JKR

Last year’s recession-inspired fashion for brands to evoke nostalgia from their past glories shows no sign of abating. But Gucci’s re-use of classic campaigns from the 60’s to sell its new watch designs feels like a relevant and clever way to plunder the archives. The shots featuring model Veruschka could have been taken last week.

At a time when a luxury brand purchase might seem frivolous, the sense of timeless style evoked here is a really smart move. Playing a similar trick, Schweppes has had plenty of publicity for these shrink-wrapped retro bottles which also recycle vintage ads. Do you think they are as relevant as the Gucci approach? Or are they more typical of the “we have a heritage, here’s the proof” formula that so many brands are playing? Either way, they look very appealing.

It will be interesting to see if classic brands become generally more progressive in their tactical editions this year – it would be nice to see some really fresh future-facing brand work from the old favourites.