The Naked Gun: How a spoof revival proves that silliness sells

The Naked Gun (2025) is the dumbest movie I've seen in years. Give me 30 more sequels.

Just some quick context, especially if you were born in the 21st century. The Naked Gun is a crime/spoof-slapstick comedy film series. This new entry is the series' first in 31 years. The original trilogy was led by Leslie Nielsen (rest in power) while this legacy sequel stars Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Nielsen's character.

Going in, I was ready to cringe so hard my soul combusted. But honestly, I don't think I've ever laughed harder in a movie theatre (especially at one scene involving a windshield, but I won't spoil that for you).

But look - this isn't a movie review, and I'm not gonna get all "you kids get off my lawn" by telling you how we need to return to "the good ol' days" of comedy films. But this film's defied audience and critic expectations. And as I watched Neeson dress as a girl scout and lament the "Janet Jackson Super Bowl", a thought crossed my mind: spoof and slapstick comedies are supposedly "dead." But that brand of humour has been killing it online for years.

Surreal humour never really died - why not make it marketable?

The Naked Gun and social media share a similar sense of humour. I'm talking dad jokes, dry wit and non sequiturs that default your brain towards laughter. While the movies have actual storylines, it's the nonsensical gags that hook people in before anything else.

Plus, as if it wasn't goofy enough, some silliness even bled into the new movie's marketing campaign. This includes a very handsy poster with Pamela Anderson, a 73-year-old Neeson doing a perfect split, and a faux-poignant PSA with Neeson asking you to help "save comedy".

Some of the most memorable social media campaigns lean into the same humour, perhaps Duolingo and Nutter Butter, most notoriously. Only a handful of posts focus on the app, but it's the company's unhinged nature online that draws people in, guiding them towards their platform.

Have a look at Grillo's Pickles, too. They just sell pickles, so seemingly don't have much to say. But when their most popular video involves showing pickles the Statue of Liberty, you know there's some gold within that goofiness.

Assaults on your funny bone

Much like social media today, a key trait of these films is their ability to overwhelm your senses. There's a joke or sight gag every few seconds. Even if most of them don't land, you're always on high alert for something to laugh at.

When you think about it, Instagram and TikTok algorithms aren't all that different. Be honest, how many of your doom scrolling sessions start with a string of memes and brain rot that suck you in, hungry for more comedic beats?

The fact is, whether it's movies or a late night scroll sesh, audiences across the board crave those endorphins. It's especially the case in this day and age, when it feels like every day there's a new reason the world's on fire. One way or another, people are drawn towards anything that sparks joy or simply just harmless fun. So why can't your campaign be one of those things?

Wait - if people love surreal humour so much, why don't more movies do it?

Honestly, I don't know. I'm no film buff, so I don't really have a confident answer. My best guess as to how we got here was that we as a society have gone through some bizarre loop-de-loop. My guess is silly, senseless comedies were hits 30 years ago, but that humour was seen as cringy by the turn of the millennium. Then social media made it big again, and now that humour's back in theatres.

It should be said, this new Naked Gun is a rarity in terms of successful spoof movies these past few decades. But with sequels to other classic spoof movies like Scary Movie, Spinal Tap and Spaceballs now in production, it's clear there's a big push to make silliness cool again.

My advice to you would be to not fight this wave of positive stupidity. The masses are craving any and every reason to smile, so if you can tap into that with your brand, why not do it? Even if you don't make clear ties to your product, you'll give people something memorable to laugh about. Whether it turns into sales or not, those experiences will carry value one way or another. :)

-Devin Pike, Copywriter