Hotwheels or Barbie?
Excuse the overt gender bias for a moment, and think about those
memories. For me, this was a hallmark of childhood; a simple choice I had to
make when standing on my tip toes at the McDonalds counter.
As an adult, I delight in the nostalgia of artifacts from my youth. For
instance, I don't think there’s much harm in a cringe-inducing reference to
Family Matters or a Disney singalong now and then among friends. Hey, it’s a
great way to remind ourselves that we all survived the 90s. But more than that,
a memory of watching the TGIF lineup reminds me that I’m connected to other
people of my generation in this small way and that we shared this Friday night
ritual at one point.
Hollywood has long known how to tap into this. I mean, who isn’t
excited about the new TMNT? Producers know that they have a built-in audience
if they adapt a cartoon, do a prequel of a blockbuster, or tell the life story
of [Insert Historical Figure] add some vampires and feature songs inspired by
the lyrics of [Choose Your Own Pop Star]. All this makes me wonder, though.
Hollywood is clearly grasping at straws and abandoning originality in favor of
recognizable franchises and brands. And with some luck they’ll continue to
superimpose a narrative onto inanimate brands creating hero characters for the
next generation. But I think pop culture has its work cut out for it. Can they
continue to find brands that resonate with a large cross-section of the
population? Will the next [Insert 90s Toy] movie still evoke the same nostalgic
chuckle from adults as the last one?
Today it is all about the prevalence of choice and customization.
Companies know that you like spaghetti SAUCES, not spaghetti sauce. They might
even know you better than you know yourself.
Luxury = Uniqueness
Modern Advancement = Individualization
