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2.13.2025

creative

How to NOT be funny

I've been making comedic videos (or at least trying to) since I was in seventh grade. One big lesson I've learned is that there's no magic formula for humor—it just doesn't exist.

But if you want a surefire way not to be funny, play it safe. Recycle gags that everyone's seen a million times. It puts your audience to sleep and makes you look stuck in the 90s.

The best comedy comes from taking risks and doing something different. Umault made a video called Sunset that poked fun at Google Analytics 4 (GA4). I won't lie—until we released it, I was convinced nobody would get it. It was too niche, too weird, too risky.

But then it blew up. People were sharing it, laughing at it, and letting us know it was exactly what they needed to see.

That's when I realized how powerful uncertainty can be. If your first reaction to an idea is, "Will people understand this?" or "Is this too weird?" you're probably onto something original. It won't land with everyone, but those who love it will love it.

And that's so much better than hearing polite chuckles for a tired bit about smashing a computer.

The next time you're brainstorming a B2B video (or any piece of marketing content, really), skip the rote clichés. Don't force a joke just because you feel obligated to include something "funny." Instead, focus on a unique angle or detail that no one else has touched yet.

Lean into that uncertainty; it's where the good stuff lives.

Sure, it might feel risky, but that's precisely why it works. Safe is easy—and easy is forgettable. If you truly want to be memorable, dare to be different.

Listen to this article's companion podcast:

GUY BAUER

FOUNDER AND

CREATIVE

DIRECTOR

Picture of Guy bauer, founder of umault

Guy has been making commercial videos for over 20 years and is the author of “Death to the Corporate Video: A Modern Approach that Works.” He started the agency in 2010 after a decade of working in TV, film and radio. He’s been losing hair and gaining weight ever since.

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