As the UK’s leading publishers launch their latest hot licensed calendar ranges and arty masterpieces, spare a thought for independent publisher Kevin Beresford, who just a few weeks ago had the dubious distinction of creating the world’s most boring calendar.
However, since Kevin appeared on ITV’s Daybreak to lament his poor fortunes sales of the calendar went through the roof and have turned into his biggest money spinner so far this Christmas.
It was not always the case, however. The Fast Disappearing Red Telephone Boxes of Wales 2014 calendar was a slow starter, with even Kevin admitting in November that the concept is ‘naff, nerdy and boring, we may have crossed a boring bridge too far.”
Mr Beresford had the idea for the calendar after his 2012 Roundabouts of Great Britain was an unlikely hit, selling tends of thousands of copies nationwide. The phone boxes are proving to be a major damp squib in comparison, despite featuring 12 images featuring areas of great natural beauty in the Welsh countryside, such as Monmouth, Llanberis and Gilwern.
He mused whether the nation’s calendar buying public were “not all fed up with David Beckham, six-pack fireman, Lady Ga-Ga, One Direction and dare I say Cliff Richard?’ However giant licensed calendar publisher Danilo is enjoying roaring sales of both Cliff and the ubiquitous boy band, currently vying for the top slot in the sales stakes.
Perhaps all that is about to change. “We should embrace dullness”, said Kevin, “I predict dullness will be the new black. The geeks will inherit the Earth”. He said his favourite image from the super-dull calendar was of the box at Talybont-on-Usk, pictured on the front cover. “It’s got two ducks waddling past and somehow the image typifies Wales”.
1 thought on “World’s most boring calendar hits the jackpot!”
No surprise if this calendar is now selling.
At first the story was that not a single copy of the calendar had been sold.
I read it online and thought I would Google it – newspapers, news sites and broadcasters had swallowed it in droves.
My idea was to find out where it had been on sale?
Here in Wales, for example?
Or online?
Perhaps I could buy one.
But couldn’t find anything to suggest that it had been on sale at all.
No marketing.
Conclusion?
The ‘we’ve not sold a single copy’ line was the marketing.
(And maybe the calendar was never on sale at all.)
I’m not sure that calendars have to be interesting – hasn’t Cliff Richard’s calendar been the biggest sellar in the UK for years?
The whole story says more about the nature of the nature’s media than anything else.
By the way, for great pictures of locations in Wales go to the BBC Wales section of the BBC website – there’s a gallery there that currently a dozen great photos. Enough for a calendar!