When budgets are tight, but video still matters: re-record, don’t fade away.

We’re living in a time where marketers are being asked to do more… with less. Back in the 2008 recession, advertising and marketing budgets were hit hard, and I remember this idea of doing more with less being summed up as “sweating the assets”.

But almost twenty years before that, in 1987 – and yes, I’m really showing my age here – there was an iconic ad for Scotch Video. Not video in the way we think of it today, but actual VHS tapes.

The campaign line was: “Re-record, not fade away.”

Back then, that message mattered. You could reuse the tape again and again. It was practical, economical, and felt like the smart choice. In other words, it was an early version of sweating the asset.

Fast forward to today, and video is without doubt one of the most effective tools in a marketer’s toolbox. But producing regular video content can be expensive – especially if you want to do it properly, with a strong concept, the right filmmakers, and production values that elevate your brand. (Side note: Because let’s be honest: there’s a world of difference between thoughtfully crafted video content and point-and-shoot iPhone footage that says, loud and clear, “we needed to do video, but didn’t have the budget.”)

Faced with that challenge, a lot of marketers simply walk away from video in favour of easier, cheaper tactics.

But there is another route.

Think 1987. Re-record, not fade away.

If you’ve already invested in video, but feel your audience has seen it, scrolled past it, or simply tuned out… have you thought about re-cutting it?

Rather than letting that content fade away, re-cutting existing footage into a brand new narrative – built around a fresh concept and script – can be an incredibly savvy way to sweat the assets you already have, while creating something that feels entirely new to your audience.

In content marketing terms, some might call this “repurposing”. But I’d go a step further.

Done well, this isn’t repurposing.

It’s revitalising.

As the examples below show, two of my clients were facing exactly this “do more with less” dilemma. Both had limited budgets for producing video content. And with crew hire and location shoots off the table, it was time to dust off the old footage and give it a new lease of life.

However, I feel it’s important to note that, in both cases, the footage itself didn’t need to do the heavy lifting.

New campaign concepts were developed. New scripts were written. Storyboards and proof-of-concept edits demonstrated how existing footage could be combined with royalty-free clips and VFX to create entirely new films.

And in both instances, I’d go as far as to say the audience had no idea they were watching “old” footage.

Because the new concept, the new proposition, and the new narrative were more powerful than the footage itself.

That’s what draws people in. That’s what holds attention. The meaningful idea behind the film is doing the real work – often subconsciously – making the audience lean in and engage.

So, below are the all-new videos.

I’ll also include links to the original videos, so you can see the night-and-day difference between the old and the new.

Here’s the old marketing video featuring the original footage

Here’s the old marketing video featuring the original footage

As the examples show, if your marketing budget is squeaking under the pressure of “sweat the assets”, while you’re under equal pressure to produce more video content…

think 1987.

Give us a call, and let’s see if we can re-record what you already have so your audience doesn’t fade away.

P.s, here’s the rather brilliant ‘Re-Record, don’t fade away’ advert from the 80’s (they don’t make ’em like they used to)

In need of some very effective strategic creative? let’s chat

Baz Richardson is the Founder & Creative Director of
Bravo Creative