October 20, 2009 | By Celia

Why do brands go retro?

I was in a supermarket last week when I noticed Post's Raisin Bran's "vintage" boxes. This cereal box caught my attention amongst a sea of cereal boxes with bright colors and cartoon characters. I had to stop, read the box and snap a picture...heck I almost bought the cereal because I was intrigued by its ability to get my attention.

That visit to the supermarket got me thinking, "Why is it that brands go retro?" Companies spend huge amounts of money annually on updating their brands and products to remain relevant to today's consumer. So why would a brand undo all those years of modernizing their brands/products with a vintage or throwback design? Here are some possible reasons that going retro can benefit your product or brand:

• Show consumers the longevity of your brand, which equates to quality. This can be achieved by creating a throwback look to commemorate an anniversary.


• Create exclusivity around your product in order to spark a quick window of demand - "For a limited time only."


• Present a solution or response to the penny-pinching consumer struggling in a recession. Retro packaging = back to basics. This presents the idea that you are getting a value for your dollar.


• Create a sense of nostalgia around your brand and connect to your consumer on an emotional level. The back of Raisin Bran's vintage box had a timeline of events taking place in 1942.


• Create intrigue and break through the clutter by doing something different. In my case, this is almost what it took to get me to buy the cereal.

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