In the 1990 movie "Crazy People," Dudley Moore plays an ad executive who cracks under the pressure. He loses his ability to write ads that are anything but truthful. While he is checked into a mental institution to decompress, his brutally honest ads become a huge hit with the public. When he rebuffs his boss' pleas to return to the office, he turns the mental institution into his own agency and turns his fellow inmates into some of the most creative copywriters of all time.

The inmates push the boundaries of taste, class, decorum and sensibility while having fun with their clients' brands. The key to their success was the honesty of their ads -- diving deep into the core of their brands -- but they achieved that success by having fun instead of "working."

Navigating your brand safely through the new advertising media takes more than a good punchline. Meticulous planning, thorough understanding and flawless execution are as critical to your success as they are in telling a joke properly. Or you become the joke. 

I'm not suggesting that Kellogg's outsource its advertising to the Kellogg Sanitarium, but there are more ways for advertisers to have fun with their brands than ever before. But here are a few things to keep in mind before you take the plunge.

Author notes: Corey Kronengold is the director of corporate communications for Tremor Media. Read full bio.