That it manages to make them laugh at the same time is a rare and welcome feat.

ECONOMIST: Statistics

Humor, though, trumps diplomacy in ads, according to an Ipsos survey, which found that by 56%, North Americans prefer ads that make them laugh over those that are straightforward.

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The Ig Nobel prize is given to achievements "that make people laugh, then make them think".

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For most of them, such as John Wells, an Oxford friend, the main aim was to puncture pomposity and make people laugh.

ECONOMIST: Obituary