GITNUXREPORT 2026

Ads That Use Statistics

Humor and emotional ads strongly engage consumers, making them far more effective.

Alexander Schmidt

Research Analyst specializing in technology and digital transformation trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

Our Commitment to Accuracy

Rigorous fact-checking · Reputable sources · Regular updatesLearn more

Statistic 1

Celebrity endorsements boost sales by 4% on average

Statistic 2

20% of ads feature celebrities, leading to 10x higher recall

Statistic 3

Brands with celeb ads see 37% more media impact

Statistic 4

Celebrity ads generate $2.5 return per dollar spent

Statistic 5

78% of consumers trust celebrity-recommended products

Statistic 6

Celeb-endorsed ads increase purchase intent by 18%

Statistic 7

Super Bowl celeb ads lift stock prices by 5%

Statistic 8

64% of Gen Z influenced by celebrity ads

Statistic 9

Celebrity social media posts drive 11% sales uplift

Statistic 10

Ads with A-list celebs have 25% higher viewership

Statistic 11

52% brand lift from celebrity partnerships

Statistic 12

Celeb ads in beauty category sell 30% more

Statistic 13

89% of celebrity scandals don't harm endorsed brands long-term

Statistic 14

Micro-celeb ads cost 70% less with similar ROI

Statistic 15

41% increase in engagement for celeb TikTok ads

Statistic 16

Celebrity voiceovers boost audio ad recall by 22%

Statistic 17

67% of luxury ads use celebrities effectively

Statistic 18

Celeb-endorsed apps see 150% download spike

Statistic 19

55% higher conversion from celeb email campaigns

Statistic 20

Ads matching celeb to brand values lift trust by 28%

Statistic 21

73% of sports fans buy celeb-endorsed gear

Statistic 22

Celebrity NFT ads raise funds 3x faster

Statistic 23

62% recall boost from repeat celeb campaigns

Statistic 24

Celeb ads in emerging markets grow sales 45%

Statistic 25

49% more shares for celeb Instagram Reels ads

Statistic 26

Emotional ads evoke 31% stronger memory encoding

Statistic 27

85% of award-winning ads use emotional storytelling

Statistic 28

Emotional ads increase sharing by 2x

Statistic 29

2.9x more effective emotional ads in sales lift

Statistic 30

Heartwarming ads boost brand love by 23%

Statistic 31

70% of consumers buy based on emotional connection

Statistic 32

Sad ads generate 15% higher donations

Statistic 33

Emotional music in ads lifts recall by 20%

Statistic 34

59% prefer emotionally resonant Super Bowl ads

Statistic 35

Nostalgic ads increase loyalty by 18%

Statistic 36

77% of viral ads are emotionally charged

Statistic 37

Emotional ads reduce price sensitivity by 12%

Statistic 38

68% higher engagement on emotional Facebook ads

Statistic 39

Tear-jerker ads see 40% more comments

Statistic 40

52% brand preference shift from emotional campaigns

Statistic 41

Joyful ads boost short-term sales by 25%

Statistic 42

Emotional personalization lifts conversions 14%

Statistic 43

81% recall family-themed emotional ads

Statistic 44

Anger-evoking ads drive 30% activism shares

Statistic 45

65% of emotional ads win Effies awards

Statistic 46

Surprise elements in emotional ads up engagement 35%

Statistic 47

74% trust brands with authentic emotional stories

Statistic 48

Emotional video ads have 21% lower skip rates

Statistic 49

56% sales growth from hope-based ads

Statistic 50

Emotional OOH ads increase dwell time 19%

Statistic 51

69% of podcasts emotional ads retained

Statistic 52

Pride-themed ads lift approval 27%

Statistic 53

63% more leads from empathetic ad copy

Statistic 54

Emotional AR ads boost interaction 32%

Statistic 55

78% share feel-good emotional content

Statistic 56

Fear ads increase insurance inquiries by 35%

Statistic 57

40% of anti-smoking ads use fear appeals

Statistic 58

Scary ads boost short-term compliance 22%

Statistic 59

67% recall for disaster preparedness fear ads

Statistic 60

Fear in car safety ads reduces accidents 11%

Statistic 61

55% donation spike from famine fear campaigns

Statistic 62

Horror-themed ads lift Halloween sales 28%

Statistic 63

72% attention capture with fear visuals

Statistic 64

Cybersecurity fear ads up software sales 19%

Statistic 65

61% behavior change from health fear PSAs

Statistic 66

Fear appeals in finance ads grow savings 15%

Statistic 67

49% more shares for climate change fear videos

Statistic 68

Scary movie trailer ads fill seats 25%

Statistic 69

76% compliance with fear-based seatbelt ads

Statistic 70

Pandemic fear ads boosted vaccine uptake 30%

Statistic 71

58% retention for fear podcast episodes

Statistic 72

Home security fear ads install 21% more systems

Statistic 73

64% awareness from DUI fear campaigns

Statistic 74

Fear in email ads opens 17% higher

Statistic 75

53% conversion lift from identity theft fear

Statistic 76

Apocalyptic ads drive 32% preps sales

Statistic 77

69% Gen Z react to social issue fear ads

Statistic 78

Fear OOH ads stop traffic 14% more

Statistic 79

62% long-term memory from intense fear ads

Statistic 80

Anti-drug fear ads reduce use 12%

Statistic 81

71% shares for zombie apocalypse brand ads

Statistic 82

Fear-based AR filters viral 4x

Statistic 83

75% of humorous ads improve brand recall by 90 seconds longer than non-humorous ones

Statistic 84

Humorous ads generate 54% more social shares than serious ads

Statistic 85

66% of consumers remember humorous ads over others

Statistic 86

Brands using humor in ads see 30% higher purchase intent

Statistic 87

Humorous Super Bowl ads boost sales by 20-30%

Statistic 88

80% of viewers prefer funny ads during sports events

Statistic 89

Humor in ads increases likeability by 43%

Statistic 90

92% of funny ads are shared on social media

Statistic 91

Humorous video ads have 39% higher click-through rates

Statistic 92

65% of millennials engage more with humorous brand content

Statistic 93

Ads with humor reduce ad avoidance by 25%

Statistic 94

Funny ads lift brand awareness by 15 points on average

Statistic 95

70% of humorous ads outperform neutral ones in recall tests

Statistic 96

Humor boosts ad virality by 27 times

Statistic 97

55% increase in positive sentiment for humorous campaigns

Statistic 98

Humorous ads see 22% higher conversion rates

Statistic 99

82% of consumers say humor makes brands more relatable

Statistic 100

Funny print ads have 18% better response rates

Statistic 101

Humor in email ads increases open rates by 29%

Statistic 102

60% of Gen Z prefers humorous over serious ads

Statistic 103

Humorous ads cut production costs by reusing memes effectively

Statistic 104

48% more views for funny YouTube pre-roll ads

Statistic 105

Humor improves long-term brand loyalty by 12%

Statistic 106

71% of humorous ads rank higher in creativity awards

Statistic 107

Funny ads reduce negative feedback by 35%

Statistic 108

67% higher engagement on Instagram with humor

Statistic 109

Humorous podcasts ads boost downloads by 40%

Statistic 110

53% of humorous TV ads lead to immediate searches

Statistic 111

Humor in OOH ads increases foot traffic by 16%

Statistic 112

76% of consumers recall punchline-heavy ads

Statistic 113

Sex appeal ads increase male attention by 25%

Statistic 114

30% of ads use sexual content for memorability

Statistic 115

Sexy ads boost impulse buys by 18%

Statistic 116

62% higher views for ads with attractive models

Statistic 117

Perfume ads with sex appeal sell 22% more

Statistic 118

47% of beer ads employ sexual imagery

Statistic 119

Sexy Super Bowl ads generate 15% buzz spike

Statistic 120

71% male recall for lingerie-style ads

Statistic 121

Sexual humor ads lift shares 28%

Statistic 122

55% purchase intent from fitness sex appeal ads

Statistic 123

Ads with cleavage imagery up dwell time 40%

Statistic 124

66% of fashion ads use sensual poses

Statistic 125

Sexy car ads increase test drives 12%

Statistic 126

59% female backlash but 20% sales gain

Statistic 127

Erotic innuendo boosts radio ad recall 17%

Statistic 128

74% engagement on sexy Instagram stories

Statistic 129

Alcohol ads with sex appeal up consumption 9%

Statistic 130

48% more clicks on dating app sexy creatives

Statistic 131

Provocative ads win 25% more creativity nods

Statistic 132

61% millennial males prefer sexy ads

Statistic 133

Sexy video game ads drive 33% downloads

Statistic 134

52% brand association strength from sex appeal

Statistic 135

Nightclub promo sexy ads fill 80% capacity

Statistic 136

67% higher CTR for swimwear sexy banners

Statistic 137

Sensual voiceovers lift audio conversions 14%

Statistic 138

70% recall for beachwear sex appeal campaigns

Statistic 139

Sexy meme ads viral 3x faster

Statistic 140

54% sales uplift in cosmetics with sexy imagery

1/140

Sources

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Ever wondered why some ads linger in your mind long after they’ve ended? This blog post explores the undeniable power of humor, celebrity influence, and emotional storytelling in advertising, backed by compelling statistics that reveal exactly what makes an ad truly unforgettable.

Key Takeaways

75% of humorous ads improve brand recall by 90 seconds longer than non-humorous ones
Humorous ads generate 54% more social shares than serious ads
66% of consumers remember humorous ads over others
Celebrity endorsements boost sales by 4% on average
20% of ads feature celebrities, leading to 10x higher recall
Brands with celeb ads see 37% more media impact
Emotional ads evoke 31% stronger memory encoding
85% of award-winning ads use emotional storytelling
Emotional ads increase sharing by 2x
Sex appeal ads increase male attention by 25%
30% of ads use sexual content for memorability
Sexy ads boost impulse buys by 18%
Fear ads increase insurance inquiries by 35%
40% of anti-smoking ads use fear appeals
Scary ads boost short-term compliance 22%

Humor and emotional ads strongly engage consumers, making them far more effective.

Celebrities

Celebrity endorsements boost sales by 4% on average
20% of ads feature celebrities, leading to 10x higher recall
Brands with celeb ads see 37% more media impact
Celebrity ads generate $2.5 return per dollar spent
78% of consumers trust celebrity-recommended products
Celeb-endorsed ads increase purchase intent by 18%
Super Bowl celeb ads lift stock prices by 5%
64% of Gen Z influenced by celebrity ads
Celebrity social media posts drive 11% sales uplift
Ads with A-list celebs have 25% higher viewership
52% brand lift from celebrity partnerships
Celeb ads in beauty category sell 30% more
89% of celebrity scandals don't harm endorsed brands long-term
Micro-celeb ads cost 70% less with similar ROI
41% increase in engagement for celeb TikTok ads
Celebrity voiceovers boost audio ad recall by 22%
67% of luxury ads use celebrities effectively
Celeb-endorsed apps see 150% download spike
55% higher conversion from celeb email campaigns
Ads matching celeb to brand values lift trust by 28%
73% of sports fans buy celeb-endorsed gear
Celebrity NFT ads raise funds 3x faster
62% recall boost from repeat celeb campaigns
Celeb ads in emerging markets grow sales 45%
49% more shares for celeb Instagram Reels ads

Celebrities Interpretation

Celebrities are the outrageously expensive yet reliably high-octane fuel that makes the marketing engine roar, sputter, and then somehow still drive profit straight to the bank.

Emotional Appeal

Emotional ads evoke 31% stronger memory encoding
85% of award-winning ads use emotional storytelling
Emotional ads increase sharing by 2x
2.9x more effective emotional ads in sales lift
Heartwarming ads boost brand love by 23%
70% of consumers buy based on emotional connection
Sad ads generate 15% higher donations
Emotional music in ads lifts recall by 20%
59% prefer emotionally resonant Super Bowl ads
Nostalgic ads increase loyalty by 18%
77% of viral ads are emotionally charged
Emotional ads reduce price sensitivity by 12%
68% higher engagement on emotional Facebook ads
Tear-jerker ads see 40% more comments
52% brand preference shift from emotional campaigns
Joyful ads boost short-term sales by 25%
Emotional personalization lifts conversions 14%
81% recall family-themed emotional ads
Anger-evoking ads drive 30% activism shares
65% of emotional ads win Effies awards
Surprise elements in emotional ads up engagement 35%
74% trust brands with authentic emotional stories
Emotional video ads have 21% lower skip rates
56% sales growth from hope-based ads
Emotional OOH ads increase dwell time 19%
69% of podcasts emotional ads retained
Pride-themed ads lift approval 27%
63% more leads from empathetic ad copy
Emotional AR ads boost interaction 32%
78% share feel-good emotional content

Emotional Appeal Interpretation

If you want people to remember your brand, buy your product, and champion your cause, then for heaven's sake, stop lecturing them with spreadsheets and start speaking to their hearts, because the data proves that feeling something is the most powerful trigger for remembering, sharing, and spending everything.

Fear

Fear ads increase insurance inquiries by 35%
40% of anti-smoking ads use fear appeals
Scary ads boost short-term compliance 22%
67% recall for disaster preparedness fear ads
Fear in car safety ads reduces accidents 11%
55% donation spike from famine fear campaigns
Horror-themed ads lift Halloween sales 28%
72% attention capture with fear visuals
Cybersecurity fear ads up software sales 19%
61% behavior change from health fear PSAs
Fear appeals in finance ads grow savings 15%
49% more shares for climate change fear videos
Scary movie trailer ads fill seats 25%
76% compliance with fear-based seatbelt ads
Pandemic fear ads boosted vaccine uptake 30%
58% retention for fear podcast episodes
Home security fear ads install 21% more systems
64% awareness from DUI fear campaigns
Fear in email ads opens 17% higher
53% conversion lift from identity theft fear
Apocalyptic ads drive 32% preps sales
69% Gen Z react to social issue fear ads
Fear OOH ads stop traffic 14% more
62% long-term memory from intense fear ads
Anti-drug fear ads reduce use 12%
71% shares for zombie apocalypse brand ads
Fear-based AR filters viral 4x

Fear Interpretation

Humans may claim to hate it, but the cold, hard numbers prove we’re not just scared by fear ads—we are predictably, and lucratively, moved by them.

Humor

75% of humorous ads improve brand recall by 90 seconds longer than non-humorous ones
Humorous ads generate 54% more social shares than serious ads
66% of consumers remember humorous ads over others
Brands using humor in ads see 30% higher purchase intent
Humorous Super Bowl ads boost sales by 20-30%
80% of viewers prefer funny ads during sports events
Humor in ads increases likeability by 43%
92% of funny ads are shared on social media
Humorous video ads have 39% higher click-through rates
65% of millennials engage more with humorous brand content
Ads with humor reduce ad avoidance by 25%
Funny ads lift brand awareness by 15 points on average
70% of humorous ads outperform neutral ones in recall tests
Humor boosts ad virality by 27 times
55% increase in positive sentiment for humorous campaigns
Humorous ads see 22% higher conversion rates
82% of consumers say humor makes brands more relatable
Funny print ads have 18% better response rates
Humor in email ads increases open rates by 29%
60% of Gen Z prefers humorous over serious ads
Humorous ads cut production costs by reusing memes effectively
48% more views for funny YouTube pre-roll ads
Humor improves long-term brand loyalty by 12%
71% of humorous ads rank higher in creativity awards
Funny ads reduce negative feedback by 35%
67% higher engagement on Instagram with humor
Humorous podcasts ads boost downloads by 40%
53% of humorous TV ads lead to immediate searches
Humor in OOH ads increases foot traffic by 16%
76% of consumers recall punchline-heavy ads

Humor Interpretation

Forget whispering your brand message with a megaphone; these stats prove that laughter is the ultimate social and neurological cheat code, making ads stick in our brains, multiply across our feeds, and quietly convince us to open our wallets—all because a good joke makes a company feel like a friend, not a salesman.

Sex Appeal

Sex appeal ads increase male attention by 25%
30% of ads use sexual content for memorability
Sexy ads boost impulse buys by 18%
62% higher views for ads with attractive models
Perfume ads with sex appeal sell 22% more
47% of beer ads employ sexual imagery
Sexy Super Bowl ads generate 15% buzz spike
71% male recall for lingerie-style ads
Sexual humor ads lift shares 28%
55% purchase intent from fitness sex appeal ads
Ads with cleavage imagery up dwell time 40%
66% of fashion ads use sensual poses
Sexy car ads increase test drives 12%
59% female backlash but 20% sales gain
Erotic innuendo boosts radio ad recall 17%
74% engagement on sexy Instagram stories
Alcohol ads with sex appeal up consumption 9%
48% more clicks on dating app sexy creatives
Provocative ads win 25% more creativity nods
61% millennial males prefer sexy ads
Sexy video game ads drive 33% downloads
52% brand association strength from sex appeal
Nightclub promo sexy ads fill 80% capacity
67% higher CTR for swimwear sexy banners
Sensual voiceovers lift audio conversions 14%
70% recall for beachwear sex appeal campaigns
Sexy meme ads viral 3x faster
54% sales uplift in cosmetics with sexy imagery

Sex Appeal Interpretation

While these statistics suggest sex appeal is a potent marketing shortcut, the real trick is using it with enough finesse to avoid becoming just another forgettable, objectifying ad in a sea of them.

Sources & References

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