Why do “heritage” brands survive creative droughts better than “cool” brands?
The Big Answer: Heritage brands weather creative droughts better than “cool” brands because their value isn’t tied to constant novelty – it’s rooted in enduring cultural credibility and trust. When new ideas run dry, legacy brands tap into reservoirs of nostalgia, consistency, and multi-generational loyalty that keep them relevant  . By contrast, a “cool” brand’s appeal is often as fleeting as the trends it rides; without fresh hype, its cultural currency can evaporate almost overnight. The counter-intuitive truth is that in brand longevity, slow and steady often wins the race against flash and fickle fashion.
Cultural Capital: Trust and Nostalgia as a Safety Net
Heritage brands carry a bank of cultural capital built over decades (or centuries) – a depth of familiarity and goodwill that acts as a buffer in lean creative times. Consumers forge emotional bonds with brands that have been part of their lives and communities. In the U.S., a remarkable 81% of consumers can name a brand they’re loyal to, and 71% say they’re more likely to buy from brands tied to childhood memories . This nostalgia-fueled loyalty means that even when a heritage brand isn’t churning out edgy campaigns, it remains top-of-mind and trusted. For example, Coca-Cola’s classic logos and Levi’s timeless 501 jeans evoke positive memories and credibility simply by staying consistent. In fact, consistency itself breeds strength: one analysis found that the most consistent brands (think Guinness or KitKat) generate higher awareness, differentiation and even brand fame . We see this play out in advertising longevity too – a 40-year-old Levi’s ad outperformed a recent remake with modern audiences, proving that a great legacy message can still resonate years later . In short, heritage brands accumulate trust like interest in a bank account, and they can spend from that balance when new creative deposits are low. Their relevance isn’t reliant on the latest trend; it’s woven into cultural memory. And that long-term familiarity forms a safety net under the brand when the pressure is on and creative output is thin.
The Fragility of “Cool” under Pressure
By contrast, “cool” brands are often built on sand – their equity rises and falls with the cultural tide of the moment. Coolness, by definition, must be continually renewed; in consumer culture, “cool is ephemeral,” always being replaced by something newer and more exciting . Brands that trade mostly on being trendy face a brutal truth: when they pause their creative hustle, they risk going from hot to forgotten. We’ve seen it in fashion and tech alike – today’s hype can become tomorrow’s cringe if a brand doesn’t keep innovating its image. One reason is that trend-driven audiences have little patience for stagnation. As one Gen Z observer noted, even a cool brand with a hot product will lose them if it starts to feel contrived or complacent . Youth culture moves at TikTok speed, and brands stuck on yesterday’s vibes get left on read. Moreover, “cool” can be a trap: cling too long to a static cool image and it quickly stops resonating – what was edgy a year ago may seem try-hard or outdated now. Consider the fate of many a hyped streetwear label or digital startup that exploded in popularity only to fade when novelty wore off. Often, their early adopters loved the exclusivity and freshness – but as soon as the brand hit mass awareness or hit a creative lull, the cool factor vanished (the brand no longer made fans feel special) . Under cultural pressure, these brands have little in the way of heritage equity to fall back on. In a drought, the water table of goodwill runs shallow. The very audience that embraced them for being cutting-edge will move on to the next big thing, because without substance beyond style, cool brands lack the deep roots needed to hold firm in shifting cultural winds.
Narrative Depth vs. Novelty: Adapting Without Losing the Plot
One of the core advantages legacy brands hold is narrative depth – they’ve built up rich stories, symbols, and values over time, which they can evolve without severing the thread that people connect to. This gives heritage brands a unique agility: they can respond to new cultural moments by reframing or re-energizing their existing story, rather than having to invent a whole new identity from scratch. Strategists observe that the smartest legacy brands “bend without breaking” – modernizing without losing their soul . For example, British Airways recently shifted from trumpeting its long history to spotlighting personal traveler stories in its “A British Original” campaign, trading stodgy reliability for fresh emotional resonance . The airline didn’t abandon its heritage; it reinterpreted it, showing that its decades of experience fuel empathy and individuality, not inertia. Likewise, Hermès – a house steeped in craft tradition – opened a cutting-edge artisan workshop in Normandy as a living showcase of its heritage . By investing in its classic artisanship in a modern context, Hermès reinforced the cultural value of its history (and even answered the TikTok era of knock-offs with a statement of authentic quality). These moves exemplify how heritage brands survive creative droughts: they find renewal in their roots. Their narratives have layers to peel back and remix – legacy becomes a platform for creativity, not a cage. Research on branding trends backs this up: in a marketplace flooded with “new and innovative” claims, brands that evoke familiarity and authenticity send a stronger signal of quality and meaning . Even new companies are mimicking this strategy, weaving faux-heritage stories and vintage vibes to seem more established because they know consumers crave that sense of depth . The irony is clear – heritage, once seen as old-fashioned, is now a source of creative strength. A timeless brand can play the long game, shifting its narrative arc gradually, whereas a cool brand often has to reinvent a whole new plot when the old one runs out. One is a continuous story; the other is a short story that risks an abrupt ending. Heritage brands win by editing their narrative, not discarding it.
Strategist’s Takeaway
When culture puts brands under pressure, the advantage tilts to those with deeper roots. For strategists like you, the lesson is to build brands with staying power – the kind born from authenticity, consistency, and earned trust. In practice, this means resisting the urge to chase every shiny trend at the expense of brand truth. A cool campaign may turn heads today, but it’s a coherent brand narrative and loyal community that carry you through tomorrow. Strategists see that great legacy brands don’t survive by standing still; they survive by standing for something bigger than one moment. So, nurture the core values and stories that give your brand meaning across generations, and use them as a springboard for creativity. Under cultural pressure, doubling down on your brand’s real value beats pivoting with every breeze. In the end, it’s the brands with soul – not just style – that turn cultural relevance into resilience. And that’s the mic drop: when the hype fades, substance stays.
Sources:
Consistency is an effectiveness goldmine” — WARC https://www.warc.com/content/feed/consistency-is-an-effectiveness-goldmine/en-GB/10707
“What we know about legacy brands” — WARC https://www.warc.com/content/article/bestprac/what-we-know-about-legacy-brands/en-gb/153126
“Innovation vs. Heritage: Does a Brand’s Heritage Help or Hurt …” — Yale SOM blog https://som.yale.edu/blog/innovation-vs-heritage-does-brand-s-heritage-help-or-hurt-when-marketing-new-innovations
“Revamping legacy brands for today’s audience” — WARC https://www.warc.com/content/article/warc-exclusive/revamping-legacy-brands-for-todays-audience/en-gb/155962
“4 Elements of a Successful Brand Refresh” — HBR https://hbr.org/2021/12/4-elements-of-a-successful-brand-refresh
“Competing on Social Purpose” — HBR https://hbr.org/2017/09/competing-on-social-purpose
“Brand Heritage and Heritage Tourism” — Boston University BHR https://www.bu.edu/bhr/2013/04/01/brand-heritage-and-heritage-tourism/
“How and When Heritage Branding Reduces Consumer Valuation” — Journal of Consumer Research (OUP) https://academic.oup.com/jcr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jcr/ucab028/6299390?login=true
If you like, I can also assemble a fully annotated bibliography (with access notes) or dig up open-access versions of some of the paywalled ones. Do you want me to send that?
