VanityFair.com teamed up with Dallas-based comic artist Chad Thomas to create a hilarious set of Downton Abbey trading cards. Fans of the show will love these hilarious and witty (not to mention well-designed) trading cards that poke fun at some of the show's most lovable and hated characters.
Edith, the "less fair" Dowager sister, is pictured posing with "Any takers" as a man attempts to sneak away into the distance, while Maggie Smith's Dowager Countess is pictured with her most popular (and hilarious) catchphrase, "What is a week-end?"
There are 14 Downton Abbey trading cards in all, including an Anna and Mr. Bates card that says "not the sex scene you were hoping for," as well as O'Brien, Thomas, Matthew, Mary ("Turkish delight") and Lord Grantham ("creepy Crawley").
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Trading Card Parodies
- Creating parodies of popular shows through trading cards presents disruptive innovation opportunities in the collectibles industry.
- Humorous Fan Merchandise
- The creation of witty and funny fan merchandise, like these Downton Abbey trading cards, opens up opportunities for disruptive innovation in the fan merchandise market.
- Collaborations Between Artists and Media Brands
- Partnerships between artists and media brands, as seen in the collaboration between VanityFair.com and Chad Thomas, offer disruptive innovation potential in the entertainment industry.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Collectibles
- The collectibles industry can explore disruptive innovation opportunities by producing parody trading cards for popular TV shows and movies.
- Fan Merchandise
- The fan merchandise industry has the potential to disrupt the market by creating humorous products that cater to fans' love for popular shows and characters, like these Downton Abbey trading cards.
- Entertainment Media
- Collaborating with artists to create unique and funny merchandise, as shown in the partnership between VanityFair.com and comic artist Chad Thomas, can bring disruptive innovation to the entertainment media sector.
