Not too long ago, we did a deep dive into the Great British Memes page. The endeavor is the brainchild of George Bacon, who’s also the man behind the GBM group social creative agency.
The meme page was created back in 2017 when Bacon was in university. The founding of the company followed in 2020 during the global COVID pandemic.
Bacon explained that the page jumps on reactive and cultural things happening in the UK, which, besides the giggles, keeps the audience up to date on current events. See, I told you it was educational!
Besides that, consistency was also a key factor that added to the popularity of the page. Great British Memes posts on the daily (3 to 4 times most days), and has been for the past 6 years. Today, roughly 17,880 posts later, the page boasts nearly 1 million followers on Facebook with another 2.3 million on Instagram.
Great British Memes isn’t the only player out there when it comes to British memes. Another very popular page is Very Brexit Problems.
Very Brexit Problems has years' worth of unadulterated political, social and very British satire and parody wrapped into memes. And even though Brexit has been old news for a while now, there’s always something to talk about on the matter. Again, memes can teach you so much!
Bored Panda got in touch with the creator of Very Brexit Problems, Joel Willans, for more context on what makes country-focused memes so great. The UK seems to be one of the internet's favorites, and there's reason for it.
From my experience creating Very Brexit Problems, I’d say there are a few reasons, which spring to mind," explains Willans. "Firstly, the UK has had such a huge influence on the modern world with colonialism, industrial revolution, culture, and language reaching the farthest corners of the globe. The British Empire sprawled across continents, stitching together a patchwork of culture and history that's now meme gold."
"Then there’s our linguistic legacy–English is the global language of billions, which makes it so much easier for people everywhere to relate the puns and word play that make English such a fun language."
Willans continues: "Add to that British culture, which is so loved by people, from Shakespeare's witty quips, The Beatles' toe-tapping hits, Monty Python's bonkers humor and Harry Potter magical quotes etc. There are so many globally recognizable icons, which leapfrog borders."
"I’d say final ingredient is British humor. You can see this regularly on the Very Brexit Problems Instagram and Facebook page. British humor is drenched in irony, sarcasm, and self-depreciation, it’s tailor-made for memes. Its unexpected punchlines and absurdity thrive in the meme world, delivering quick, delightful twists. In my opinion, this unique charm, combined with rich cultural references, makes British humor a perfect fit for creating shareable, relatable memes."
While the UK's does have a unique flavor and reach, its meme formula can be translated to other countries as well, even if it's a smaller, more local scale. Willans explains that the key is to leverage that which makes the country's culture and humor tick. For instance, Brits have humor that's drenched in irony, wordplay, and self-deprecation. Other countries can identify their comedic strengths and adapt the memes accordingly.
"Cultural relevance is paramount," elaborates Willans. "British memes thrive on references to local quirks and historical touchstones. Likewise, successful memes elsewhere should be steeped in cultural references and shared experiences that resonate with their own people."
"British memes have an advantage because of people worldwide being able to relate to or understand lots of elements of Britishness, but other countries can use this formula, as successful memes can often transcend borders. You just need a deep understanding of one's own culture and humor, an ability to tap into shared human experiences, with a knack for humor that hits home."
