How a Heritage Toy Brand Lost and Regained Its Playfulness

CASE STUDY: PRODUCT BRAND OF A HERITAGE TOY COMPANY

FOCUS: BRAND DRIFT PROBLEMS | AUDIENCE: STEWARDS OF PLATEAUED BRANDS

I helped a legacy toy brand discover that being timeless doesn’t mean staying stuck in time.

The Brand Challenge

A beloved Indian toy company, once a staple in households for generations, found itself quietly fading from the shelves … and the hearts … of modern parents. Despite its nostalgic value and sturdy craftsmanship, the brand failed to capture the imagination of today’s digital-native kids or their trend-conscious parents.

The toys hadn’t changed. But the world had. Play patterns had evolved, new-age parenting trends had shifted, and Instagram-friendly aesthetics were shaping buying decisions. The brand had stayed loyal to its legacy … but in doing so, had lost its sense of play.

The Brand Insight

When I looked closely, I saw that the brand’s challenge wasn’t one of product … it was one of perception. Parents still valued wooden toys, handcrafted details, and cultural relevance. But the brand’s outdated packaging, muted tone, and lack of visibility online made it feel more like a museum piece than a modern memory-maker.

It needed to revive not just its relevance, but its emotional spark. Because toys aren’t just bought for functionality … they’re chosen for how they make parents and their children feel about childhood, growth, and connection.

The Big Brand Idea

I reframed the brand not as a toy company, but as a childhood culture brand … positioned to champion the joy, values, and imagination of growing up in India. Instead of competing with screens or plastic imports, it would win by owning a unique space: Indian playfulness, reimagined.

We didn’t just focus on products. We built a story world. Each toy was reintroduced as a character or cultural cue … from folklore animals to regional festivals … letting the brand become a bridge between generations and geographies. Play, after all, is a form of storytelling.

The Brand New Strategy

I began by redesigning the packaging … not to be “modern,” but to feel charmingly retro-contemporary. Bright, earthy colours, tactile finishes, and simple iconography helped reawaken curiosity. We changed the visual tone from “vintage” to “vivid.”

Next came the digital overhaul. The brand’s website was restructured around play themes rather than product categories. Every page now felt like a portal into childhood … filled with illustrations, audio snippets, and craft suggestions that let parents rediscover joy with their children.

10 New Content Directions

Here are 10 strategic ideas developed (and several executed) to support the new brand direction:

#PlayOfTheWeek Series: Weekly video demos on Instagram featuring one toy with storytelling cues for parent-child bonding.
“Grew Up With This” Reels: Invite millennial parents to share nostalgic reels of how they played with the brand in the ‘90s.
Craft Companion Downloads: Printable DIY activities themed around each toy to encourage off-screen engagement.
Founder’s Diary Blog: Intimate posts from the founder’s daughter (now CEO) sharing behind-the-scenes moments and cultural roots.
Grandparent Testimonies: Short YouTube videos featuring grandparents recounting how play was different in their time.
“Toy Revival Tuesdays”: A weekly content slot where old discontinued toys are brought back with a poll-led relaunch.
Festival Play Kits: Bundled toys and crafts sent before Indian festivals, with content on rituals, meanings, and regional games.
“Behind the Toy” Instagram Lives: Short live interviews with artisans, illustrators, and packagers to honour the brand’s craftsmanship.
“What Our Toys Teach” Series: A thought leadership content column tying toys to child development, neuroscience, and Indian values.
Voice Note Memories: Add a section where users upload a memory with the toy in voice format, shared back with an illustrated avatar.

Results Within 6 Months

Online sales rose 38%, driven by Instagram-led parent engagement.
Over 12K downloads of DIY Craft Companions within three months.
Brand got covered by 8 parenting and design media platforms organically.
Repeat purchase rate doubled with bundling strategies and gifting options.

CONFIDENTIALITY CAVEAT: This case study represents a confidential engagement. For privacy, specific brand identifiers, campaign names, and project phases have been withheld. It has been shared with permission while preserving client discretion.

Extra Tip for Broader Perspective

If you’re an investor seeking momentum for your portfolio brands, here is one of my case studies that could interest you: “Why a Charter Flight Brand Never Took Off … Until Its Strategy Did.”

And if you’re a solo expert looking to sharpen traction, this case study I worked on may resonate: “How a Consultant’s Perfect Image Actually Made Her Invisible.“

Take your brand from stuck to full throttle − with one bold strategic shift

"One BIG IDEA can turn brand stagnation into unstoppable movement. Spots are limited each week ... book your breakthrough session now."

Shobha Ponnappa

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