Crisis or comedy: when should brands laugh it off?

Consider American Eagle’s recent campaign starring Sydney Sweeney. The slogan‘Sydney Sweeney has great jeans’ was intended as a cheeky pun, but critics saw something darker. The combination of wordplay, blonde-blue-eyed iconography, and tone-deaf styling was read by many as a nod to eugenics. Instead of immediately diffusing outrage, American Eagle largely stayed quiet, letting debate rage on. The result? Viral visibility and a massive hike in sales and share price.

The Sweeney moment demonstrates how today’s marketing playbook isn’t just about reacting to crises, it’s about deciding which kind of fire you want to start. Some brands are leaning into humor, others into outrage, and the smartest know when to switch gears.

The PR pivot

Perhaps one of the biggest PR oopsies of this year was when Astronomer’s CEO and HR head were caught in an intimate moment on a Coldplay ‘kiss-cam’, resulting in both resigning. Instead of issuing a dry, PR-perfect explanation, Astronomer teamed up with Ryan Reynolds’ ad agency, Maximum Effort, to produce a humorous video featuring Gwyneth Paltrow (Chris Martin's ex-wife and Goop guru) as a ‘very temporary spokesperson.’ She cheekily deflected scandal-related questions, never mentioning the incident, while spotlighting the company’s product offerings.

It was genius, reframing the narrative and shifting focus from scandal to service. Their campaign came to be seen as a modern crisis-communication masterclass – a case where humor wasn’t just acceptable, but strategic.

Another honorable mention is Jet2’s peppy holiday ad jingle, which was unexpectedly repurposed on TikTok with users pairing the exuberant tagline ‘Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday’ with clips of miserable vacations, creating a wave of irony-laced memes. Instead of distancing themselves, Jet2 leaned in, launching a branded TikTok challenge and offering a £1,000 holiday voucher, with the jingle’s voice artist and singer Jess Glynne joining the fun.

Missing the mark

But humor isn’t always a fix. In some cases, it trivializes issues that demand gravity. And, sometimes, going viral is the worst-case scenario for effective PR.

Take the disastrous e.l.f. Cosmetics campaign, for example. The brand’s latest campaign starred comedian Matt Rife, alongside drag queen Heidi N Closet, both cast as faux lawyers fighting for the right to affordable makeup.

The pros: it had a great angle and fun, edgy messaging. The con: it had the completely wrong cast member. In 2023, Matt Rife made a tasteless domestic violence joke that sparked huge backlash online. Not a great choice for a brand whose audience is predominantly young women. Within days, e.l.f. issued a public apology and pulled the plug on the campaign.

The right moment

There are times when sticking to the script is essential. And there are others when going offbeat just works. To get it right, firstly, it’s important to align tone with brand identity. A snarky response from Ryanair? Expected. A glacial apology from a playful FMCG brand? Bad form. Tone isn’t something that can be changed in the middle of a crisis: it has to grow naturally with a brand's personality.

Secondly, always consider audience perception. Audiences develop mental shortcuts for how your brand ‘should’ behave. If humor is already part of your brand identity, bold jokes are organic. Thirdly, it’s important to get the timing and context right. Quick wit can redirect the story, while delayed responses come across as damage control. Humor works best in the heat of the moment and not when outrage has taken over.

Lastly, remember humor is also often effective in small mishaps or ironic meme moments where levity can disarm. There’s never a time to joke about violence, safety, or identity.

In the age of TikTok virality and rage-baiting algorithms, a joke can humanize, a statement can reassure, and a controversy can explode. But knowing when to joke and when to apologize is the difference between a brand that trends and a brand that endures.

Brands that can pivot fast, be self-aware, and understand the technical pulse of each platform are well on their way to mastering the ‘crisis-or-comedy’ playbook.