Posted by The “Today” Show was amped last week when it reported on a new Kmart commercial titled, “Ship my pants,” which depicts a store employee informing excited shoppers they can “ship” their pants for free when they are not available in stores.
It’s not just about shipping pants either. “I just shipped my bed,” one in-store shopper said. Another said she just shipped her drawers as she stood in the furniture department among rows of dressers and drawers.
This hilarious ad using a double-entendre strategy seems to be working. More than eight million people viewed the video on YouTube in less than a week. Not bad, huh?
Funny ads are making a comeback in recent years as people look to find relief from a poor jobs market and sputtering economy.
Word play is at the forefront. Last year Sheets Energy Strips launched a series of ads titled “Where do you take a Sheet?” that portray all types of people taking a “sheet” for energy. One ad even has a pilot saying he took a “sheet” right in the cockpit. It’s just too funny.
Earlier this year, travel website Booking.com started running its booking.yeah ads focusing on the ambiguity of the word “booking.” One ad shows a family on vacation and the worried anticipation on their faces as they open their hotel room door. As the family rejoices for choosing right, a voice over says “you got it right, you got it booking right.” Many more “booking” double-entendres followed.
Whether or not these ads are generating more revenues or increasing brand awareness for their respective companies remains unclear. The fact is, however, they are funny and memorable and great fodder for water cooler conversation. Other than that, we’ll just wait and see about the “booking” bottom line.