Laughing All the Way to the Bank: The Comedy Actor Making Ads Funny Again

You probably know Alex Macqueen as ‘Neil’s dad’ from ‘The Inbetweeners’ or, to me and some of my politically-obsessed friends, as Julius Nicholson (‘the man that makes the bhaji go away’). But it was advertising that launched his career in TV comedy. 

Alex’s first professional acting gig was an Utterly Butterly ad, which involved improvising the entire script during rehearsals before shooting on the day. "It was quite loose,” he remembers. “And as a result, the casting director said, ‘I’m casting Armando Iannucci’s next show, a documentary-style thing called ‘The Thick of It’. If you like improvising and feel comfortable with it, you should come in for that.’" That set him on a path that led to one of British television’s most celebrated satirical comedies and, beyond it, to BAFTA nominations and roles starring in TV and film from ‘Peaky Blinders’ to ‘Downton Abbey’.

Although he’s kept his hand in, doing voiceover work and occasionally appearing in ads, Alex has just taken on an unexpected title: head of humour at Kitchen, the London-based independent agency. 

"It lit up something in me – almost like a childhood dream being reignited," Alex says of the role. Long before his acting career took off, advertising was something he had considered, but the industry’s recruitment barriers made it an impossible dream while he was at university. "I was really disappointed and frustrated that the big agencies were only hiring for account management roles. I thought, ‘That’s a business role – I want to be designing and writing the ads!’"

Now, decades later, Alex has found a way to try on the career that he’d coveted as a student. The head of humour role is a first in the industry – a move that aims to inject spontaneity and comedic instinct into a process that has often become rigid and risk-averse. Alongside Kitchen co-founder Tim Clyde, he is leading a new creative movement – one that champions improvisation, natural performances, and a fearless approach to comedy in advertising.

"We’re trying to inject a bit more of that Utterly Butterly spirit – bringing back the spontaneity and natural observation that come from real performance," says Tim.

For an industry that thrives on capturing attention, advertising has grown strangely humourless. Once a staple of TV spots – think Hamlet Cigars’ photo booth, John Smith’s Peter Kay sketches, or Maureen Lipman’s ‘Ologies’ for BT – comedy has taken a backseat in recent years. Kantar research shows that humour in advertising began declining after the 2008 financial crisis, then suffered another major dip during the pandemic. And yet, as economic uncertainty lingers, the need for laughter is greater than ever.

Although a head of humour is unusual, it’s obvious why Kitchen has chosen Alex for the role. He brings a performer’s instinct and a comedian’s understanding of timing, character, and absurdity to the creative process. More importantly, he’s spent years learning from some of the best comedic minds in the business. "I’ve been very lucky to work with some of the best in the business and see firsthand why things are funny," he says. Many of ‘The Thick of It’s iconic moments were discovered on set. He’s also worked with ‘Succession’ and ‘Peep Show’ creator Jesse Armstrong, opposite Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus – two of the biggest names in American comic acting. He’s collaborated with Julia Davis, whose brand of dark, observational comedy has made her one of the UK’s most respected comedic voices, and among the likes of other legends of the screen from Michael Caine to Ian McKellen. "Watching how they work, learning their methods – that’s been invaluable to me," he reflects. 

Alex’s presence is already prompting Kitchen to rethink how humour is woven into advertising. "I have very little background in how the advertising industry works, and I actually think that’s a bonus," Alex admits. "I’m not bringing conventional thinking. I’m not trapped by how it’s always been done or the way you ‘should’ do it." Instead, his presence allows the agency to challenge established norms, add unpredictability into the process, and bring an actor’s perspective to the creative table – something that often gets overlooked in advertising’s heavily scripted world.

This perspective also means more freedom for performers, ensuring that humour doesn’t get lost in the pursuit of perfection. "When I do voiceovers, one of the things I often say at the start is, ‘Listen, I’m going to experiment. I’ll do a panto version, a Pinter version, a normal version, and then two or three loose versions back to back. Don’t stop me during the process.’" By keeping the energy fluid, rather than locking into a single, pre-approved version of humour, the process mimics the way great comedy is actually made – through trial, error, and instinct.

Tim sees Alex’s input as a game-changer for Kitchen. "This isn’t about just making ads funnier," he explains. "It’s about making the whole process more instinctive, more organic, and ultimately, more effective."

For decades, humour was a mainstay of British advertising, responsible for some of the industry’s most iconic campaigns. From the surreal brilliance of ‘You’ve Been Tango’d’ to ‘The Water in Majorca’, funny ads became part of culture. But somewhere along the way, advertising stopped making people laugh.

Tim has seen the shift firsthand. "One of the biggest challenges in advertising is that, by its nature, it requires client approval – sometimes even regulatory approval, like going through Clearcast," he explains. "By the time you’re actually making it, everything is already so defined. There’s only so much the director and performers can do when it’s locked down.”

A mix of risk aversion, corporate caution, and a shift towards safer or more serious purpose-driven messaging has left humour by the wayside. The industry once embraced comedic unpredictability – now, many brands opt for polished, inoffensive narratives that blend into the background.

Some might argue that nostalgia makes older ads seem funnier in hindsight, but is that really the case? Have we lost our ability to craft humorous ads, or have we just stopped trying?

"We’ve been doing an exercise, looking back over the last 20 or 30 years, asking: What are the really fun adverts, and what are the elements that actually make them work?" says Alex. He and Tim are also launching a podcast series this month, ‘It’s Funny Because It’s True,’ diving into the art and craft of comedy, exploring what makes things funny and how humour comes to life. Its first guests will be Matt Lucas and Rob Brydon.

One thing is clear: humour is still a powerful emotional tool – and in a world saturated with content, brands that can make audiences laugh have an edge. A joke, well told, cuts through. "Think about a party, or when you meet a friend’s friends," says Tim. "If there’s someone funny in the group, you remember them. But someone who’s just a really nice guy? You forget them. Why would anyone want to hear from a brand that’s just nice? They’ll get lost."

Beyond just standing out, humour fosters authenticity and emotional connection. The best funny ads don’t just entertain; they make brands feel human. And if advertising is about relationships, then laughter might just be the fastest way to build one.

Laughter is a biological response. Neuroscience research is uncovering why humour is so effective in advertising: it triggers dopamine release, strengthening memory and emotional connection. Kitchen is also tapping into this science, working with the IPA’s head of strategy to explore how humour activates the brain and why we instinctively recall funny moments more vividly than serious ones.

"Humour is about how people process information,” says Tim. “A joke lands because it surprises the brain. That’s what makes it stick."

So, if humour works, why aren’t more brands using it? "Comedy is about failure," says Alex. "And if you attach failure to your brand, is that an easy fit? I can see why brands might be nervous about it. But it’s unwise to dismiss humour. You’ll appeal to a much broader audience if you’re making genuinely funny ads – "

Tim agrees, highlighting a common misconception among cautious marketers: "A lot of clients say, ‘We’re not in a funny category.’ But the people they’re trying to reach do have a sense of humour." In other words, while brands may worry about whether humour fits their image, their audiences are already laughing – just at someone else’s ad.

So what separates brands that use humour successfully from those that shy away? Confidence. "A confident brand can afford to be funny. It can afford to mock itself," Tim explains. "Think about Peperami [whose somewhat grotesque ‘It’s a Bit of an Animal’ line ran for years] – it’s saying, Go ahead, laugh at me! That’s power."

Not long ago, humorous advertising was a shared cultural experience. A great TV ad could make an entire nation laugh. With millions tuning in to the same evening programming, comedy in advertising had broad appeal and a universal language. But today’s media landscape is vastly different.

"Fewer and fewer people are sitting through a regular ad break on linear TV," says Alex. "More and more, they’re streaming content – seeing different ads than the person next door because of targeting." The days of mass-market comedy ads are fading, replaced by digital-first content that must adapt to niche audiences, fragmented media consumption, and huge cultural and generational divides.

What one group finds hilarious might completely alienate another. Brands can no longer rely on one-size-fits-all humour – they must now consider who they’re speaking to, on which platform, and in what cultural context. There’s a reason brands fear comedy – it walks a fine line. What was considered funny 20 years ago might not land today. Cultural sensitivities have evolved, and the wrong joke can quickly lead to backlash.

Tim acknowledges this challenge. "Nowadays, we’ve (rightfully) become much more conscious about what we say and how it affects people," he says. But at the same time, he warns against over-sanitising humour to the point where it loses its edge. "Comedy, by nature, is unkind. It’s unpleasant, it’s rude, it mocks, derides, and lampoons – because that’s what makes it successful, and that’s why we love it."

This puts brands in a difficult position. How do you create ads that are genuinely funny without crossing the line? “There’s an important utility in being able to offend, insult, and upset the right targets," says Alex. 

Despite the challenges, comedy is still one of the most effective tools for cutting through digital noise – but it needs to evolve. The best brands are adapting their humour to fit new platforms.

Tim points to TikTok and Instagram as places where bold, fast, and reactive comedy thrives. "We’ve made a fundamental mistake along the way," he explains. "There was this perception that people consume TV differently than they do online content. But the reality is, we’re still consuming films. Why would we think about advertising differently just because it’s on a different screen?" The answer isn’t to abandon humour – it’s to adjust the execution. 

Humour in advertising often dies in the boardroom. The bigger the agency, the more layers of approvals, legal teams, and risk-averse decision-making stand between a great idea and its execution. By the time a joke has been sanitised to please everyone, it ends up making no one laugh.

That’s where Kitchen is different. As an independent agency, it isn’t bogged down by network bureaucracy or rigid corporate guidelines. "We’ve never been more than 30 people," says Tim. "That allows us to stay agile, humorous, and engaged with what feels right for the moment."

Unlike larger agencies, which often default to safe ideas to satisfy stakeholders, Kitchen has the freedom to push boundaries. "We attract the kind of clients who want to shake things up," Tim explains. "We don’t have layers of corporate hierarchy saying, ‘You can’t do this.’ Culturally and emotionally, we’re game for pushing things further."

With Alex’s proven track record in TV and film, Alex will be coming in early in the pitching process on client projects, he explains, "making sure there’s momentum from the start – so that creativity is baked in, rather than squeezed in at the last minute."

By embedding comedy into the DNA of an idea, rather than forcing it in as an afterthought, Kitchen ensures that humour is organic, not contrived. "Too often, the most creative stuff happens right at the end, when it’s too late," says Alex. "Instead, I want to keep that creative tumble dryer spinning from the very beginning, so we don’t miss opportunities by waiting until the last day."

With Alex Macqueen’s comedic instincts and Kitchen’s fearless creativity, advertising is rediscovering the power of humour. Alex knows firsthand that the best comedy thrives on unpredictability. From the prophetic political satire of ‘The Thick of It’ to the awkward brilliance of ‘The Inbetweeners,’ his career has been built on performances that feel real, spontaneous, and perfectly timed – exactly what advertising needs more of today.

"We need to create an environment where people feel encouraged to look foolish and take risks, instead of being scared to get things wrong," he says. "Wherever great work has been done, that’s been a key feature – there’s no shame in experimenting and failing."

The future belongs to brands willing to take that leap. Play it safe, and fade into the noise. Take the risk, make people laugh – and be remembered.