Retro brands also called nostalgic brands help the consumers to connect emotionally with them. Nostalgic branding involves incorporating elements from the past, such as antique designs, retro packaging, fragrance, taste, or classic advertising slogans, into a brand’s image and personality. It captures the nostalgia and charm associated with a specific period. Retro items are classical belonging to golden era, yet newly manufactured by incorporating elements, colors, patterns, and materials reminiscent of the designated era. The marketers use symbols from the past to associate the modern product with the audience’s fond memories.
Fashion is a typical cyclical trend that alternates between the past and the present constantly. Retro fashion trends are making a comeback. Flared wide jeans, oversized blazers, platform shoes, flared skirts, palazzo, saree, tight salwar kameez are becoming popular once again. This reflects the cyclical nature of fashion trends, where styles that were once considered outdated have become fashionable again.
Retro music, retro outfits design, retro jewellery, and retro food items experience cyclical demand. Retro garment style or design are often made from contemporary fabrics, using modern machinery and methods. It is given a modern feel. Fashion trends come back in market back over time, bringing with them a sense of nostalgia and a renewed appreciation for previous styles. There has been a surge of revival in retro styles in ethnic wear that catches attention in the fashion, resulting in a delightful combination of the old and the new. In today’s digital age, social media campaigns are a crucial component of retro marketing for businesses.
In the last few years, we have witnessed many legacy brands taking birth again. Among white goods products we saw Kelvinator and BPL getting revived. Kelvinator brand was revived in 2019, when the retail arm of Reliance Retail signed a licensing, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution deal with Electrolux. They currently sell a range of appliances of whitegoods under the Kelvinator brand. Similarly, Reliance has acquired the license to manufacture and market consumer durable products under the BPL. Both brands were iconic brands and ruled the market in the 80’s and the 90’s. In both the cases, Reliance Retail was instrumental in bringing them back.
Reliance Consumer Products, the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) arm of Reliance Retail Ventures Limited, had also acquired Campa Cola from Pure Drinks Group in August 2022 for Rs 22 crore. the iconic Indian soft drink brand Campa Cola is making a comeback in the country’s market.
API (Automobile Products of India) used to manufacture the famous Lambretta brand of scooters. It was the first Indian scooter manufacturer. The early models were the Lambretta 48, a 48-cc moped and the D and LD – Series of scooters. This brand of scooter is now going to re-enter the Indian market in a new avatar, which will be the electric version. The Lambretta electric scooter will be showcased to the public at the Milan Motorcycle Show in 2023(an annual trade show in Milan, Italy featuring two wheelers) and the same model will be produced in India a year later, in 2024. The brand is planning to recreate the magic of its past. They are going to partner with Bird Mobility for the comeback in India. According to news reports, the Lambretta electric scooters will launch their premium version of their models.
But Lambretta must handle a tough challenge in hand as the remaining equity of this brand hardly exists and the generation that experienced the earlier Lambretta is way past its prime. How much of that brand equity will be leveraged remains to be seen. It is almost like a brand-new product launch from scratch with new features. Lambretta V125 is expected to launch in India in July 2024 in the expected price range of ₹ 80,000 to ₹ 90,000.
Lots of devices, including CD players, polaroid cameras, and MP3 players, have shot up in sales over the last few years. However, perhaps the most popular device that is growing in popularity is the classic flip phone that most people had back in the ’90s and early 2000s before smartphones came about.
There is too much information out there for our minds to consume. Every streaming platform has thousands of movies and TV shows to watch, every news outlet can flood our smartphone with stories 24/7, and the content we scroll through on social media is endless. Although the Gen-Z may be grateful for their devices, they probably wonder what it was like for their parents and grandparents before all this technology was not available.
Despite past troubles with comic sales, technically speaking, comic books never went away. They had been around for decades and enjoyed readership for ages. Who can forget Archie comics? Arguably the most successful non-superhero comic book ever, Archie debuted in 1941. In an era of superhero comics like Captain America dominating the scene, how did Archies come about? The fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle, Sabrina Spellman, Josie and the Pussycats and Katy Keene were adored by the world. It enjoyed fans from the age of 7, all the way up to 70. The characters of the comic have remained young forever.
No wonder, Zoya Akhtar directed “The Archies” with new Bollywood stars. It is a nostalgic tribute for people of a certain vintage era. Archie Comics were first published in December 1941 in Pep Comics. The comics, set in the fictional town of Riverdale, told the story of an archetypal American teenager, the red-headed, freckled Archie Andrews, and his friends.
Culture constantly recycles the past by bringing it into a new and improved look in the present. Technological advances have made it easier for businesses to create retro themed products and concepts in the most unique ways. Retro themes are popping up everywhere.
Recently, in the movie Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, director Karan Johar cleverly used a retro hit to trigger the nostalgia factor which added to Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi’s chemistry. Good versions of old songs can also help boost the streams of the original compositions. “Abhi na jao chodkar” the old classic song made the movie a hit.
Businesses can benefit greatly by capitalizing on the consumer’s fascination with the past and the positive memories associated with it through retro marketing. The nostalgia associated with classic brands and trends is making a big impact in the consumer market. In today’s technology-driven world, people are beginning to realize the value of tangible and emotional things. Vintage t-shirt shops are popping up in major cities, making retro branding a trend that’s here to stay. Marketers are enjoying the reintroduction of vintage products.
Challenges faced by Legacy brands
Most legacy brands are almost over 3 decades old and catered to a different generation. Today, when these legacy brands seek to re-enter the market, they are selling and talking to a totally a new breed of audiences who hardly remember the earlier equity and values that these brands delivered years back. While the market presents an opportunity, but one is not sure whether they could enjoy their old positioning. Infusing a fresh breath of life into an age-old brand is a huge challenge as the brand needs to meet the new desires and aspirations of the new generation consumer. Technology advances faster than we can keep up. The number of devices we have access to and what they can do for us can be overwhelming for the manufacturer.
Requires creativity in advertisement
Essentially, if the purpose is to get a consumer to think about a message, a nostalgic ad is not effective because the consumes expect more of their thoughts towards their memories instead of the ad’s content. It’s a very tricky game.
Conclusions
Retro marketing has become a phenomenon, and businesses are bringing it to products in almost every area such as automobile, fashion designing, beverages, music, and entertainment industry. The list is big. A feeling and emotion have wakened in the modern-day consumer. The business is cyclical; old brands are renewing and coming back to market. Nostalgia is powerfully triggering the consumers to purchase retro brands.
