BrandlandUSA™

How much fun was the late Duck-In? We started up a Facebook fan book for the late, great restaurant in Virginia Beach. It opened in 1952, and closed in August 2005. It was torn down in December, 2005. We would love for some folks to post some memories. Now the question for the international readership. [...]

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Each little region of the United States has its own brand names. These brand names are the most fragile of brands, as even a great (and successful) 75-year-old local retail company can shut down because of real estate, family issues, changing demographics or a myriad of other things. These brands are often associated with families, [...]

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Looking back on the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City through the lens of their official program, we see another America, and another Democratic Party. The program, designed by the ad agency Doyle, Dane Bernbach Inc, was dedicated to the memory of John F. Kennedy, and had a pro-business, pro-defense and overall optimistic feel. [...]

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It’s quite amazing that Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben and the Cream of Wheat man still exist on the shelves of America. We call them the Plantation Brand Trio. Somehow these characters have managed to survive the politically correct witch hunts of the latter 20th century. Having grown up in Virginia in what would probably be [...]

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Our reader Pat Seger writes BrandlandUSA to ask the important question. When will they re-release the Carnation Breakfast Bar? She pointed us to the blog of pop culture archaeologist and archivist Dan Goodsell, who posted a few images  of the snacks on his blog last year. Not so hot on Peanut Butter and Granola. Sounds [...]

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So much attention is focused on the fate of the Barbie brand that we forget the other great toy lines owned by Mattel including View-Master, Magic 8 Ball, ello, Polly Pocket and Fisher-Price. Mattel’s boys’ toy car line is composed of Hot Wheels, Tyco and Matchbox. Of the three, Hot Wheels is having its 40th [...]

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Missing your old friends in the fridge? It could be that your favorite beer brand is gone. While some brands are making a comeback, other brands are still in the tank. Fortune magazine’s Beth Kowitt surveyed the top 99 oldest beers in the U.S., according to manufacturer and year of establishment. They turned the list [...]

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One of the most missed American brands is Pan American American World Airways. But in the fall of 1999, Pan American World Airways had its second life. This was a miracle even in the airline world where once fabled brands sometimes reappear (Braniff, National) only to disappear as quickly as they came. But this Pan [...]

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Classic pencils are often overlooked. We all remember brands like Venus and Eberhard Faber, and can sense that feeling of a well-sharpened pencil. But many of the brands and individual pencil models have been forgotten; we forgot how the pencils looked. Not only that, but we tend to buy the cheapest office store brands The [...]

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As part of a massive promotion to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the iconic Easy-Bake oven, Pawtucket, R.I. based Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) is searching for the next Easy-Bake Baker of the Year. The EASY-BAKE 2009 “Baker of the Year” contest invites kids to enter with their baking “sous chef” parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles. Winners [...]

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