer
away from European-style commercials that are considered risqué. This
is according to the latest research conducted by the Institute of
Communication Agencies (ICA) and Leger Marketing in a revealing survey
released for Canada's upcoming, inaugural Advertising Week (January
26-30, 2009).

Inspired by the blogosphere, this survey entitled the Adosphere
Report, asked Canadians to have their say in advertising. The findings
reveal a lot about who Canadians are and how they see themselves.

Want to know more about Canadian culture? Consider analyzing Canadian
advertising. A large majority of Canadians (73 per cent) believe this
country's unique culture shapes Canadian advertising and reflects it.
Sixty per cent of Canadians also say that patriotic advertisements have
them brimming with national pride, inspiring them to cheer for Canada
either loudly and proudly, or quietly, in true Canadian style.

"Our survey findings indicate that Canadians have a real personal
interactivity with this country's advertising," said Gillian Graham,
CEO of the ICA. "Canada's first-ever Advertising Week was designed to
recognize and celebrate that relationship on a platform that brings the
advertising industry and the public together."

Indeed, according to the Adosphere Report, nearly 6 in 10 Canadians (59
per cent) admit looking forward to their brands' favourite advertising.
That statistic jumps to 76 per cent among the Generation Y group.
Canadians do not appear to be a star-struck bunch however. More than
half of the survey respondents (53 per cent) think celebrity
endorsements in advertising do not work.

The survey results also suggest that this country is headed for an
Advertising 2.0 world. Almost three out of four respondents (71 per
cent) believe advertising will become increasingly interactive,
reflecting the new Web 2.0 world. As well it should, considering the
fact that advertising touches just about every person across the
country. The advertising industry contributes more than $24 billion to
the Canadian economy, generates $1.5 billion for programming, and
donates more than $500 million in pro-bono work each year.