Are Howard Johnson’s subliminally seductive clam strips returning to a hotel coffee shop near you? Could it be that HoJo has momentum?We talked to the editors of HoJoLand.com, the website that tracks all things related to Howard Johnson under the banner “Serving up Warm History of an American Icon.” ItMORE HERE
While Woolworth is still alive in Mexico, Bahrain, Oman, South Africa, the U.K. and Germany, Americans have had to go to eBay to get anything related to Woolworth’s. And that’s not only a pity, it’s a lost opportunity for struggling Foot Locker, the company that killed the brand off inMORE HERE
If ever there was a reason to stick with a strange logo no matter what, take a look at this Nabisco logo, pictured above. It is from the side of a warehouse in Pensacola, Florida. It works. It describes the Six Rules of Company Brands. The company brand is anMORE HERE
The great game shows are also notable brands. The show in the news now is The Price Is Right. So universally loved, CBS even sells licensed product merchandise to go along with it. What made the show great wasn’t just the host, Bob Barker, nor how it grew from aMORE HERE
O.K., so the Ford 500 wasn’t the big hit that Ford Motor Company wanted. Ford Chairman William Clay Ford‘s wish to have a sedan that would look respectable driving up to a country club failed. Was it the name? Or was it that the car design or engineering wasn’t thatMORE HERE
Of course, folks miss their favorite department stores. From Burdine’s to Abraham & Straus to Marshall Field’s, across the U.S. these beloved store brand names are no more. But the loss of the regional department store also affected the individual fashion brands and lines that the department stores carried. ItMORE HERE
While most consider the MG defunct, Chinese automakers have done the impossible and brought the English cars back. And on top of that, they’ve also brought new life to that other former British Leyland brand, Rover. It’s a reminder to Detroit that there might be unlocked value (perhaps first overseas)MORE HERE
At the start of the whole Carnaby Street fashion era, there was one great fashion brand, Biba. It’s back. Biba was founded in 1964 by Barbara Hulanicki and her late husband, Stephen Fitz-Simon. It epitomized the era, with 1920s and 30s looking models in maxi and mini dresses and coats,MORE HERE
In Hollywood, the revival works — sometimes. The off-Broadway revival of Brady Bunch Live, done live, was a wacky hit, but the numerous follow up series, specials and movies, have been (mostly) flops. Movie versions of Aaron Spelling’s Starsky & Hutch and Charlie’s Angels scored, but a Love Boat TVMORE HERE
When International Harvester went bankrupt, one of the most famous icons of American business was split apart. Some units like the International Scout SUV disappeared entirely, but other units survived. One of the success stories was the Cub Cadet line of mowers, now owned by MTD. The product line marriedMORE HERE