8.3 billion people
can’t be wrong.
One planet, 8.3 billion people.
You’re one of them.
What do we share?
Hopes, fears, dreams, doubts.
And humour — it’s a universal trait.
Why should this matter to you?
Because a truckload of research shows using humour, whether in internal or external comms, gets you closer to the people you’re talking to.
Your message is remembered more deeply, more fondly and for longer.
But humour has to be used intelligently.
HumourScope is a consultancy that ensures this happens for you.
It’s run by me, Paddy Gilmore, a recognised expert in this field.
I did a Master’s looking at humour theory, I’ve worked in marketing for over 25 years, and my clients include HSBC, Nando’s and Harley-Davidson.
I solve five common business problems.
I don’t deliver bullshit.
I do deliver results.
Whatever your brand.
And wherever you live on this planet.
Does your business run like clockwork?
My clients’ top five migraines.
1.
‘Our last marketing campaign performed dismally.’
Standing out can feel impossible, especially when everyone’s saying the same thing. Used smartly, humour can bring you distinctiveness, warmth and increased sales.
Results? Three’s SingItKitty campaign, which I consulted on, used humour as a key tool. On just day one, 950,000 people actively engaged with the brand on social.
Clients include:
2.
‘We’ve been signing too many leaving cards.’
When people leave internal culture suffers, and teams feel disconnected or uninspired. Used right, humour can dramatically improve your teams' mood and, ultimately, their productivity.
The proof? On the back of an internal campaign I did for AIB (above), 86% of employees increased their pension contributions*.
Clients include:
3.
‘I love funny social but even I wouldn’t want to read our feeds.’
Social is the home of funny, but where to even begin? Striking the right note can be tough. I can work with you to identify the unique building blocks: you’ll be head-scratching no more.
I worked with Harley-Davidson extensively on this. John Lyon, Head of Wilkins Harley-Davidson, noted: ‘‘What Paddy Gilmore doesn’t know about humour and comms, frankly, isn’t worth knowing.’
Clients include:
4.
‘AI is great for ideas. But funny?’
You need a strategy to ensure you ask the right prompts. Funny AI-generated ideas are massively inconsistent, too, so it’s vital to have an expert to educate you on how to judge your outputs.
I’ve delivered keynotes on this (above) as well as working closely with brands to ensure they don’t deliver AI slop.
Clients include:
5.
‘We’re facing a comms crisis. How to respond?’
Humour isn’t the answer to every comms crisis, but it can defuse the tension dramatically: people invariably respond to a brand that’s human and honest.
I worked with Nando’s on using humour in this way. Stuart Walsh, of their ad agency, said: ‘working with Paddy gave us the guidelines to ensure we nailed humour correctly every single time.’
Clients include:
Oh, Stop it!
‘Humour is critical to successful advertising communications, but only when used correctly. Paddy’s work has been 100% invaluable.’
— Matt Carter Head of Industry Strategy for Advertising Amazon Web Services
‘Paddy’s training in humour was an inspiration. I learnt the vital tools in learning how humour works internally and how to fully engage the people in my teams.’
— Deborah Rock
Executive Officer & Work Coach
Dept. for Work & Pensions
‘That was great. Listen, are you free to do another project?’
— Hamish Goulding
Group Head of Brand Strategy, HSBC, at the end of a training session to 80+ HSBC employees
Keynotes
‘I booked Paddy to do the keynote at the first ever Swiss Comms Conference. He was warm, witty and smart. In two words? Book him.’
— Jasmine Willis, CEO, WILLISHENRY; Founder & Organiser, Swiss Comms Conference
Here’s a little taster of my keynotes:
* Email from Mike Gogan to Paddy Gilmore, Head of Voice & Customer Language, Allied Irish Banks, 10th July 2025.