Do You Remember When?

We are bombarded daily with new products, new technology, new philosophies, new ways of marketing and selling. And, when it comes to the business of beauty, the cosmetics industry is no different from the food, drink or fashion worlds in trying to stay one step ahead and create the ‘next big thing’.

However, as we are all too aware, today’s hottest fad can all too easily become yesterday’s news. Yet recently, ‘yesterday’s news’ is becoming ‘today’s next big thing.’

Fashion, marketing and, yes, design has always been somewhat cyclical, but it would seem that today more than ever looking backwards is helping us to look forward and the present is firmly rooted in the past.

Looking Back for Inspiration

Nostalgia is currently a huge part of day-to-day life and this is manifesting in a macro trend towards ‘reconnection’ with people, places and things from the past. Antiques and ‘retro’ home accessories have seen a revival and fashion this winter has taken us through every decade from the ’30s to the ’80s.

Diane von Furstenburg personified ‘the last days of disco’ in New York in the ’70s and now her ‘wrap dress’, alongside every high-street copy, has become again a staple of the female wardrobe since last Autumn.

A savvy trendspotter, von Fursten­burg launched her own cosmetics line just before Christmas. She is just one of the clever brand entrepreneurs who is capitalizing on the power of the past to both engage an existing market and to entice an entirely new one.

Indy Brands Lead the Way

Brand owners cannot choose to ignore this trend although, interestingly, and particularly in terms of cosmetics, it does seem to be the smaller and more entrepreneurial cosmetic brands which are most successfully catering to current consumer demand. They may not be as prominent on shelf and, indeed, they may need to be tracked down via the Internet, but the prominence of these brands defines the real need from the consumer. The brands Glossamar has cemented its positioning as a line ‘developed to give the 21st Century girl the allure of 1940’s Hollywood.’ Similarly, some brands have been bringing out limited edition nostalgia ranges in an attempt to show that they are on trend and listening to what the consumer has to say.

Jessica’s Nails in the U.S. brought out a new color range in October 2004, dubbed Retro Chic, “a hint of nostalgia for modern femininity.” The six colors are traditional scarlet, plum and raspberry shades and the bottles have reverted to the previously favored, tapered bottle tops with long brushes.

Fragrance Revisits the Classics

The present is undoubtedly taking its cues from the past and this seems to be particularly poignant with reinvention and relaunch within the fragrance sector.

First created in the 1930s, Acqua di Parma’s Acqua di Parma Profumo is enjoying a revival while nostalgia website Lisa’s Nostalgia Café (now found at www.angelfire.com/retro2/lisa/ nostalgia.html) has a whole section dedicated to 1940’s perfume staple, Evening in Paris.

Designer fragrance houses have also started to respond to this trend. The latestfragrance from Prada, Prada Prada, is packaged in a cut-glass bottle complete with old-fashioned atomizer and claims to ‘reinvent the ancient art of perfumery by creating a fragrance of yesterday and tomorrow, a scent inspired by the past, that embodies the future. It is a fragrance that intertwines memory, reality and possibility.’ Similarly, Lolita Lempicka for Women is presented in a violet, apple-shaped glass bottle covered in white and gold enamel leaves. This new breed of ‘old fashioned’ perfumes are neither practical or functional but designed to sit on a dressing table and look beautiful. Most importantly, marketing and packaging design are working together to help create and promote a new visual language rooted in individuality, emotion and attitude.

Contemporary fragrance brands such as Anna Sui are also endeavoring to evoke the past, but are focused on remaining true to their brand offer by marrying the old with the new. The Anna Sui range is positioned as a ‘mixture of nostalgia and innovation’. Anna Sui Sui Love juxtaposes a vibrant and modern bottle with a fragrance based on bergamot, passion fruit, vanilla and musk. Vintage notes including vanilla, vetiver, and patchouli are enjoying a revival, primarily because they are evocative of people and places of the past. In a fearful world, this sense of reconnection provides warmth and security and the notion of personal touch. Maybe we will see individual perfume creation becoming a service for all rather than just for celebrities or the wealthy as we try to connect with what is important to the individual.

Need to Connect

This need for personal touch is also resulting in more and more people forming collectives, tribes or communities. ‘Me’ is on the way out and ‘we’ is definitely on the way in, as seen in the rise of book clubs, knitting circles and handicrafts groups. Avon Ladies hit our streets and brought beauty into our homes in 1939 and today this trend is again gaining momentum with Body Shop, among other retailers, bringing like-minded individuals together and marketing to them in small groups via ‘at home’ parties. Brands need to appeal to the niche and the interest group rather than on a geographical level. In addition, there is a distinct opportunity for big brands to buy up small brands and maintain their brand presence and values as small and niche brands as they are seen as more individual and not about mass production and marketing.

Appeal to Tribal Instincts

Indeed, the potential power of these ‘play’ groups is huge and it is today’s tribes, communities and collectives that are reviving and developing new brand ideas. For example, the recent revival of fashion brand, Hush Puppies, came about directly from the consumer.

While we appreciate that many brands have been discontinued, we are looking to brands to indulge our passion for nostalgia, for touch, for remembering. Brands can and should interpret ‘memory’ elements in different ways, including sensory packaging cues like structure, texture and iconic imagery or through extremely rare or limited editions.

There is a huge opportunity for ‘old-school brands’ to re-connect with their traditional consumers as well as reaching out to new, younger consumers for the first time.

Re-invention of brands is often in the hands of the consumer, but there can be a little help from the brand owner. Brand owners need to keep listening to the individual and evolving their brands to recognize the unmet and genuine needs they are (hopefully) meeting. Essentially, the most successful, long-term brands will be co-created by the brand and the consumer.