Post-irony is the future of authentic advertising.

Irony functions as these ‘hidden truths’ beneath the surface of words, and is thought to be a clever way to add depth to messaging. Simply put, however, it is no longer the 90’s, and irony is not on the cutting edge of modern culture. For that, we must delve deeper, folding in on irony itself.

It’s essential to understand that when someone ironically engages or enjoys a piece of media, they must also sincerely like it to some degree, otherwise they would give their attention elsewhere. There is pleasure in guilty pleasures, as well as artistic appreciation for intentionally ironic media. This is where post-irony comes in, crafting a space where elements of irony are earnestly celebrated.

Post-irony is a combination of the sincere and ironic, a sort of mixed messaging that blurs the boundaries between joke and truth. Something can be so committed to the joke that it doesn’t feel like a joke anymore, and can function as stand alone entertainment. Blending authenticity with comedy is great skill for storytelling and other artforms, but particularly great for brand engagement. 

Brands want to be seen as authentic to their consumer base, but that grows more difficult by the day in a culture of increasingly small attention spans, particularly for any sponsored content. Post-irony combats this by blending the lines of being playful and truthful, welcoming both ironic and authentic brand engagement and excluding neither. Because of this, post-irony creates an opportunity to experiment with absurdity while simultaneously communicating a sincere brand message.

Take for instance, Duolingo on Ice. Now I know this was an April Fool’s Day joke, but imagine a real Duolingo musical with multilingual lyrics encouraging the audience to continue their language education. At the same time, leaning into the brand’s existing absurdity, wherein the owl mascot is seeking retribution against those who break their streaks as a storyline. This could function as genuine entertainment with a genuine brand message, capturing a wide audience due to its post-ironic themes. As it stands, however, it’s nothing more than a fake-out and a missed opportunity.

Brands are determined to come across as authentic, but considering the nature of sponsorship, it’s an uphill battle. I believe the best thing for a brand to do to create authentic engagement is to experiment with post-irony, as it creates a welcoming environment for both ironic and honest audiences. It’s important to note that being simultaneously true to a brand message and playful has the potential to be a delicate balance, but it would be no trouble with a capable writer on your team.

Pictured below: a billboard promoting a frozen sandwich brand as “sophisticated in a post-ironic sense”  as part of my ‘what is cooking, anyway?’ campaign.