LONDON – There are few trademarks more remembered than London’s Routemaster buses, and their recent revitalization is proof that moving vehicle programs can become historic landmarks in and of themselves. (At right, a beautiful American family enjoying the upstairs in 2004). The Routemaster dates from 1956, and since then itMORE HERE
For those who like old brands, having ones around the kitchen always satisfies, as they are reminders of when American companies made enduring products that were useful, practical and handsome. Such is the case with Tru-Edge, a brand of knife steel or sharpener. I have one; I think it cameMORE HERE
First used in 1904, Cat’s Paw is one of the great American brands. The cat, according to Hal Morgan’s book Symbols of America, was designed by Lucian Bernhard for the Cat’s Paw Company of Baltimore. Bernhard is a famed German graphic designer who is best known for the font Bernhard,MORE HERE
Bridgeville, DE – Scrapple is one of those things that if you overthink, you lose the appetite. As a child in 1970s Virginia, it was served in fashionable suburban houses in the 1970s. The dish is primarily German derived, and is usually some mixture of offal, or meat scraps. GoodMORE HERE
Chitterlings (pronounced chitlins) are still popular, though do not appear on many restaurant menus. Nevertheless, there are strong brands, each having a following in different parts of the U.S.MORE HERE
A new Entenmann’s at the Publix store at The Landings in Sarasota most precisely looks like a Hostess display. It was not like Entenmann’s at all, but instead directly resembled the Hostess display assortments of the 1970s, namely cupcakes and fruit pies. Hostess, no longer aggressive about its advertising andMORE HERE
Kukla, Fran & Ollie, a show that debuted January 12, 1949 on NBC, is now on DVD thanks to Martin Tahse Productions. The ad-libbed show initially ran five nights a week at 7 p.m., and was just as much for adults and kids. Of the initial run, there were 720MORE HERE
So what does a GM dealer that used to have a Saturn or Saab franchise do now that these brands are gone? Some are going solo, as used car and repair dealerships. Many Chrysler dealers are affiliating with NAPA, or going it alone as used car dealers, too. My solutionMORE HERE
There are great brands related to lighters. Of course there is Zippo, which has done an aggressive and smart job of keeping an anachronistic brand alive at a time when folks don’t smoke as much as they used to. One other brand is Ronson, the flint and lighter fluid company,MORE HERE
ATLANTA – We caught up with licensing expert Pete Canalichio to answer a few email questions about the current licensing climate. BrandlandUSA: What opportunities are companies missing in the licensing of brands? Canalichio: The biggest opportunity in my opinion is that there are so many companies out there with greatMORE HERE