EPISODE 05
The Icons' lesson
Can we stille create icons?
Some products don’t just sell. They shape a brand’s destiny. They write its history. They become icons.
Not every brand is lucky enough to have one. But those that do know the power they hold: iconic products define a brand’s position, build loyalty over time, and connect with people in a way that’s both emotional and enduring. They don’t just perform in the market, they become part of culture. And yet, ironically, because they “sell on their own,” these products are often left to fend for themselves. Overlooked. Underinvested in. Taken for granted.
But icons are not automatic.
They are the result of entrepreneurial courage, original thinking, and the ambition to do something truly unique without looking over your shoulder at the competition. They were never just products of their time. They were the ultimate expression of freedom: freedom from trends and constraints of time, and therefore, timeless.
So what now? Do we protect the past, or imagine the future?
The opportunity isn’t to preserve iconic products as relics. It’s to bring their spirit into the present. To invest in them. Evolve them. Understand what made them iconic in the first place, and make that meaning relevant for today.
But the real challenge, the more ambitious one, is to imagine the icons of tomorrow. In a context obsessed with launching the next new thing, we risk forgetting what it takes to build something that lasts. We follow trends. We expand endlessly. And in doing so, we flatten what once made brands stand apart.
It’s not about nostalgia. It’s about rediscovering the values that shaped those iconic products: Innovation. Courage. Freedom. And the ability to distill a brand’s essence into something tangible, something unforgettable. Because iconic products are branding lessons in their purest form.
So, can we still create icons? We believe the answer is yes—if we have the freedom to imagine, and the courage to act.
01:59
05
EPISODE
The Icons' lesson
Can we stille create icons?
Some products don’t just sell. They shape a brand’s destiny. They write its history. They become icons.
Not every brand is lucky enough to have one. But those that do know the power they hold: iconic products define a brand’s position, build loyalty over time, and connect with people in a way that’s both emotional and enduring. They don’t just perform in the market, they become part of culture. And yet, ironically, because they “sell on their own,” these products are often left to fend for themselves. Overlooked. Underinvested in. Taken for granted.
But icons are not automatic.
They are the result of entrepreneurial courage, original thinking, and the ambition to do something truly unique without looking over your shoulder at the competition. They were never just products of their time. They were the ultimate expression of freedom: freedom from trends and constraints of time, and therefore, timeless.
So what now? Do we protect the past, or imagine the future?
The opportunity isn’t to preserve iconic products as relics. It’s to bring their spirit into the present. To invest in them. Evolve them. Understand what made them iconic in the first place, and make that meaning relevant for today.
But the real challenge, the more ambitious one, is to imagine the icons of tomorrow. In a context obsessed with launching the next new thing, we risk forgetting what it takes to build something that lasts. We follow trends. We expand endlessly. And in doing so, we flatten what once made brands stand apart.
It’s not about nostalgia. It’s about rediscovering the values that shaped those iconic products: Innovation. Courage. Freedom. And the ability to distill a brand’s essence into something tangible, something unforgettable. Because iconic products are branding lessons in their purest form.
So, can we still create icons? We believe the answer is yes—if we have the freedom to imagine, and the courage to act.