Funny Lawyer Ads?

Some would no doubt consider that headline an oxymoron. And others would agree that most lawyer TV spots are hilarious, although unintentionally so. But according to a New York Times story, a law firm in New York City is running some intentionally funny commercials. And they’re finding their way to YouTube. One features a woman complaining about a paper cut. Another one features a man sobbing over losing power during “the best video game of his life.” The tag line for the commercials is “There are some cases even we can’t win.” And each one ends with a voice over that says “If you’ve been injured, call us, but keep in mind, you really need to be injured.” While the commercials make fun of frivolous law suits, and the lawyers who file them, the implied message is that this firm only pursues serious cases. Some lawyers come right out and call themselves “serious,” but this approach is a lot more clever. And the paper cut commercial has over 3000 YouTube hits. It was not that long ago that the very idea of lawyers advertising was considered beneath the dignity of the profession. Now it’s not a question of whether lawyers will advertise, it’s more about how.