Is the Recession Making Us Soft?

I've commented on this before, but the Rebranding Bandwagon just refuses to slow its roll. It seems like every day more and more major consumer product brands are slapping on a happy face to combat the mid-depression blues.

Past approaches of "efficient" and "effective" have gone by the wayside, replaced instead with marketing strategies that are "soft," "playful," and "cheery" - the attempt being, of course, to lighten the doom and gloom the American consumer feels every time they run out of toothpaste or have to feed the meter (or the kid).

It's actually getting pretty ridiculous. Pepsi cans will now be smiling, grinning, smirking, or giving stock advice depending on what kind you get. And I've heard the new 2009 Harley Davidson Softail is coming in "Recession Yellow" and sporting a horn that plays "Don't Worry, Be Happy."

I realize that brands, even established ones, need an occasional "refresh" to stand out on ever more crowded supermarket shelves. I also understand that the current economic situation is a living reality that brands feel like they have to respond to. Still the recent upsurge of rebranding efforts is starting to seem, in look and feel, depressingly trendy to me.

Image courtesy of Gaetan Lee.