• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, September 14, 2012

Just watch the Super Bowl ads each year and it’s pretty clear that marketers feel laughter is a calling card. But with broadly targeted products, creative development takes time to discover the interplanetary middle ground to reach both Mars and Venus.
 
Nielsen research indicates that males and females embrace ads with different types of humor. Using a study of millennials ages 13 to 34, Nielsen found that males like “slapstick, edgy, sarcastic” comedy, while females appreciate an “off-beat, but not mean-spirited” approach.
 
Of course, humor isn’t the only area where males and females react differently to 30-second spots. With characters in advertising, males like “normal guys” and “exaggerated situations.” Females go for “happy situations” and an “I could be her” tack.
 
Which might explain why females like themes that highlight “strong female celebrities” and “having fun.” Males go for “competition” and/or “extreme imagery.”
 
With tonality, females like liveliness and “hip music,” while males go for a “whimsically humorous” approach.
 
According to new Nielsen data, females in the 18-to-49 demo watch about 11 hours more of TV a month than males. In a 2-to-17 segment, TV viewing is about the same between the genders.
 
Males 18 to 49 do consume video on the Internet and mobile phones slightly more than females.

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