Healthy Outlook Blog

We’ve all heard the expression “laughter is the best medicine.” It’s long been understood that humor can promote wellness and it has lead to a number of alternative health practices, like treating cancer patients with laughter therapy.

And today, humor is finding its way into healthcare media. Marketers are using comedy to engage consumers and help them understand how to improve their health.  Some might consider it odd to adopt a comedic approach in discussing serious, health-related subjects. But crafting a light-hearted, positive atmosphere can help focus peoples attention on important issues. Take a look at a couple examples below.

Humorous PSA Focuses on Doctor-Patient Relationship
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Ad Council have created a public service campaign that encourages patients to get involved with their health by knowing what questions to ask when visiting the doctor. The tongue-in-cheek approach conveys the importance of talking to your doctor by pointing out  situations in life where asking questions is habitual.

Jack Black Helps Fund Breast Cancer Research
In its “Men for Women Now” campaign, the Noreen Fraser Foundation enlisted funny men like Jack Black, Neil Patrick Harris and Zach Galifianakis to promote breast cancer detection. In a particularly amusing piece, Jack Black personally demonstrates how easy it is to get a mammogram.

A recent study in public service communications supports this light-hearted approach because it enables people to listen and remain open-minded. Negative media efforts that solicit guilt or employ scare tactics run the risk of offending their audience. If that happens, people tend to grow defensive or avoid the topic altogether.

When it comes to discussing medical issues with your doctor, family and friends, a positive stance might help you broach the subject.

Can you think of other cases where humor is being used to communicate healthy practices?