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Lockdown Laughts
Isolated Incidents
Loo roll stockpiling and flour shortages, social distancing, home hair-cutting, baking obsession, Netflix bingeing, Zoom cocktail parties, while all in a serious cause, lockdown has birthed its own phrases and behaviour patterns. And where there is adversity there is invariably humour. PG delves into how the experiences of the last few months have been and will continue to be reflected on humorous cards. They may take our pubs . But they wilL never stop us drinking in our kitc hens.
While everyone has their own personal ‘sense of humour’, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for card publishers and retail stockists to cater for these, the fact that everyone was plunged into lockdown at the same time created an enormous commonality which makes for fertile ground on the humour (as well as the empathetic) front. As Rosie Harrison, founder of Rosie Made a Thing sums up: “we are all experiencing the same problems, the same irritations and the same challenges. Most of us have been spending too much ‘quality' time with our spouses, over-eating, home-schooling, touching our faces, watching Netflix, cutting our own hair, missing pubs being open, the list goes on…” While she acknowledges that some themes will peter out as the situation moves on - “obtaining loo roll doesn’t seem to be such an issue any more (but don’t get me started on flour though!)” - other elements, such as “face masks, social distancing and lack of pubs and restaurants will continue into our new normal,” believes Rosie, who this month is launching a range of Isolation-themed card designs that have evolved from the positive reactions she has received to her daily illustrative observations she has posted on Instagram.
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PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
Above left: Ohh Deer’s Safely Endangered designs and memes chime with the feelings of the nation. Left: Rosie Made a Thing has created a whole range of isolation designs. Middle left: A new Cloud Nine design from Redback that sums up lockdown life. Bottom: Dean Morris has tapped into life without hairdressers or barbers.
Another avid social media feeder, Dean Morris, founder of Dean Morris Cards has also been encouraged by the reaction to his lockdown-reflective memes, several of which have made it onto cards, with plenty of others in the pipeline. “One unique lockdown phenomenon that has been very popular as a card - and initially a meme I created for Instagram - is a random card about banana bread. It’s not for a specific occasion, but has sold very well,” reveals Dean. While there are some specific references which have shot to fame - “If you had asked me a year ago who Carole Baskin was I wouldn’t have had a clue but anything with her or Tiger King on have been very popular, but how long that particular zeitgeist will last is anyone’s guess” - there are other situations which are set to continue. Missing birthdays and other occasions with people you would traditionally spend time with have been very popular themes and there will be lots of catching up when things do start to return to normality. As Dean reveals the ‘sorry I’m missing your birthday - let’s get drunk later when the pubs are open again’ is likely to continue as a sentiment for a little while yet.