The Trap of the Iconic Product

The iconic product is summing up everything the brand stands for. Whether this is actually true or not, in the mind of the public, that's the way it is.

Just like Patrick Hernandez will forever be a one-hit wonder, some iconic products take all the space and tell a different story than the brand intends to. It is possible to make a very good living as one-hit wonder (I am pretty sure Patrick Hernandez never had money problems...) but it is tricky to make sense, to be meaningful as a one-hit wonder.

Two years ago, Palais de Tokyo had a great exhibition on Chanel n°5. It perfectly showed just how much of the essence of the brand is actually embodied in the product. The story Chanel tells around the fragrance is so rich and relevant, that it makes sense, in this case, to talk about an iconic product without alienating the brand.

On the other hand, what to think about Tiffany's charm bracelet? Or the "J'adore Dior" T-shirt? The Louis Vuitton Monogram? What can be done when the iconic product happens to fall out of grace, be it because of passing trends, too much counterfeits or consumer fatigue? What to do when the iconic product sheds light on things the brand would rather forget? It takes time and effort to transcend an iconic product, take Burberry's tartan for example, which was associated with hooligans for some time in the 1990's.

Iconic products are a trap if they become fashionable, because then they are linked to a trend and a period. A successful iconic product is a classic, and a classic is timeless.