Humor appeal in advertising: A study on second-hand automobile advertisements

The aim of this study is to investigate the ways and theories of using humor in second-hand vehicle advertisements. Humor is the most effective tool used in the context of communication. Humor, when not used correctly, leaves a negative bias compared to other types of attraction. It is important to use humor carefully, especially when marketing second-hand vehicles. In this study, since the titles "Advertising, Advertising appeals, Humor" cannot be ignored, these concepts are included in the literature review. Since vehicles and second-hand vehicles are items that require high attention, humor should be used carefully. In the study, samples were selected using the "Purposive Sampling" method. Within the scope of the samples, a total of 6 humorous automobile advertisements prepared by sahibinden.com and Otoplus companies within Letgo were determined. The samples were selected from the most viewed, liked and commented advertisements. Within the scope of the limitation, advertisements cover the first three months of 2018 and 2023. Again, within the scope of the limitation, the advertisements in the samples were selected from YouTube, which is a social media environment. sahibinden.com has been in operation since 2000 and is one of the most advertised sites today. On the other hand, although Letgo was a site selling second-hand goods in 2015, it established Otoplus within its own structure in 2016 and became a company selling second-hand vehicles on a corporate basis. In addition to the appeal of humor, it has been seen that in some advertisements, the characters are played by actors who are interested in humor. It has been observed that both companies approach customers with different policies. In the findings, it is seen that both sites build their advertisements by using humor appeal regarding vehicle buying and selling. It seems that both companies use different methods to reach customers. There have been changes in the target audience, cultural elements, age and gender elements addressed in the advertisements. This study has also been the subject of examining the humor theories used in humorous advertisements. When the advertisements are examined, it is seen that the humor theories of superiority, incongruity and relief are mostly used. In the semiotic context, studies have been carried out in terms of the theories of theorists Roland Barthes. But the approaches of other theorists have not been ignored. Another point that distinguishes this study from other studies is that, as a result of the research, except for a few countries, advertisements of second-hand vehicles of advertisement-based companies are not on the YouTube platform, as in Turkey. Looking at the literature reviews and results in the study, it was seen that humor had a positive effect in the basic context. This study will contribute to the literature in both theoretical and practical contexts by revealing the way humor elements used in advertisements are designed. Key Words: Advertising, Humor Appeal, Semiotics, Use of Humor in Advertisements