Comedy Ad Agency FAQ: Costs, Timelines and Process | MWL

What is a comedy ad agency?

A comedy ad agency is a creative shop that makes only humorous advertising — writing, casting and directing for laughs rather than treating humor as one option among several. MWL is a comedy ad agency in Brooklyn, New York, working with scaling B2C brands on media budgets of $25 million and up.

How much does a funny ad cost?

At MWL, a pilot is $40,000 — five concepts, one produced, with full deliverables. A creative audit is $2,500 and is credited toward the pilot. Ongoing retainers run $35,000 to $60,000 a month depending on production volume. Most comedy production at agency scale runs considerably higher; ours is lower because our cast and crew come from ten years of relationships in the New York comedy scene.

How long does it take to produce a comedy ad campaign?

Four weeks from kickoff to delivery: concepts in week one, selection in week two, shoot and edit in weeks three and four. Traditional agencies typically take twelve. The difference is that cutdowns are boarded before the shoot rather than assembled afterward, so one shoot day produces the hero spot, 12–18 cutdowns and 8–10 static assets.

Does humor work for unglamorous products?

Humor works especially well for unglamorous products, because there is little else to say about them. MWL’s founder launched ZzzQuil, which became the number one OTC sleep aid in America, and has made work for Pepto-Bismol, Febreze, Scope, DayQuil and NyQuil — categories where a functional claim alone gives an audience no reason to watch.

Why do most funny ads fail?

Two reasons. First, approval: work that must survive ten layers of sign-off survives by being easy to defend, and easy to defend means familiar. Humor is the first thing removed when six people have to agree. Second, casting: being funny on camera and being funny on paper are different skills, and most comedy ads are cast by people who have never watched a comedian bomb.

What’s the difference between a comedy ad agency and a traditional agency?

A traditional agency treats humor as one of several possible creative approaches, filtered through a process designed to reduce risk. A comedy ad agency does nothing else, which means the writers, directors, editors and casting all specialize in timing and performance. At MWL, concepts are performed live rather than presented as slides, and clients don’t pay for round one if no concept is approved.

Who runs MWL?

Todd Perelmuter is founder and Chief Creative Officer of MWL. He spent ten years performing standup in New York City while working as an advertising creative at CP+B, BBDO, 72andSunny, R/GA and VaynerMedia. He launched ZzzQuil, now the number one OTC sleep aid in America.