What TheLADBible app says about contemporary lad culture
POPSCI: A scientific slant on what’s trending in popular culture
The recent news that both Zoo and FHM have closed their doors has led many to declare the cultural beast that is lad culture as dead. But while many rejoice, we shouldn’t speak too soon; just 24 hours following the release of TheLADbible’s first app, it’s hit the number one spot on the iOS App Store.
The free app is part of TheLADBible’s attempt to take a more serious direction with its content. It’s been repositioning for a while, weaving more complex storytelling into news stories and championing powerful female figures. Following the Paris attacks it published 30 stories in 24 hours. “The Paris attacks were a big thing for us,” says Mimi Turner, marketing director of TheLADbible. “They came to us because they wanted a place to talk about it. We’re not really a publishing business; we’re a community.”
And now, this community’s app-based offering has overtaken the likes of The Guardian on the App Store. And it’s unsurprising, given that around 150 million people — more than half of all British men between the ages of 18 and 24 — are exposed to the platform’s content via Facebook. So if lad culture is really dead, what exactly is going on here?
“Internet news is about moving fast and breaking things,” says David Carr, strategy director at DigitasLBi. “Don’t ask for permission; ask for forgiveness. TheLADbible has recognised there’s more to lads than laddisms, which is why it’s broken out of its niche.” Just as Buzzfeed has transitioned from a listicle machine to a trusted media outlet, TheLADbible’s ability to talk to its audience in a language they understand will see it retain them as loyal readers in the long-term.
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Written by Lore Oxford, deputy commissioning editor at Canvas8
