Creative Trends 2024: Humor Leads The Way!

By Kyle O’Brien

December 28, 2023

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It’s that time when everyone weighs in on what they think the next year will have in store for us. The creative agency world is certainly no different, but its trends might be more difficult to predict.

Luckily, people at agencies around the globe with their collective fingers on the pulse of creativity have let us in on their predictions—AI was so prevalent a topic that we gave those predictions their own story. Some quotes have been edited for length and clarity.

Humor and emotion make a comeback

Paul Prato, executive creative director, PPK

The “humor embargo” will break. A rash of recent data indicates that consumers are looking for brands that use humor, with a recent Oracle study finding that 91% of people prefer brands to be funny. Yet the same study found that 95% of business leaders fear humor in consumer interactions. … This year saw several high-profile marketing efforts weighing into social commentary backfire. 2024 will be the year advertisers will return to the realization that funny is far more likely to unite than divide. 

Mitch Bennett, ecd, Baldwin&

It’s going to be a nasty year. As the media and social landscape get fired up and election-y and angry, brands have a chance to offer a ray of hope, or comedy, or happiness, or even just a moment of not yelling. Which brands can make us smile for a second? We will appreciate them very, very much.

Eric Kallman, co-founder and CCO, Erich and Kallman

More clients are realizing that, in order to make work that’s all about your brand and what you offer, comedy is the route that allows you to do that in the most ownable way possible.

Harris Wilkinson, CCO, TMA (The Marketing Arm)

We’ll get the chance to put more beautiful, heartfelt and hilarious work out in the world. And isn’t that why we all got into this business in the first place? I’m not saying advertising can fix everything, but as far as I know, data has yet to prove that it can’t.

John Cornette, chief creative officer, EP+Co

Looking at Adweek’s Top 20 Ads of 2023, I noticed that there are very few heart-tugs or sentimental tones being used. In a world where everything feels so dark and divided, people are eager for more of the good stuff—really wonderfully unexpected and funny ads that solve traditional business problems. In 2024, I suspect we’ll see more of that.

All about the experiences

Natasha Zialor, vp, RanaVerse

With elections happening in the U.K. and the U.S. next year, many consumers will be looking for an escape from everyday life, so my bets are on experiences becoming even bigger, better and harder to ignore in 2024, whether it’s a PR stunt that becomes a meme or a 360 event for social and press exposure.

Katherine Schmidt, associate creative director, Hanson Dodge

2024 will bring an uptick in innovative OOH installations, both faux (a la Maybelline’s Sky High Mascara) and real (Ikea’s Oxford Street location). These types of activations generated a lot of social buzz but also sparked discussions around reality, augmented reality and the place that each will hold in the future of advertising.

Mindful purpose and culture

Raquel Bubar, managing director, T Brand Studio (New York Times)

Audiences are demanding authenticity in their messaging and are cringing at tone-deaf stories. Gone are the days when brands could get away with only talking about themselves, their products or their services. It will be key for advertisers to speak about what matters most to them and how they can improve people’s lives.

Ben Hennes, co-owner and CCO, Happylucky

We see young consumers identifying as queer at exponentially increasing rates, and nearly 60% of Gen Alpha say that gender is irrelevant. So, we hope brands will look to queer-led teams, partners and agencies to learn how to take queer storytelling beyond the “coming out story,” the “trans drama story” or the performative Pride moment. Brands must treat queer consumers as a vital, always-on, multifaceted humans.

Gary J. Nix, founder and chief strategist, the brandarchist

Cultural fluency is the best investment for your brand in and through 2024. While the approach I propose may be a case of “what’s old is new again,” perceiving culture as a network of values, conventions and social practices supports the basic principle of understanding your customer communities better.

Creators will continue to rise

Victoria Jordan, gm of branded content and creative, My Code

We will move into a new era of the creator economy, one in which creators have much more leverage when it comes to usage rights, IP ownership and pay—a world where creators are highly valued, not leveraged for the relationship they’ve built with their audiences, but invited to collaborate for their diverse perspectives, expertise and cultural lens.

Mike Girgis, co-founder, Dive Billboards

In 2024, digital advertising will continue to evolve toward authenticity, embracing user-generated content and fostering genuine connections between brands and audiences. Brands will prioritize micro-influencers and creators for relatability, encouraging organic engagement on digital platforms. 

In the game

Andre Toledo, CCO, David NY

Storytelling will remain a powerful tool for engaging audiences, especially in immersive formats from AR and VR, ushering in new creative possibilities. The increasing integration of advertising within the gaming ecosystem is poised to become a significant trend. As gaming continues to capture a massive and diverse audience, brands will recognize the potential to engage consumers within virtual worlds.

One-stop shops

Chris Copacino, executive director of business development, Copacino Fujikado

Brands are seeking to streamline and consolidate agency services and relationships. The pendulum has unquestionably swung away from agency specialization back to more of a one-point of contact to drive activity across the marketing communications spectrum and audience journey. Brand-side executives have grown tired with being sole points of integration among a throng of specialized agencies and seek to turn their attention back to their business, brand and growth initiatives.

The personal touch

Warren Jolly, CEO, adQuadrant

I foresee the 2024 creative trends being driven by a blend of personalized storytelling, immersive technologies and ethical advertising. Agencies will increasingly leverage insights to craft highly personalized narratives that resonate deeply with individual consumers, moving beyond broad demographic targeting. Moreover, the integration of immersive technologies like augmented reality and virtual reality will become more prevalent, offering novel and engaging experiences. This isn’t just about flashy tech but about creating memorable, interactive brand stories. There will also be a stronger emphasis on ethical advertising. This means not only ensuring data privacy and security but also promoting inclusivity, diversity and sustainability in advertising content. Brands and agencies will be expected to be more socially responsible and transparent in their practices.

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