Def Leppard Animated Series Could Become a Reality

In the late 1980s when I was 17, Def Leppard’s Hysteria album was at the top of the charts in the U.S. My friends and I got tickets to see the band perform at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

One of my friends and I were able to sneak down from our first tier seats to the floor and ended up in the front row at the center of the stage. We had a blast, and I still remember her dancing on the roof of my parents’ car in the parking lot afterward and denting the it. We punched it back into shape, but a small dent lingered that I could always see from my second story bedroom window that overlooked our driveway whenever the car was parked there. I always wondered if my parents ever noticed it (sorry about that Mom and Dad).

Today, about 20 years later, I read an article on the MediaFreak blog about a new deal Def Leppard is considering that might include an animated series. I could write all kinds of things about marketing and branding related to this odd development, but I won’t. Instead, I’ll leave my post with this food for thought …

Pick and choose your brand extensions carefully. Remain focused and don’t forget your core audience.

I may not have listened to my old Hysteria album in a long time, but I still remember all the words to Pour Some Sugar on Me and I sing out loud when it comes on the radio. However, I don’t think I’d ever watch a Def Leppard animated series, and I can’t foresee such a series drawing in a broad, new audience either.

How about you?

Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc. and Founder & Editor in Chief of an award-winning blog, WomenOnBusiness.com. She is a 25-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored 10 books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing.