They still haunt us. Their jingles echo in our heads. Their familiar logos flash ghostly grins as we pass them in a store. “Remember me?” they say. They are the brands that we grew up with.
They are the brands that have faded into the woodwork, been kicked to the curb or retired to that marketing old folks home in the sky. They have quaint names like Aqua Velva, Barbasol, Pepsodent and Brylcreem.
And they are returning with a vengeance.
Pert Plus shampoo, Ovaltine drink mix, Brut cologne and Final Net hair spray are all making a comeback, thanks to a down economy. The idea is that it is less expensive to blow dust off an old, familiar brand than launch something new. Rather than creating a brand new energy drink, Coca Cola simply slapped the familiar hot pink graphics of a Tab can on their Red Bull wannabe. Or take the sad sack journey of Sure deodorant. They were spun off in 2006 from package goods giant Proctor and Gamble. Acquired by a group called Innovative Brands, Sure was then sold off again to Helen of Troy Ltd. But all is well, that ends well. Today, the Sure brand is being re-launched with a shiny new ad campaign and the tag line “Be 100 percent Sure.”
And that is exactly what today’s marketer is looking for––a sure thing. Even if they have to resurrect it. Today’s resourceful marketer may be afraid of failure, but, clearly, they ain’t afraid of no ghosts.
