Can humour work in pharma social media marketing?

Jan 7
Consumer brands with big, distinctive personalities are winning on social media. Just look at the TikTok accounts of Ryanair, Duolingo or Currys PC World. 

In pharma, though, tone of voice is often an afterthought. We default to serious, safe and purely informative. But in a crowded online space, is that always enough? Is there room, or even a need, for a little levity? Does humour have a place in healthcare communications?

Audiences increasingly expect brands to sound human, relatable, and emotionally intelligent. Some healthcare companies are experimenting with humour to break stigma, improve recall, and spark engagement - and in the right context, it works.

In this article, we explore when humour can be effective in healthcare marketing, supported by 3 real social campaign examples we loved, with some practical takeaways for pharma marketers.

Why humour works 

Getting people to stop scrolling is hard. Getting people to stop scrolling for healthcare content? Even harder.

Humour may seem unexpected in healthcare, but psychologically, it’s a highly effective communication tool. Research shows that humour increases dopamine levels in the brain, which boosts attention, memory and recall - meaning audiences are more likely to remember your message. It also reduces anxiety and defensiveness, helping people stay open to information they might otherwise avoid. 

Now that AI-generated content is more widely featured in social feeds, humour is one thing the AI bots still can't nail. Including humour in your content is a shortcut to signaling "a real human made this" which is exactly what people are craving right now. Just see what ChatGPT suggests for a humorous campaign aimed at tackling the stigma around herpes.... "Herpes is more common than pineapple on pizza. Let’s stop acting like it’s shocking."... Crickets

When humour can work in healthcare

Humour can work when it’s intentional, insight-led and rooted in empathy. Humour isn’t a shortcut to virality or engagement. It’s a creative device that, when used thoughtfully, can help healthcare messaging feel more human, approachable and emotionally resonant.

We've seen humour used incredibly effectively in campaigns:
  • Aiming to destigmatise topics that may be considered taboo - such as IBS, menopause or sexual health. 
  • Raising awareness of disease, including early detection
  • With lifestyle and prevention messaging

Pharma social marketing examples using humour

Below we've hand picked a few of our favourite pharma and healthcare campaigns that use humour effectively (spoiler alert, two of them relate to herpes but we loved them both!). 

Example 1: Destigmatising herpes through humour

Wisp and Hila the Earth (comedian, rapper, influencer)

Herpes remains one of the most stigmatised sexual health conditions, with shame and misinformation discouraging open dialogue and care-seeking. Wisp’s mission is to provide accessible, judgement-free sexual healthcare and tackle stigma head-on. 

Wisp partnered with Hila the Earth, a comedic rapper known for tackling taboo topics, to create an educational (and entertaining) rap video about herpes.

Hila wrote and performed a rap full of medically accurate facts, inclusive language, and sharp humour. She also played both a vulva and a penis in a skit that brought multiple perspectives to life, helping viewers feel seen, understood, and less alone.

The Wisp team worked behind the scenes to fact-check and shape the final creative, ensuring it balanced humour with heart and, above all, stayed rooted in education.

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 View full reel on Instagram here.
  View full reel on Instagram here.
Results
The campaign took off:
  • 1M+ plays, 1M+ accounts reached, with 95% being new to Wisp
  • 60,274 shares, 11,005 saves, 1,294 comments

Comments ranged from emotional testimonials to calls for the video to be used in sex ed classrooms. One viewer wrote: “I was 19 when I got it, and I thought my life was over. The stigma hurt even more than the first breakout. So yeah, thanks for this video ❤️.”
The response wasn’t just viral, it was deeply human. Some feedback was critical, which only underscored how necessary this conversation still is.
What can we learn from this example
  • Humour can make a topic more approachable and help to break stigma when used with care. Herpes isn't exactly a topic people want to engage with, but approaching it with humour and empathy can open up conversations where traditional campaigns fall flat. Wisp used comedy not to minimise the condition or poke fun at people living with herpes, but to normalise the conversation. 
  • Creators make humour feel authentic. Partnering with someone like Hila the Earth let the message come through in their own humorous style, so it never felt forced. When creators are trusted to use their voice, the result feels real, not scripted. 
  • Educational content doesn’t need to be clinical. The video was fact-checked, medically accurate, and inclusive - while still entertaining and accessible. That balance is what made it engaging and credible. 
  • Go beyond awareness, invite conversation. The true success wasn’t just in views and shares, it was in the comments. People felt seen, supported, and empowered to share their own experiences. That’s when content moves from performance to impact. In 2026, comments are going to be just as important as the post itself, so pay attention to them and be ready to engage.

Example 2: Tanning: that's cooked

Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) and TBWA Sydney

Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer of anywhere in the world. There have been many years of public health campaigns aimed at improving sun-smart behaviour. Early campaigns relied on graphic, fear-based messaging to highlight the dangers of sun exposure, but the focus has now shifted to addressing the social appeal of tanning.

The Melanoma Institute Australia launched a campaign with the goal of changing Australia’s perceptions of beauty when it comes to tanning. And specifically, call out the utterly bizarre act of tanning itself.

TikTok general manager Brett Armstrong explained "The campaign is inviting TikTok creators to use humour to throw shade at tanning in their own authentic way, helping spread the word and change the behaviour this summer."

This campaign is a great example of how educational messaging and content can be delivered with an entertaining lens. 
@alright.hey #ad You still tan? That's Cooked. #MelanomaInstituteAustralia #SkinCancerAwareness ♬ original sound - Alright Hey 👋
@melanomainstituteau Don’t be a turkey! @ella_whatkins #tanningthatscooked ♬ original sound - MelanomaInstituteAustralia
@melanomainstituteau Yes, @Dr Karl is spot on, sun safety is a long game. You future self will thank you. #tanningthatscooked ♬ original sound - MelanomaInstituteAustralia
What can we learn from this example?
  • People come to TikTok to be entertained, but there's also been a growing number of people coming to the platform to learn, you just need to look at the popularity of #LearnOnTikTok to see this in practice. There is an opportunity for pharma companies to provide entertaining educational content, also known as 'edu-tainment'. 
  • Don’t just drop a campaign built for another channel onto TikTok. The platform runs on raw, DIY, authentic video. This campaign worked because it matched the kind of content young people already watch there, so it felt native. A serious, purely informational or fear-based campaign was never going to land.
  • Engaging creators to co-develop content can be a shortcut to creating engaging content on the topic, in the style of TikTok content.

Example 3: Make New Zealand the best place in the world to have herpes

New Zealand Herpes Foundation (NZHF), Motion Sickness and FINCH

The "Make New Zealand the Best Place in the World to Have Herpes" campaign was a public health initiative launched by the New Zealand Herpes Foundation (NZHF) on Global Herpes Awareness Day to combat the severe social stigma surrounding the virus.

The core problem was that while herpes is common, New Zealand had one of the highest rates of herpes-related stigma globally. According to NZHF, the stigma has a psychological impact – 30% of those diagnosed with herpes in New Zealand experience depressive or suicidal thoughts.

Sam Stuchbury from Motion Sickness explains, "the New Zealand Herpes Foundation had been trying to break herpes stigma for over two decades, largely through traditional education, clinical support and awareness-building. While the information was smart, engagement often remained low and stigma stubbornly high.

At the time, New Zealand’s national pride was falling. The All Blacks weren’t winning. Our world-renowned prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, had resigned, and a chaotic coalition government was elected. We were in a recession, and a record number of Kiwis were emigrating to Australia. Things were feeling bleak. We had lost our enthusiasm for New Zealand and our sense of togetherness.

So we reframed herpes destigmatisation as an unlikely opportunity: a challenge that could restore a bit of Kiwi pride – becoming the best in the world at something again.

The campaign cleverly reframed destigmatisation as a matter of national pride. It leveraged New Zealanders' desire to be "the best in the world" by positioning the fight against stigma as a new national challenge."

Key elements included:
  • The Herpes Stigma Index: A live, global leaderboard tracked public attitudes toward herpes. At launch, New Zealand ranked 9th (highly stigmatised), giving the country a competitive goal.
  • The Destigmatisation Course: An online video course, hosted by beloved national figures like Sir Ashley Bloomfield and Sir Graham Henry, used irreverent humour to debunk myths. Users earned points for the country by watching and engaging, driving New Zealand up the index.
Sam Stuchbury from Motion Sickness explains how humour made the campaign stand out and why it was such an effective approach.

"We used humour as a Trojan horse – lowering defences, sparking curiosity, and making it easier to absorb real information. No one’s clicking on a serious herpes ad. And if it’s too serious, it’s not exactly making its way into pillow talk – it starts to sound like a setup for a confession.

We needed to give people a reason to talk about it – and a way to do it without all the awkwardness. For Kiwis, humour and uncomfortable situations go hand in hand, so it made sense. If we ever laughed at people with herpes, we’d failed. But if we laughed at how ridiculous the stigma was – creating space to actually take in the facts – we won.

It spoke about herpes in a way it never had before. Herpes wasn’t the butt of the joke – the stigma was. Lots of health campaigns focus on information. This one focused on the solution. We made it social, shareable, funny and deeply Kiwi. We trusted the nation was smart enough to get the joke, and strong enough to handle the truth."

TikTok content played off real comments, spotlighting them in videos with in a humorous way.
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Results
  • World number one: Within eight weeks, New Zealand rose from 9th to 1st place on the Stigma Index, officially becoming the "best place in the world to have herpes."
  • Behaviour change: Over 69% of course completers reported a reduction in their own feelings of stigma, demonstrating a real shift in public attitude.
  • Global acclaim: The campaign earned numerous international accolades, including the prestigious Cannes Lions 2025 Grand Prix for Good, recognising its effective use of a bold, creative strategy to address a major public health issue.
What can we learn from this example?
  • Tone matters. All too often, health campaigns default to an overly serious, cautious, and purely informative approach. While this feels safe, it's often the quickest way to be ignored, especially when dealing with topics shrouded in stigma or social awkwardness. Take the time to define your tone before campaign development, thinking carefully about the emotions you want to evoke in your audience. Document the tone of voice so everyone involved in the campaign, including MLR reviewers, can stay aligned throughout the process.
  • Humour was used to disarm and make room for the facts. It gave people a way in, making herpes information easier to hear and talk about. It worked because the joke was never on patients or their experience, it was on the stigma itself. 
  • Social media can drive real momentum. TikTok and Meta helped spread the message and spark conversation, creating the sense of a movement behind the campaign.

Practical guidance for pharma marketers

Before considering humour for your next social campaign, there's a few key considerations to help ensure the campaign is a success:
  • Start with the audience insight (what they find funny matters) and pressure test this early with your audience. There's many cases where humour won't work and risks being interpreted as minimising the patient experience and you'll want to catch these early on.
  • Keep messaging medically accurate, even when playful. If working with influencers on your campaign, ensure that you have set clear guardrails.
  • Monitor sentiment and feedback, not just engagement. As with the WISP example above, the comments can give you incredible insights.

Key takeaway

Humour can be a powerful tool in healthcare marketing. Used thoughtfully, it can cut through noise, boosts recall, and makes complex or uncomfortable topics easier to engage with. But it only works when rooted in empathy and audience insight. 

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