75% of B2B campaigns rated 1-star

Hey, Paige here!

Before we get into today’s best marketing research… 

In today’s release: 

• Creative B2B ads drive +40% more consideration… and 75% of brands are still flunking with 1-star content.

• Humor = 80% more buyer preference. Yes, even in enterprise software.

• Emotionally-charged campaigns are 10× more effective at long-term brand growth (Pixar tears = pipeline wins).

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DEEP DIVE

Your next campaign needs less jargon and more joy ✨

Let’s cut to the chase: most B2B marketing still sounds like it was written by a sentient PDF.

You’ve seen the emails—"end-to-end scalable solutions to optimize mission-critical synergies." No wonder most buyers forget us five seconds after they close the tab.

Creativity is finallyyyyy having its moment in B2B. 

And not in a cute “look, we used color!” way… I'm talking bold storytelling, humor, emotional resonance, and campaigns that actually stick in people’s brains.

And the cherry on top?

It’s not just fun. It’s profitable.

The data: Creative B2B = more buyers, more revenue

Let’s break down what the numbers are practically dancing in front of us:

• B2B ads deemed "creative" deliver 40% more purchase consideration than non-creative ones.

• Brands using humor are 80% more likely to win buyer preference.

• “Emotionally engaging” ads? +9% brand favorability, +12% purchase intent.

Meanwhile, 75% of B2B ads? Scored 1-star for creativity.

Not three. Not two. One.

As in: “Congratulations on wasting your entire media budget.”

Why on Earth are we still playing it safe?

Because B2B has long believed that “professional” equals “soulless” when it comes to content.
But here’s the thing: your buyer is a human being.

They have a job title, yes — but they also watch Netflix, laugh at memes, and cry during Pixar movies.

And they’re begging for something different:

• 64% say B2B ads lack humor.

• 60% say they lack emotional appeal.

• 59% say there’s no relatability.

Wins from real-world brands

▶ Workday:
Threw “serious enterprise” out the window and dropped a Super Bowl ad where Ozzy Osbourne yells at people for calling themselves “rockstars.” Result? Huge lift in brand consideration.

▶ Gympass:
Built a murder mystery podcast for HR professionals. (Yes, really.) Spent 1% of their budget, got over 1M downloads, and hit #1 on Spotify’s fiction chart. That’s called ROI with a twist of whodunnit.

▶ Autodesk:
Hired Ryan Reynolds’ agency to create a fake filmmaker (“Otto Descinski”) and spoof Hollywood. The creative push led to a 14% spike in traffic and an 18% bump in revenue. So, yeah. Not just artsy fluff.

▶ Mailchimp:
Launched a docu-series about second acts in life — no product in sight. Just great storytelling. The emotional payoff? A brand that feels human and trusted.

Why creative wins in B2B

Because it checks the boxes your “Ultimate Guide to ROI Alignment Synergy” never will:

✅ Emotion = Memorability
Emotionally resonant ads are 10× more effective at driving long-term growth.

✅ Humor = Relatability
90% of people remember funny ads. You want to be the one they can’t forget, not the one they scroll past in a for-you page coma.

✅ Storytelling = Trust
Narratives connect dots. They build brand preference over time, especially when there’s a clear, human thread.

Strategy time: Creativity without the Super Bowl budget

You don’t need celebrity cameos or a Netflix production budget. Here’s how to start small (and smart):

• Swap your next “how-to” blog post for a short brand story. Use characters. Add emotion.
  

• Test humor in your next campaign. Start with the CTA. Have a little fun.
  

• Build a mini-series or podcast. Fiction, satire, industry parody… or maybe a personality-led co-hosted show? (shameless self-plug)  It’s all fair game.
  

• Challenge your team to pitch one campaign that would get rejected in 2022. Then greenlight it.
  

Creativity isn't fluff. It's strategy with personality. And in B2B, that’s exactly what we need more of.

The Takeaway: in 2025, the boring brand with relatively useless content is the one that’s easiest to ignore.