Movin' on up

Two articles about established brands seeking to create new images for themselves.

First, from the Wall Street Journal, an article about Carhartt, a brand traditionally identified with tough, rugged work clothes that is now appealing to a more upscale, white-collar target.   As the writer says of new Carhartt buyers:

“The Carhartt-wearers of my youth—the hunters and horsemen of eastern North Carolina—would have escorted these lanky Euro-goofs to the edge of town and roughly deposited them from the beds of pickups.”

Kind of an ironic statement coming from a man who makes a living writing for the Wall Street Journal, where “work clothes” consist of chinos and a button-down.

And there’s this piece about McDonalds, which also is trying to go upscale to compete with Starbucks and, in the process, is downplaying the iconic Ronald McDonald.