7 Brands That Made a Surprise Comeback in 2016

Image via Complex Original

On two separate occasions this month, and at two very different events, I noticed one familiar thing: a Polaroid camera. As a 1980s baby, you recognize it the second you see it. They stick out because, in the age of the cell phone, not many people are pulling out a Polaroid to take photos. But Polaroid is roaring back, having reintroduced a modern version of its camera for people old and young (particularly young) who miss the feeling of capturing a moment in time while being able to physically feel and see the end result.

Along with the updated incarnations of the camera, Polaroid sells other nifty little toys, like a mobile printer and similar devices that can print out what you capture on that smartphone you refuse to let go of. In 2015, Polaroid’s CEO said the company represented “curators of innovation.” In 2016, they’re cashing in on helping consumers choose old ways of seeing themselves with their products.

In 2012, the company behind Twinkies, Ding Dongs, and Ho Hos nearly went out of business. With tragedy looming, a deep wave of anxiety hit snack fiends hards. Count the kid writing this among them. A year later, the company was purchased in liquidation, and the slow but steady turnaround began. After eight months of the products being off the shell—a very dark time in this nation’s history—the Hostess stuck with the basics while also making little tweaks here and there to its yummy treats. As Bill Toler, chief executive of Hostess Brands LLC, recently explained to the Wall Street Journal, “No one wants to see a diet Twinkie.” No, but we do want a deep fried version of a Twinkie because deep-fried snacks are lit. See me at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (and carnival) for more info. 

If you partied at all in 2009 or 2010, you probably have extensive memories of Four Loko. Take a tour of Throwback Thursday and Flashback Friday hashtags for additional evidence. In 2010, Four Loko removed the caffeine, guarana, and taurine from its beverage. While the formula might have changed, Four Loko’s personality has not. The popularity of the drink dipped back in 2010, but Four Loko is witnessing a resurgence.  

The now caffeine-less drink remains unabashed and irreverent, never taking itself too seriously, and Four Loko’s events are physical embodiments of this mantra. Last year, the company started the FatJewIRL tour with Dillon Francis, Zed’s Dead, and friends, hosted by The Fat Jew. Four Loko also threw two nights of insane after-parties with O.T. Genasis, Lil Uzi Vert, A-Trak, and more during Lolla. Rest-assured, these shows were 110 percent as lit as you’d expect any Four Loko party to be. There’s also the recent Four Loko and PizzaSlime collaborative collection that debuted at ComplexCon this year, which you can peep here.

The easy-to-spot can with the noteworthy name is on the comeback trail. Y’all ready for it?

No shade, but up until recently, when I thought of Old Spice, I associated it with an older man who reminded me of Rolly from Amen that I used to play dominos outside with. Of course, by 2010, the “Smell Like A Man” campaign, which starred former NFL player Isaiah Mustafa, got people talking about the longtime brand in other ways.

Along with the hilariously random and eccentric commercials, Old Spice has done a lot of additional work to continue riding the wave that the campaign launched. As a result, people now see Old Spice as fresh (literally and figuratively), funny, and something they want to align with. 

For a while, this world hadn’t been too kind to Ford’s luxury brand. After killing it in the 1990s—selling nearly 250,000 vehicles a year—Lincoln could barely muscle out 80k in sales by 2014. Blame the economy, blame the auto crisis, blame whatever. But with a new CEO and a different advertising push, the brand has very methodically been moving on up in sales. That new push includes bringing in Matthew McConaughey to be the brand’s spokesman (many of the ads her starred in went viral). Lincoln’s turnaround has been so impressive that respected hubs like Business Insider are touting their success, and brand is expecting even more growth next year.

For more than 20 consecutive quarters now, the meat-sandwich maker has experienced growth. But before that, things were looking so bleek for Arby’s that the best description for the state of the brand would have been something along the lines of “bless their little hearts.” Folks like Jon Stewart—and all of social media—roasted Arby’s relentlessly, calling out the lackluster (and absurdly unhealthy) food it served. Arby’s took it in stride, started selling brisket, and tapped the legendary Ving Rhames to be the brand’s spokesman.

Speaking with Buzzfeed News this spring, Arby’s CEO Paul Brown said, “We’re very proud to be Arby’s. We have a lot of fun and we’re not afraid to make fun of ourselves where it makes sense, and we know other people will as well. But the numbers speak for themselves.” Stunt.

Master P is probably one of the most successful music moguls in history. He infamously took a $10,000 settlement after his father passed, and went on to create a music label that stayed independent and sold tens of millions of albums without catering to mainstream radio. Not to mention, it expanded into film, sports management, and other avenues to keep raking in the dough.

Yet, when people talk “moguls,” they mention names like Jay Z, Diddy, and Dr. Dre. Master P’s name doesn't always register as fast as it should. But, on the new Solange album, A Seat at the Table, Master P is enjoying renewed cultural capital as a direct result of his inspirational vignettes that speak directly to black people across the country. It has also guided people who forgot about his past accomplishments to immediately revisit. Give it up for the Ice Cream Man.