We’ve recently started working with a 200-year-old brand so I’ve been researching heritage brands to find out how they’ve managed to stay relevant over the decades and centuries they’ve been in business.
All the brands I looked at have a variety of battle scars, long histories of ups and downs, scandals, hostile takeovers and even the odd bankruptcy, all par for the course. But there’s one factor that I uncovered that runs through all of these legacy brands, they all have a unique quirk - something that is so intrinsic to their brand that when you see it, you know it (and it’s not the logo).
McDonalds has Ronald, one glance at a yellow and red clown, and you know. A fur-lined cork sandal is immediately recognisable as Birkenstock. A group of half-naked, young men is instantly recognisable as Abercrombie & Fitch. These unique quirks aren’t always on trend, but they make up a part of their past, and I love brands that are confident enough to show their quirks.