The Homa Files

Excerpted from New York Times, “Warm and Fuzzy Makes a Comeback”, by Stuart Elliott, April 7, 2009

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As the recession continues taking its toll, marketers are trying to tap into fond memories to help sell what few products shoppers are still buying. The time-machine tactics are primarily evoking four decades — the 1950s through the 1980s.

For instance, on April 20 a beverage unit of PepsiCo will begin an eight-week campaign for “throwback” versions of two soft drinks, Pepsi-Cola and Mountain Dew. The packages and formulas, along with advertising and promotions, will evoke the ’60s and ’70s.

The hope is that warm, fuzzy feelings about the past will help make people feel better about the present and future.

“In a time of anxiety, people are seeking out brands they’re comfortable with and they can trust.”

Those taking part in the trend acknowledge a potential pitfall of nostalgic pitches: They could lead consumers to believe a brand or product is outdated and therefore not for them.

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Hard times have frequently inspired fond looks in the rear-view mirror. There was a nostalgia boom during World War II, as evidenced by movies like “Meet Me in St. Louis” and songs like “Long Ago and Far Away.”

In the ’60s, the American Tobacco Company, now part of Reynolds American, introduced a filtered version of one of its first national cigarette brands, Sweet Caporal.

In the economic turbulence of the ’70s, there was a fad for nostalgia for the ’50s. The ’60s made a comeback in the ’80s and the ’70s were revived in the ’90s.

Edit by DAF

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Full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/business/media/07adco.html?ref=media&pagewanted=print

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