Copyrights Group

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Classic Ladybird™ Images from the Ladybird Books archive

 

Background

 

Ladybird Books were originally published in 1915 by Loughborough printers Wills and Hepworth. It was during the Second World War that the distinctive  mini-hardback format was launched, and since then millions of children the world over have learned to read with Ladybird Books.

 

Key series have included: How Things Work, Nature, What to Look For, Key Words, People at Work, People Who Help Us, Well-Loved Tales, Men of Danger

 

There is a very active community of collectors of Ladybird Books.

 

The images available from the Ladybird archive provide an excellent record of British social history. The images reflect an innocent world where fathers washed their cars and the family sat down together for a roast lunch every Sunday. The positioning of the archive matches perfectly the current interest in licensing ‘retro’ brands and images.    

 

 

Target Markets

 

Target Consumer: adult – male and female.(Slight male bias amongst collectors).

Core product categories: stationery and posters, clothing and accessories, home furnishings, housewares, ceramics, and gift.

 

 

Brand Values

  • Trusted, Traditional, Good quality, Good value, Educational
  • The same brand values have applied for up to 40 years.

 

Unique Selling Points

  • Brand is regarded with huge affection by retail buyers and consumers alike
  • Today, Ladybird Books is the UK’s leading pre-school brand – 94% brand recognition
  • Distinctive mini-hardback format celebrated 65th anniversary in 2005
  • The Ladybird Books non-fiction archive also contains a unique visual social history of a British way of life which has largely disappeared
  • Existing body of collectors in the UK – see The Wee Web and Dottybug
  • There is a Ladybird book for every stage of a child’s development
  • Ladybird is a brand with a valuable legacy
  • Instantly recogniseable
  • Unrivalled status in the world of children's books for nearly 70 years

Media and Profile

  • The Ladybird makeover has been highlighted by industry bible, Design Week as one of the key moments of the design year. The iconic Ladybird has been cited within The Top 100, the annual publication published by Design Week to establish the most successful design agencies in the UK. 
  • National press advertising
  • National PR campaign
  • Ongoing programme of art exhibitions – recently at Loughborough, Hastings, Eastbourne and Birmingham
  • Over 100,000 transactions per annum via e-Bay for sales of second-hand editions.

 

Publishing:

  • Ladybird Books sell over 13 million copies annually around the world.
  • Key international territories: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Caribbean, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Malaysia, Singapore, India
  • The annual publishing programme exceeds 125 new titles every year.
  • Tie-in retrospective publishing anticipated 2007 (10 titles)

 

Licensing

  • Simon Spicer (greeting cards & notebooks) have a large and hugely funny range of licensed merchandise using images from the Ladybird archive.
  • Half Moon Bay launched a retro gift and housewares range in Autumn 2007, with additional items being added in February 2008.

 

 

Internet:

 

The official Ladybird website – contains an area for collectors and archive information. (1.5m hits per month)

 

 

UKRetail Support:

 

Ladybird Books are sold into every retail sector within the UK – typical key accounts include:

WH Smith, Waterstones, Ottakars, Borders, ELC, Asda, Woolworths, Sainsburys, Tescos, Mothercare, John Lewis, Wilkinsons, Easons, Toys R Us, Boots

 

 

Marketing Support :

  • Platform within the www.ladybird.co.uk relaunched website
  • Recent market research undertaken.
  • Substantial interest from collectors’ community and links with The Wee Web and other interested parties

 

If the Ladybird Archive were a TV programme what would it be?

 

Z Cars, How ?, Golden Shot, Tomorrow’s World, Crackerjack, Dixon of Dock Green, Nationwide, Dr Who, Magpie, Blue Peter, Animal Magic, Morecambe & Wise

 

 

What brands or activities would you associate with the Ladybird?

 

Boys Own, Bunty, Gymkit, Shoot, Milky Bar Kid, World of Wonder, Blue Ribbon, Spangles, Jungle Juice, Ribena, Flying Saucers, Wagon Wheels, Curly-Wurlys, Daily Herald, rounders, plimsolls.

 

 

 

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© Ladybird Books 2008