The solid past: visual stability of brand logos on consumer attitudes toward nostalgic brands

Purpose An appropriate logo design is an important concern for managers of existing nostalgic brands that face challenges in balancing logo innovation with nostalgic brand image preservation or of brands aspiring to transition into nostalgic brands. However, relative scarce research has investigated the impact of logo design on consumer attitudes toward nostalgic brands. To address this gap, this research aims to explore how visual stability of logos influences consumer attitudes toward nostalgic brands. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments were conducted to examine the effect of visual stability of logos on consumers’ attitudes toward nostalgic brands. The online experiments used online platforms Prolific and Credamo. The hypotheses were tested using statistical methods, including t-tests, ANOVA and regression. All methods were implemented using the SPSS software. Findings The results indicate that visually stable (vs unstable) logos improve consumer attitudes toward nostalgic brands but not toward non-nostalgic brands. Consumers perceive greater brand stability when nostalgic brands use stable logos, rather than unstable logos, leading to a more favorable brand attitude. The effect of logo visual stability on consumer attitudes toward nostalgic brands is mitigated by presenting values cues of brand heritage. Originality/value This research contributes to the existing literature by exploring the precursory factors that improve consumer attitudes toward nostalgic brands. It investigates the downstream consequences of visual stability and the visual determinants that influence perceived brand stability. This research offers insights into logo visual stability design strategies, presenting an understanding of how logo visual stability can be leveraged to enhance consumer attitudes toward nostalgic brands.