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There are some sounds that just give you goosebumps.

The wind in the trees. The laughter of a child. The boot-up sound of a PlayStationX.

In celebration of the brand’s 30th anniversary, Sony has revived the iconic OG boot screen. While many brands fail to execute nostalgia branding in a way that’s truly effective, PlayStation shows us it’s about tying the past to the present in a meaningful way.

In today's newsletter:

• Thinking about using nostalgia in your marketing? (take a page out of PlayStation’s book to avoid being gimmicky)

• Death metal at the Olympics? (that’s one way to get yourself noticed!)

• Trend plug - Hopeless core

• Ask the Editor - What do I create content about when I can’t think of anything to say?

-Sophie, Writer ♡

Good morning to all PlayStation fans <3

…The rest of you (Xbox fans), uh, hi, I guess.

It’s the 30th anniversary of our beloved console (yes, we are old.)

And Sony has brought back the OG PlayStation boot screen to celebrate.

You know, there are some sounds that just get me.

The MSN messenger nudge sound is one, the bwaaaaaam bwuuuuuuuuuum of my trusty PS2 – undefeated. Goosebumps. A small tear running down my face.

Clearly, I’m a little excited about the revival of such. Because most of the sounds that filled our tween years are no more.

But also, because its fkn awesome. I know I bag on nostalgia marketing being a cheap play. And I stand by that, but this right here, this is nostalgia done right.

You know the usual drill: brands dredge up the past, throw a few retro references at us expecting some warm fuzzies to convert to sales, and call it a day. PlayStation is out here redefining the game as per, pun totally intended.

[Keep reading]

-Sophie, Writer

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How Gojira's Big Olympics Moment Shook Up the World Stage

Okay, I'm a little late to this. But before the year properly wraps up I gotta do a deep dive into one of my favorite things to happen this year and possibly ever:

That death metal performance at the Paris Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony.

Fronted by French metal band Gojira (the Japanese name for Godzilla, pronounced 'goh-JEE-rah') and featuring opera singer Marina Viotti, their French Revolution-themed act was such a jarring contrast to the more mainstream, sparkly performances at the opening from the likes of Lady Gaga and Celine Dion.

Even if you're like me and barely touched the Olympics this year, you couldn't escape those hardcore 3 minutes of 4 rockers playing loudly while strapped to the side of a castle.

Towering flames, 'blood' streamers and singing, headless Marie Antoinettes, - ya know, for families!

And look, I know this happened 4 months ago now, and there was A LOT from that opener that's been covered to death now.

But honestly...I never stopped thinking about this performance. As a fan of the band, metal music, history, special effects and stunts, this performance has left a lasting impact on me.

So why was this such a standout performance on so many levels?

[Keep reading]

-Devin, Copywriter

Trend Plug - Hopeless Core

Now here is a satirical trend I can truly get behind. It's dark, it's funny, it's kind of taking the piss...It's hopeless core!

Hopeless core mocks the aspirational, positive content of hope-core, as users create videos based around demotivating, strange moments.

Take this video, for example—it's a recreation of a viral video of a man accidentally being knocked into by a bike. And it's turned 'hopeful' through some bizarre editing.

Instead of showing the moment for what it is (a conflict, a not-very-nice accident), the editor has taken the words from the transcript and made them big, bright, and bold.

Add a couple of videos of nature and the tell-tale backing track ‘Dramamine’ by Flawed Mangoes, and it’s now hopeless core!

Or this video, with a person pondering life in a way that is completely nonsensical, rather than inspirational.

How you can jump on this trend:

Get funny with it. Either find or create some content that just...isn't at all hopeful or aspirational. Maybe it's you talking about the sandwich you ate yesterday, or maybe you re-edit a video of an epic fail.

Just make sure you use the song 'Dramamine' and add the sort of bright on-screen captions that change in shape and size!

A few ideas to get you started:

• Talk about an embarrassing moment in a highly serious way, then edit it to be 'hopeless core.'.

• Find an argument from a reality TV show, and use the audio for your video.

• Create a 'fake podcast' and discuss some controversial subjects, but in a positive light.

-Maggie, Copywriter

Today on the YAP podcast…

Want even more ‘YAP’ing? Check out the full podcast here.

Ask the Editor

Q - I want to post more about my business but sometimes I blank out. What do I talk about if I can't think of anything? - Tia 

Hey Tia!

If you're trying to reinvent the wheel every time you make a piece of content, of course you're going to run out of ideas pretty quickly. That's why having a strategy to fall back on is so important.

While you're working on putting your strategy together, here are a few quick tips to help you come up with content ideas:

• Ask your audience what they want to know. If you've got a bit of a following already, just ask them what they want to know about your industry.

• Scour the internet. If you don't have enough followers to ask, you can use a tool like Answer the Public to find out what people are searching relating to your industry. You can also spend some time on Reddit looking for topics you can talk about.

• Nail down your content pillars. This sounds basic, but you'd be surprised by how many people don't have them. Once you've got a handful of topics you always talk about, you'll have a much easier time creating content. Keep talking about your core topics so your audience begins to see you as an expert on them.

For more on this, check out How to never run out of content ideas.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

For the group chat

😂Yap’s funniest home videos: Superman!!
✨Daily inspo: Keanu is just him
🎧Soooo tingly: ARIANA WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE??
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Beef and broccoli noodles

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