Humour That Builds Billion-Rand Brands
Humour may make audiences laugh, but for these two South African brands, it has also makes the balance sheet smile.
Once on the brink of losing relevance, Savanna rebuilt its place in South Africans’ hearts by evolving from dry one-liners to sharp social commentary grounded in shared experience. The results speak volumes: the brand grew from R2 billion to over R10 billion in revenue in just six years, becoming the world’s largest cider by volume and value.
Similarly, Chicken Licken’s distinctive storytelling and proudly local humour have helped it become the biggest chicken brand in the world that is not born in the USA. “Before brands are funny, people are funny,” said Dyeshana. “The more you listen to people, the more confident you can be about what kind of humour truly connects.”
Both brands show that when humour reflects the audience’s reality, it drives more than attention, it drives real business outcomes.
The Courage to Stay Funny in Serious Times
During the pandemic, many brands defaulted to sombre tones. Savanna and Chicken Licken took a different path.
Hansen-Chipps explained that Heineken’s leadership trusted her team to use humour responsibly, even in uncertain times. The brand’s “Jab Jab” pro-vaccine campaign combined levity with public health messaging - earning Gold at Cannes and widespread consumer support. For Chicken Licken, lockdown inspired one of its most human campaigns: Soul Food for a Soul Food Nation; by spotlighting ordinary South Africans recreating fried chicken at home, Joe Public turned a period of restriction into one of joyful participation.
As Dyeshana noted, “When we looked at what people were doing and saying, we realised that humour was how South Africans were keeping each other going.”
Trust - The Secret Ingredient
Few client–agency relationships are as creatively fruitful as Chicken Licken and Joe Public’s. Dyeshana attributes this to the founding ethos set by the late George Sombonos, who told the agency: “Don’t ever tell me how to make chicken, and I’ll never tell you how to make adverts.”
That trust continues under CEO Chantal Sombonos-Van Tonder, who gives Joe Public the space to experiment and refine ideas and so many of the brand’s most beloved messaging moments were unscripted and born from real interactions on set.
“When clients trust you,” said Dyeshana, “you carry the responsibility not to let them down. That’s when true creative magic happens.”
Balancing Intuition and Insight
When asked whether their brands test humour before going to market, both speakers described different, but equally successful, approaches.
For Savanna, consumer testing is a valuable part of the process. Hansen-Chipps explained that Heineken uses tools like Kantar’s Link ad testing to measure audience understanding, emotional response, and brand take-out. “It’s about ensuring the work connects both rationally and emotionally,” she said. “Testing helps us optimise and craft the work so that the final campaign captures the hearts and minds of South Africans.”
By contrast, Chicken Licken relies on instinct and internal diversity. Dyeshana explained that the brand’s only testing happens “amongst ourselves”, within an agency culture designed to reflect the diversity of South Africa.
Both agreed that research has its place, but it should help to refine, not decide, creative direction.
Why So Few South African Brands Are Funny
When asked why South Africans - renowned for their humour - see so little humour in other brands, Dyeshana didn’t hesitate: “The mistake brands make is communicating from their own state, not the consumer’s state. There’s too much fear and nervousness, and those things don’t bode well for creating humorous or resonant ads.” This corporate caution often produces campaigns that spend money but make little to no difference or impact. Hansen-Chipps agreed, noting that Savanna and Chicken Licken demonstrate the opposite: that bravery, empathy, and cultural listening produce standout work. “It doesn’t pay to play it safe,” she added. “Being brave, listening to consumers, and using humour in the right way can deliver breakout growth.”
When Humour Isn’t the Answer
Not every brand can, or should, be funny. Both speakers emphasised that humour must align with brand values, category, and context. “For a municipality or medical institution, humour might undermine credibility,” Hansen-Chipps explained. “The goal is to be different, not necessarily humorous and to meet people where they are.” Dyeshana added that differentiation can take many forms: “The better question is, how do I create something fresh within a space that is characterised by sameness?”
Keeping the Brand at the Heart of the Joke
A common pitfall of humorous advertising is when audiences remember the joke but not the brand. Both guest experts stressed that the product must always remain the hero.
“At Joe Public, we constantly ask, ‘How is the brand playing an integral role in the story?’” said Dyeshana. “If it’s humour for humour’s sake, we haven’t done our job.” Hansen-Chipps echoed this, noting that Savanna’s humour is always grounded in its product truth - “dry, crisp, and distinctly South African.”
Relevance, Courage, and Humanity
The session made a persuasive case that humour, when done right, is a serious business tool. It drives cultural relevance, builds emotional connection, and, as Savanna and Chicken Licken prove, delivers measurable commercial returns. As Hansen-Chipps said, “South Africans are a funny nation, it’s our superpower. Our humour connects us, uplifts us, and helps us see ourselves.”
About the Series
This nine-part Marketing Masterclass series is designed to offer practical, real-world insights for marketers navigating complexity, career growth, and creative leadership. To view the series, visit Daily Maverick Events. DM