While nostalgia can be a reason to bring an old brand back, strategy is the best reason. And so we hear that Nissan might just bring back the Datsun brand. And it’s not because Generation X remembers that The Bionic Woman, Jaime Sommers, used to drive a 280Z, and stillMORE HERE
VIRGINIA BEACH – One of my first childhood memories is being on the kitchen floor of our garage apartment on 78th Street, looking at a corrugated Brach’s Candy box. It had to be before 1969, when we moved to a real house, and my parents got out of the businessMORE HERE
CHICAGO – An American-born graphic designer is working on a project to explore Cuban brands. It’s a visual exploration of Cuba through the lens of branding, and the designer, Emily Lozano, hopes to document the Cuban brands in order to tell about daily life. Writes Lozano: As an American-born CubanMORE HERE
One of the classic American brands of drinking straws was Carnival Flexible Straws. Founded in 1952, Carnival was one of many household brands that have disappeared in recent years. For a time they were made by Clear Shield National, part of Envirodyne. They were also apparently associated with Diamond Brands.MORE HERE
Since the 1970s, the greatest magic marker for kids has been the Sanford Mr. Sketch. You know this one; it’s a set of a dozen or so markers, all water soluble, that smell like their colors. They are sold in sets of different sizes, including 4, 8, 12 and 16.MORE HERE
LONDON – Funny how a small, old brand can captivate a current audience. Such is the appeal of Mason Pearson brushes. In many cases, brands such as Mason Pearson just disappear, with the company shutting down production and at best, farming out production to Asia, and at worst, shutting itMORE HERE
DEERFIELD, IL – Walgreens has a nifty new store brand for store-branded groceries. It’s called Nice, and it tries to take a snazzy approach to the basics, including coffee, rice and the like. Notice it’s “TM” rather than “R” on the packages. Interesting choice of a very generic word forMORE HERE
The Dodge Dart will return next year; see www.dodge.com for pictures and information about the January 9, 2012 “reveal”. Based on an Alfa Romeo Giulietta, it is truly a sportscar, and bears no resemblance to the original. Nevertheless, the return is good news. Because through the years, one niche that ChryslerMORE HERE
A recent campaign by British Airways points up exactly what United, Delta and American are missing in their approach to airline branding. Namely, a sense of history and drama. BA’s Brand Engagement Head Abi Comber, in an interview posted on YouTube, says the campaign is all about what BA standsMORE HERE
In just about every restaurant kitchen, the decaffeinated coffee pot has an orange band. Ask a person under 30 why that band is colored orange, and they won’t know. They will know that it means decaf, but they won’t know why. The reason, of course, it is orange is becauseMORE HERE