Ease into the week — brand of your youth?

I don’t know about you but Sunday nights are time for me to catch up.  On my reading, on my work, on my relationships — all with an eye on Monday morning and knowing that the 180 mph pace is about to resume.

Sundays also seem to be my day for deep thoughts.  I thought it might be fun to ease into the week together with a question that is sort of about branding and marketing but also has a personal element to it as well.  A chance to get to know each other AND talk shop.  Perfect for a Sunday night.

In the comments section of my recent post…This is your brain.  This is your brain on brands there’s an interesting discussion about the emotional connection we make to brands.  There’s no time when our emotions are more at the surface than when we’re kids.  So here’s this week’s question:

Glove_1 What is the brand that best epitomizes your youth?

Mine…without a doubt, Rawlings.  They made the best ball gloves.  I can remember getting my first one…and oiling it with such attentive rapture.  As I got older and my hand got bigger, I had to make the bittersweet move to a new glove.  But soon, I loved the new one as much as the old one.

The great thing about a baseball glove is that, much like jeans, the more you use it, the more perfect it becomes.    I slept with my mitt under my bed for months, molding the pocket to just how I wanted it.   But it didn’t really achieve perfection for a few seasons. Then…it was (and still is) just right! 

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6 comments on “Ease into the week — brand of your youth?

  1. Drew,

    I hate to piggyback off your glove idea but I also must be truthful. My brand was also Rawlings. It was a particularly special glove because it was my Dad’s glove when he was a kid. It was an old dark brown 3 fingered glove circa 1950-ish. That glove was crafted so well (by hand I’m sure) and so broken in. Best of all I was the only kid in West Des Moines Little League, or any league for that matter, with an old fashioned 3 fingered glove. Thanks for letting me stroll down memory lane!

    Cory-

  2. Cory,

    Wow…I’m sure it was a kick for your dad to see you using his glove too.

    Do you still have it?

    Drew

  3. I’ll be dating myself royally, but ok:

    ** Keds & PF Flyers for sneakers
    ** Columbia for bikes (my brother preferred Schwinn)
    ** Whammo for frisbees
    ** Duncan for yo-yos
    ** Cocoa Marsh chocolate syrup (Bosco was the other popular brand.)
    ** Burry’s and Doogan’s baked goods (the latter used to drive a truck in the neighborhood. Went the way of the milk man in the mid ’60s.)

    … and just because my mother used to make it, bake it in special glass cups (which I still own and use with nary a chip after 50 years … Junkett custard.

    Man, I’m hurting myself on these shards of nostalgia. But it was fun :=)

  4. Roberta,

    Hmm, some of those must be regional brands, but I sure remember the yo-yos, whammos and keds!

    I don;t know about your kids, but my daughter is all about the keds. They are retro cool. Not really sure how I feel about the items of my youth being labeled retro!

    Drew

  5. We had LOADS more regional brands as kids than we do today – sounds like a good post for you, Drew.

    Sneakers are not the big thing at my house. “Heelies” are … and as far as the things of my youth being retro. Hah, I DEFINE retro for my kids :=)

    A merry, merry and happy, happy holiday to you, Drew. So glad we crossed blog trails.

  6. Roberta,

    You’re right…I will put it on the “ponder so I can post” list.

    What the heck are heelies?

    And a very happy holiday to you and yours as well. Don’t you love how these blogs obsessions have created new friendships? One of my best happenings for ’06 for sure.

    Drew

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