Although the recycling of “vintage” brands in the fashion industry is not a recent phenomenon, we are witnessing the resurrection of many trademarks once considered dusty, as apparel manufacturers try to differentiate themselves in an competitive marketplace.
A lack of healthy brands for sale motivates buyers to consider trademarks in need of some T.L.C. This trend seems to expand beyond apparel into food and beverage industries and OTC drug brands.
Despite the heavy investment necessary to reposition older trademarks, this option compares favorably to the expense of creating new brands. Most manufacturers and retailers acknowledge that building a trademark into a brand is a long process requiring time, capital, and industry
knowledge, along with the need to create repetitive purchasing and the development of consumer expectation via advertising.
Furthermore, brands and trademarks have life cycles which may be generational, but which require careful planning and investment by management to keep design, merchandising and communication strategies current.
Recently rescued vintage brands include Wrangler, Generra, Original Penguin, and London Fog.
These trademarks, once relegated to second tier or mass-market distribution, have experienced a successful rebirth at top retailers such as Barney’s, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, and Saks Fifth Avenue through the exploitation of their strong consumer recognition.
The resonance of these brands among consumers and their historical name recognition, combined with calculated re-positioning strategies by their owners, has resulted in a return to the pinnacle of the brand life-cycle with a new target customer.