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July 13, 2009

Everything Old Is New Again

We are in the midst of a Retro Revolution. Twister, Hungry Hungry Hippos, and Candyland are flying off shelves. Forgotten characters – G.I. Joe, The Terminator, Captain Kirk – have taken over the box office. And once-gone fashion brands – L.A. Gear, Lacoste, Z. Cavaricci – are being stocked again in retail stores. Add to these the re-emergence of muscle cars, old-school arcade games, retro candies – the list goes on.

Allison Cenna, Senior Strategist, DDB Chicago

Posted on July 13, 2009 10:15 PM | Permalink

Comments (4)

James Gregory

Wonderful article.

Great brands create value that last far beyond their user life. If mined properly these brands can continue to create value long into the future. It is useful to think about long term value creation when building brands and setting marketing budgets. Unfortunately, current accounting standards do not allow CFOs to look at the way value is being created and instead can only recognize value if the brand is bought or sold. If these antiquated accounting standards were updated it would revolutionize marketing and recognize the true value of brands.

Jim Gregory

Posted by James Gregory | July 21, 2009 5:48 PM

Allison Cenna

Thanks Jim, I am glad you enjoyed the paper! There are many dormant brands with the potential to tap today's youth market, if they adopt the right strategies and have the right support. And I completely agree – if a great brand is resurrected and mined properly, it can create enduring value, and be relevant and engaging years for years to come.

Posted by Allison Cenna | July 25, 2009 11:32 PM

Kristen Beat

Very interesting article.
I would go so far as to argue that many retro brands are not only making a resurgence with Millenials, but also making a reappearance among the child demographic as evidenced by Ganz toys, (makers of the popular WebKinz animals) creating their Smurfs plush toys.
Case in point: Parents love the nostalgia & children rediscover a long lost cartoon

Great Work!

Posted by Kristen Beat | August 8, 2009 10:36 PM