In 1968, Sean Connery was James Bond. By the mid-nineties he was a nice old man. A grandpa. Nothing went wrong. He just got older.
I think about a lot of brands this way. I call them Solid Citizens: Maxwell House, Smirnoff, Betty Crocker, 7Up. Every one of them was once the exciting choice, the premium brand, the thing you wanted to be seen with. Then something newer came along. Starbucks came along for Maxwell House. Absolut and a wave of other vodkas came along for Smirnoff. Now they’re respected, familiar and full of good memories, and nobody’s excited about them.
People can’t get younger. Brands can try. Last month, 7Up tried.
