Why Some Brands Use Historical Imagery

When finding a brand identity, some businesses use imagery that references back to simpler times. It’s a quick and effective way to put forward a strong, memorable image that people already know, and may already be infused with certain values. This is called heritage branding and there are several reasons why a brand might use it – find two of the most common ones below.

It’s Thematically Appropriate

Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the correct one. For many brands, it’s just thematically appropriate to use historical imagery because of what they do and the industry they operate in. This can get tenuous, like Starbucks’ use of the two-tailed siren logo because it’s a metaphor for how alluring caffeine can be. Others have pointed out that coffee is also one of the most traded commodities in the world, so a nautical theme fit.

In other industries, historical branding can be appropriate for the product or service being offered. For example, iGaming is well-known for its eclectic mix of slot games, each with a unique theme or setting. Many of them are historical, like the Wanted Dead or a Wild casino slot which uses cowboy and general Wild West imagery. By doing this, the slot stands out from your typical one-armed bandit machine, and it helps players stay engaged with the game. This isn’t limited to just history – other slots use fantasy or science fiction themes where appropriate.

It’s Part of Their Story

Some of the largest businesses today use historical imagery because it’s their story. They have been around for long enough that their brands become heritage brands by default. This is best seen in brands that started in the 1800s or early 1900s, so they incorporate unique or old designs into their branding that a new business wouldn’t use today.

Sometimes, it might not be obvious that they’re doing it. For example, the cursive Coca-Cola logo is 130 years old. A better example is Baker’s Chocolate, which is now a brand under Kraft Heinz. The original company was formed in 1780, though it had been making chocolate since 1764 (that’s before the United States even existed). Their 1883 logo is a young woman in a period dress serving chocolate, inspired by the La Belle Chocolatiere painting by Swiss artist Jean- Étienne Liotard. It’s a far cry from how Kraft makes chocolate today, but the Baker’s brand still uses it, nonetheless. While more modern, another example is the colonel himself – KFC proudly uses Colonel Sanders as their logo. They have outgrown Sanders’ humble café in the American Depression era, but they have kept Sanders’ name popular through branding.

It can also signal something deeply personal to the founder of the brand. A great example of this comes from the fashion world. Many decades ago, Gianni Versace played in the ruins that litter Reggio Calabria. There, he saw a carved Medusa head that stuck with him. When he later founded Versace, he chose that head as a logo because the Graeco-Roman art depicted Medusa as being beautiful, and there was no way of escaping once you looked at her. It was part of Versace’s personal journey while also being thematically appropriate.

Heritage branding is common as part of a luxury brand strategy, explained more here by HubSpot. When used effectively, these brands can indicate to new customers that they have prestige. Even those unfamiliar with the brand history can still see that they have been in the market for a long time, so they must have something special to offer. Instead of modernizing and becoming just another trendy logo in a crowd, they stuck to their old ways to craft a truly unique brand.