Nostalgia brands, a retro re-hash or a recession comfort blanket?

In times like these, we all want a little bit of security and comfort and this trend shows in the recession of the 90s and today. Asda is enjoying a surge in sales of nostalgic brands as people look back to their childhood in an attempt to cheer themselves up. The supermarket chain is seeing a 41 per cent increase in sales of Fray Bentos Steak & Kidney pies – a 1970s favourite. It has also reported a 26 per cent increase in sales of Bird’s custard powder, a 20 per cent increase in Bisto gravy and an 18 per cent increase in Birds Eye Fish. People want the comfort and security that these brands give them. They remind them of their childhoods and even their parents’ childhoods.

People are worried about the credit crunch, their jobs, terrorism, global warming – there are so many things today to unnerve us. Brands that can act as an antidote to anxiety will do well – those that can make you smile or retro brands like Reebok, Adidas and Mini – it’s contemporary nostalgia that reminds you of a time when people felt better.

There are two distinct areas where we can expect success. Firstly the trusted brands we have grown up with, the ones we know and love, Heinz beans, their latest campaign is a heartfelt montage of their old advertising, it starts with a child’s voice over explaining that when he feels down, his mum knows what to give him and it makes him feel better. This is a clearly targeted approach to the consumer in the recession and it makes us feel comforted. Heinz beans have been around for what seems like forever, never really faltering, always the best tasting, we trust Heinz and their beans because they have always delivered on their promise.

The second area of nostalgic brands come to us in the shape of re-hashed products, now here we could be excused for not giving these brands the trust that the first group enjoy. Many rehashed brands do make us think ‘Been-there, done-that’. The Volkswagen beetle was an instant success for VW, so was the Mini for BMW and also the recent Fiat 500, but will the bubble burst of these retrobrands? Consumers engage mainly with the nostalgic connections of these but do we really see the new beetle living as long as it’s predecessor? Once the consumer novelty wears off, it begs the question as to why we should buy a Beetle, the much roomier and practical Golf is only £1500 more and the equally roomy but more economical Polo is £4000 less. Most revivals are short lived, The 70’s (in the early 90s), the 80’s (in the late 90s) and the 90’s (In the late 90s!).

The brands that will truly be successful are the ones that connect in a uniquely civic-minded way by sharing responsibility. The formula for success needs to strike the right balance between the old and new. The real and most immediate challenge is how to convey what’s important to the consumer into not only the packaging, but the experience the user has with the product, and the environment the products live in.

Brand managers should not look at Nostalgia as a trend but as part of their holistic brand history.