This popular series of knowing nods to a simpler era shows the value in recycling content with a fresh twist
While cleaning up the mess around Content Desk’s, erm, desk this week, I uncovered my Secret Santa gift from the end of last year.
The Ladybird Book of the Hangover follows the same theme as the other Ladybird Books for Grown Ups series. (Titles include The Ladybird Book of the Sickie and parodies of the ‘how to’ style of book, such as How It Works: The Dog.)
The books have old images from Ladybird’s catalogue of works, but with new, ironic captions.
Sample quote: “Prepare a hangover first-aid kit of a banana and a pint of water by your bed-side before going out for an evening’s drinking.
“When you wake, fully dressed, the next morning, you can look at the untouched glass and the uneaten banana and wonder who left them there, and why.”
Or, below, an ode to bacon.
Mining nostalgia
The series has gained great popularity, in part for the exact reason it ended up on my desk – as a humorous, nostalgia-filled gift.
As content marketers, there is much to appreciate in the successful rebranding that Ladybird has overseen with this endeavour.
The authors (Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris – also rebranded in Ladybird style as J.A. Hazeley, N.S.F.W. and J.P. Morris, OMG) are comedy writers with credits on TV shows such as Miranda and That Mitchell and Webb Look.
As successful content creators, they know their audience. The same people who enjoyed the original Ladybird series – hearing them read by their parents or having them on their classroom bookshelves – are now seeing them again with knowing, reminiscing eyes.
Check the cupboards for unused content
Repurposing old content is a great way to put a fresh angle on an old tale, but beware simply reusing out-of-date material. An audience will always be wise to a rehash. One of the reasons that The Ladybird Books for Grown Ups work is the inventive mix of the familiar and the surprising.
What does your brand have in its archive that could be made into something new? Are there untapped resources which you could take advantage of? Are there old illustrations that have by now attained retro appeal? (The #tbt hashtag on social media is always a good attention grabber and could be utilised for your business.)
Perhaps there is some research or infographic or whitepaper that could be dusted off and used as a jumping-off point or comparison piece for a comment article or blog? Or could the graphics be re-used with current data?
There may be videos that could be re-edited to address topical issues and cut to make them suitable for social sharing.
The likelihood is that your business has a raft of material produced over the years. An inventive eye can find a new outlet for it.
