The once iconic photography brand is back with new products and its 1971 brand icon.
After more than decade, Kodak are hoping to revive some brand nostalgia and engage a new generation.
As a counter trend to the digital evolution, just about anything analogue in back in vogue. With Millennials lapping up vinyl records, real photography is a natural progression.
For 35 years, the iconic red and yellow camera-shutter ‘K’ designed by Peter Oestrich helped make Kodak one of the most recognised brands. Now, Kodak is bringing it back with a subtle shift on the wordmark inside the ‘K’.
The Kodak brand resurrection is supported by new products that get the right balance of modern and nostalgia with smart technology powering real film and photography. It’s perfect for wannabe filmmakers who yearn for a hands-on approach to capture grainy, textured footage in a modern way.
Kodak’s hero products are a revamped Super 8 camera that marries film and digital photography and a new smartphone that is a camera first.
After struggling to evolve and stay relevant in the digital world, Kodak decided to drop its icon for just a wordmark in 2006. The result looked like a brand who was trying to fit in but didn’t stand for anything. The brandmark just reinforced the lack of brand differentiation. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2012.
Resurrecting the brand makes sense but it won’t be easy. Kodak lost their compelling differentiation but they can get it back. The return to the retro K and focused products will help connect the brand to an era that many romanticise about. However, they will still have to invest significantly to rebuild the brand and make the brand relevant for a whole new generation.
Michael Hughes
Michael is Managing Partner and Strategy Director at Truly Deeply, a brand agency with 25 years’ experience working with brands to position them for growth. His deep expertise is in unlocking the strategic power of your brand to create a differentiated, compelling and authentic brand proposition that will engage all your audiences. Michael has extensive experience working across Australia and the Middle East working with leading Australian and International organisations across just about every sector.
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