Old is good

I love this new ad from Quaker Canada.  A little bit schmaltzy, perhaps, but people dig schmaltzy in small doses. It is a touching little story.

Nostalgia is a hot topic in marketing right now, but a lot of brands shy away from it for fear of being perceived as “old fashioned.”

Quaker obviously doesn’t share that fear, given that it hasn’t significantly changed its packaging in 100 years, “est. 1877” is printed on the packaging, and one of its main products is literally called “Old-Fashioned.”

It’s a fascinating brand. Oats are a commodity product. Quaker innovates a lot, but its base product has no differentiating features at an attribute level. The brand is built almost entirely on its packaging and our memories. Is that why nostalgia fits the brand so well?