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It’s said if something isn’t broken, don’t fix it, and to me this is 100% true. I won’t argue that one bit. However, certain things do run their course and need to be replaced or reworked. Whether it’s an old marketing campaign that’s been successful in the past, an outdated logo or a long running sitcom like ‘Seinfeld,’ sometimes repurposing content by changing the context, look or tone is what is needed to preserve relevancy.
Hollywood is pretty much the poster child for this practice as studios have recently been rebooting countless films from the ‘80s, ’90s and early 2000s at an expounding rate. Many of these movies have been wildly successful and still hold strong against original films being produced today, but eventually, like movies this practice itself will need to be replaced or reworked. Movie fans will eventually tire from new installment from the ‘Batman’ or ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchises, regardless of the storyline.
The story has been told. We know the narrative. Some reboots though, are more creative in nature and garner attention due to their roots.
I grew up watching ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ and am very familiar with the story and the characters. In 2005, I was skeptical when Tim Burton took the reins when creating the screenplay that was adapted from the original novel ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.’ The end result, in my opinion was fantastic. It was the original story I loved, the same relatable characters but with a different mood and completely different context. It took on its own persona and became a different movie altogether.
For another example watch the clip below. It is the original trailer for the 1993 comedy, Mrs. Doubtfire:
By all accounts this film is a comedy and the trailer accurately depicts this. Now, with a change in mood and context, the recut of the trailer below depicts something completely different:
Mrs. Doubtfire Recut:
Be honest, you felt uncomfortable watching that, right?
There are so many instances where altering the look, mood or context of anything can completely change what you know it to be. It’s possible to recycle projects from one client to the next as long as you give it a creative twist and keep it adaptable. In the long run you will save time and money that you can put to use in other areas of your business.
