A sincere, timely and non-weasel-like apology is a critical way for a leader, business, government official or anyone to make amends and rebuild trust when something has gone off the rails. Using humor during an apology can be extrememly tricky as you run the risk of sending the message that you aren't sincere and you're not taking the apology completely seriously. But when done right, humor can turn a blunder into a marketing wonder.   

 

When Johnson & Johnson had a supply-chain problem with a particular O.B. product which led to empty shelves, customers were outraged. So Johnson & Johnson not only fixed the problem, they apologized in a timely, sincere, yet hilarious manner by creating a musical apology on their website, customized to the customer's name (a "We're very, very, very, very, very, very, very sorry" card prompts you to enter your first name) making the apology feel as though it was personalized just for you.

 

Funny and outrageous, yet the apology still feels sincere. Check it out at: O.B. Triple Sorry.