• Forbes CMO Network, Monday, June 21, 2010 10:30 AM

Allen Adamson, managing director of the New York office of Landor Associates, isn't at all surprised that companies such as Jantzen and L.L. Bean are bringing back styles from the 1950s and 1960s, or that Kellogg is using a vintage Normal Rockwell illustration for its Corn Flakes. When the going gets tough, after all, the hard hit get to reminiscing about how good it was back in the day.

"Nostalgia has always has been a coping mechanism for consumers," he writes. "When the markets, governments and other major institutions fail to deliver the feel-good goods, consumers turn to more benign sources for their dose of assurance that the sky is not falling, be it entertainment, clothing, food or automobiles."

Take the introduction of Ford's 2011 Mustang as the Classic American Muscle Car. Other brands making a comeback include "cool, geek-chic" Hush Puppies shoes and Converse Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers. Oh, and by the way, is it any wonder that "Mad Men" is as popular a TV show as it is, that Hawaii Five-O is making a comeback, or that shows about Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly are drawing crowds on Broadway"?

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