The Case for Self-Deprecation

Scrolling through TikTok, I’m confronted with the same sound over and over again: a crying child singing a song beginning with “waking up in the morning, thinking about so many things… I just wish things would get better.” Originating from an episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, the sound is used as an intro into embarrassing videos from the video creator’s past, such as hugging their waiter or questionable clothing choices. 

Honestly, I love these videos. They make me laugh at my own memories that I would typically try to push from my mind immediately, asking myself “whyyyyyyy would you do that???” It’s a friendly reminder that we were all embarassing younger people, and that in the future we’ll see ourselves as a embarassing younger person.

But it got me wondering, what makes these videos so easy to connect with, and how can this be used by marketers?

The key seems to lie in self-deprecating humor. Simply put, these people are making fun of themselves, adding in the extra fun of video evidence of their embarrassments. Research has found that people are viewed as warmer and more competent when they’re willing to share negative information about themselves, and especially when they add humor.

This logic applies to brands as well. When brands laugh at themselves they become more human to the consumer. Furthermore, self-deprecating humor is a contrast to the painstakingly manufactured commercials we see dozens of times every day, so it can stand out. With this in mind, I will be highlighting several companies that have managed to make fun of themselves the right way.

U by Kotex

Kotex has been around for 100 years now, so it’s not hard to find plenty of dated pad advertisements from a quick google search. When they created their new line, U by Kotex, they decided to make fun of what they and every other pad/tampon creator pretended women do on their period — wear white clothing while being attractive and active.

The Kotex “Why are tampon ads so obnoxious?” commercial has it all: “a believably attractive 18-24 year old female” who is “racially ambiguous” as market research has shown this is the best way to attract girls. She tells us to buy the same tampons as her because she’s wearing white pants (because of course she’s wearing all white) and has amazing hair.

Many U by Kotex commercials center around this theme of basically asking, “what the hell have we been doing?” when it comes to marketing feminine products.

The vice president of the division Kotex is under at their parent company, Kimberly Clark, explained it as, “We are guilty, so it’s not that Kotex is any different. We’re turning the light on ourselves, and we’re not saying, look at what other people do. We’re saying look at what we’ve done in the past, which typifies everyone in the category,” according to a New York Times article.

This is a perfect example of self-deprecating humor from a brand, as it manages to call out past mistakes without making the actual product look bad. It simultaneously mocks what many companies are still doing.

Wendy’s Twitter & TikTok

I know some people hate the snarky marketing persona trend but nobody does it quite like Wendy’s. Their Twitter bio immediately sums it up: “We like our tweets the same way we like to make our hamburgers: better than anyone expects from a fast food joint.”

Wendy’s marketing specializes not only in roasting others, but also themselves, on platforms like Twitter and TikTok. It’s easy to imagine Wendy’s Twitter account, and particularly their TikTok, being run by one person… dare I say Wendy?

Their ability to laugh at themselves allows them to make fun of other fast food chains, with McDonald’s being a frequent target and even the everyday consumer. Due to the brand’s personification, and their ability to laugh at themselves, it feels like you’re joking with a friend, not getting mocked by a major corporation.

Domino’s

Maybe I’m biased towards thinking this campaign is effective because Domino’s wasn’t remotely on my radar prior to it, but you have to admit it’s pretty bold. Domino’s essentially ran a campaign apologizing for sucking. 

In 2009 Domino shared the “Pizza Turnaround” video, full of Domino’s staff responding to horrible reviews they’ve had, pledging to make a better pizza. The “Delivery Insurance” advertisement followed a similar theme, with employees working comically fast to make a new pizza for people unhappy with theirs. This type of campaign worked for Domino’s, as their market share has grown significantly since then.

While these campaigns may not be humorous, they demonstrate a willingness to admit that what the company is currently doing isn’t working, which has the same humanizing effect.