A lot of things have to be considered when you’re starting a business. Then, when your business is up and running, you’ll need to constantly come up with clever marketing strategies to keep your brand appealing and memorable to the public. Big brands typically spend outrageous amounts of money every time they launch an advertisement campaign. Smaller brands and businesses don’t have usually have that kind of resource, so they need to get creative. Some funny shops have won the attention of the public through their ingenious signs that we consider to be worth more than any fancy advertising we see plastered on billboards.
“Humor assists in making an idea go viral,” Petra Mainer, a blogger for mycustomer.com, wrote. This is apparently because people tend to remember things they find funny and they then share it with other people. Word of mouth has always been an effective marketing strategy. Once the shop’s hilarious sign or marketing props catch the attention of passersby, they’re sure to mention it to their friends at some point. Or take a picture, like the contributors of this compilation have, for all the world to see.
“My grocery store cheese counter has the right idea”
“Best shop ever”
“A local computer repair shop thinks they’re funny. They’re right.”
“This smoke shop’s sign”
These funny shops have pretty brilliant signs
We can all probably agree that discovering comedy gold while you’re just going about your day with your errands and work is a great way to jazz things up. One brilliant employee at a local grocery store, for example, quoted Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams and switched out some words with cheese names. Several ice cream shop staff have also been found to make things a bit more fun in their workplace, take for example the jester who included a pinecone in their ice cream cone display. Some shops have also printed some meme content and handwritten jokes to make their customers grin and cackle.
“This tattoo shops signs are always on point!”
“Donut shop in my area is doing renovations”
These shops use hilarious marketing strategies to win the attention of the public
Any business owner will know, the actual name of the business is just as important as the marketing strategy and management. This part of business-building usually stumps many, but it’s always rewarding when you figure out the perfect fit for your brand. And more often than not, business names and brands are results of clever wordplay that defy standard spelling rules. However, some are perfectly content with using normal spellings, like “Sorry Coffee Co.” in Canada. Keep on scrolling to see more awesome shops we’ve discovered from all over the world!
“Seen on the ceiling of an Istanbul shop”
“Local donut shop just posted this photo”
“An actual Canadian coffee shop”
Other shops make use of fun visual guides to help their customers
Restaurant staff usually find themselves dealing with guests who don’t really know what they want. And more often than not, these ‘difficult’ guests tend to be kids. So, to help make things easier for both the staff and their parents, one sandwich shop came up with a “kids only menu” that features meal sets categorized under phrases used by undecided tots like “I don’t know!” and “I’d rather starve!”.
On the other hand, a coffee shop cleverly presented their coffee cup sizes in a way that suggested which size was perfect for the customer depending on the amount of sleep they got prior to stopping by the shop. It’s an absolutely clever way of connecting with one’s clients!
“I found this at my local supermarket.”
“New seasonal item in the produce department at the grocery store!”
“Ad for local pizza shop. They’re getting my business.”
“Coffee shop drink sizes based on how much sleep you had last night”
“My kind of shop..”
“False advertising”
“The children’s menu at a local sandwich shop.”
The jokes some of these shops make got pretty dark
Adding a bit of humor to one’s marketing strategy is fun. But some of these funny shops have also used some pretty dark humor to win our favor. Take for example the scandalous sign that a supermarket staff placed in front of their cucumber stock. This ‘innocent’ joke of theirs most likely earned plenty of chuckles from shoppers! Meanwhile, a photography shop certainly won the online community’s attention with their shocking poster. Scroll down below to see more of these fun shops and their hilariously clever signs!
“Shaving sign at a barber shop across the street from Trinity College, Dublin”
“Local hardware store with a sense of humour.”
“Interesting advertisement for my local printing shop.”
“At the coffee shop when you get hit by this unexpected quote of the day”
“Was sitting at my local coffee shop and randomly decided to flip over the plastic triangle menu they have on all the tables…”
“The children’s book section at this gift shop doesn’t candy coat a damn thing.”
“They mounted a vegan to the wall at my local butcher shop.”
“Someone at the Arts & Crafts store has a warped sense of humor.”
“As somebody who works in retail, this sign should be posted in every store ever.”
Sugar-coating isn’t a part of these businesses’ vocabulary
“I noticed this bottle at a local coffee shop, and asked the owner about it. He said “health inspector asked ‘what’s this jar?’ and I said nothing, it’s empty, and she said ‘everything has to be labeled’ so I labeled it”
“Seen in a toy store in Austin, TX”
“This pizza shop gets it”
“My local independent coffee shop uses a Starbucks mug for its toilet brush holder”
“Aussie coffee shop tells it like it is”
And sometimes, the hilarity is the result of employees getting a bit of power
“I was given the ability to control what gets printed on the receipts at the doughnut shop where I work. This is the first thing I did.”
“Found in a Florida grocery store. That’s how you sell some produce!”
“This sign I found a an ice cream shop in Amman, Jordan.”
“For my last day of work at the pet store, I made myself Employee of the Month”
“Someone in the wine section at my local giant eagle has a sense of humor”
“Safety first.”
“The sign outside my local coffee shop”
“This cone display at my local ice cream shop.”
“Went to a Mexican wrestling-themed taco shop the other night, was not disappointed.”
“My local ice cream shop has this on their dishes.”
I think we can all agree that coffee and ice cream shops reign supreme in this compilation of funny shops. And we’re not complaining! It’s always a treat to stumble upon a subtle joke or pun while we’re going about our usual routine. You’ve probably discovered plenty of in-store jokes on your own. If so, then go ahead and share it with us via the comment section below!