— Karen Brennan, Attorney
While browsing through a toy store recently, I noticed what appears to be a trend in branding this holiday season – reintroducing classic or “nostalgic” toys. It is very hard for me to accept that the toys I played with as a child could be considered “nostalgic,” but upon first sight of the Chatter Phone™, my childhood was calling.
The beauty of these toys is in their simplicity. They require imagination; as a toy should, but often doesn’t today. Another great thing is that the toys and packaging are identical to the originals. This is interesting from a branding and trademark standpoint in that the product, product packaging and stylized trademarks have been modernized over the years, only to return to the original version. Some great examples include:
Fisher Price® Chatter Phone™ (with rotary dial):
Snoop n Sniff™, first introduced in 1938 (please note – this one is well before my time):
The Classic Slinky® in a retro box:
The Classic Etch A Sketch®:
For some fun reading on other beloved brands and trademarks, check out the Brandland USA blog – “home of America’s best-loved legacy brands.”