Why Gen Z craves humour – And why it’s wise for brands to get funny on campus, fast

Why Gen Z craves humour – And why it’s wise for brands to get funny on campus, fast.

Lucky me is off to the Edinburgh Fringe in August (canny wait!), so comedy was already on my mind when I arrived at the Pion Youth Marketing Show, just a couple of short weeks ago.

I was sat in the audience listening to an expert discussion on what wins on social with Gen Z, when it hit me: if Shakespeare were alive today, he’d 100% be smashing it on TikTok. Not because he was chasing followers, but because he understood something timeless; comedy and tragedy aren’t opposites. They’re twins.

Even in Hamlet or King Lear, Shakespeare wove in comic relief. Never to undermine the importance of the tragedy, but to make it in some way bearable.

Gen Z are living through so much stress; climate anxiety, political chaos, mental health struggles, a depressed job market and a cost-of-living crisis. But scroll through TikTok or walk through campus and what do you hear?

Laughter.

Humour isn’t just escapism for Gen Z. It’s survival. A connector and a truth-teller.

• 73% of Gen Z use humour to cope with stress.
• Content that makes them laugh is 2x more likely to be shared than anything purely emotional.

Comedy is most definitely currency when in comes to Gen Z. It works as the ultimate social glue.

So what does this mean for brands? Especially those appearing on campus.

A lot.

Digital 6-sheet screens housed in Students’ Unions are undeniably an unmissable ad platform.

But if the creative you show on them is funny, it will work harder. Why? Because it’s relatable.

• Campaigns with “humorous” creative are 33% more likely to drive recall with 18–24s (Kantar, 2023)
• Humorous DOOH earns dwell time,shares, and smiles, especially when it taps into meme culture or in-jokes

If Shakespeare used comedy to tell deeper truths, so can brands. Especially in DOOH, where the right comedy line can not only stop Student Gen Z in their tracks, but get screenshotted, shared, and remembered.

Freshers is coming. So it’s worth asking yourself: when was the last time your brand made someone laugh out loud on campus?

In a world that often feels like a tragedy, being the reason Gen Z smiles? That’s a guaranteed brand win.‍