The paper, When Do Advertising Parodies Hurt? The Power of Humour and Credibility in Viral Spoof Advertisements, written by two French authors and published in the Journal of Advertising Research, looked at the impact of viral spoof ads on parodied brands.

It was found that, while these ads can damage attitudes towards the parodied brand, purchase intentions appear isolated from the harmful effects. Nevertheless, the conclusion was that brands should be wary of the potential impact that these ads may have.

“A credible parody with humour may harm the brand attitudes of both more and less committed consumers,” the authors wrote. “Therefore, brand managers and organisations should acknowledge the seriously damaging potential of parodies.”