Arm & Hammer

For over a century, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda was sold mostly for, well... baking, so the advent of prepared meals in the late 1960's was a huge problem. To fight back, the company positioned baking soda as a refrigerator deodorizer with a brilliant marketing campaign in 1972 and rebounded to record sales. Soon, the Arm & Hammer would be found on everything from chewing gum to laundry detergent and cat litter. The move was so successful that a follow-up campaign even encouraged consumers to pour the product down the drain to deodorize sinks!
 

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Ford Taurus

Stodgy styling and competition from high-quality Japanese imports finally drove this former best-selling car in the U.S. to the end if its two-decade run. However, favorable ratings and much higher name recognition than any of the replacement models compelled Ford to bring the Taurus back after only three months. Using rebadged versions of existing models as a stopgap measure, the 2010 Taurus has been completely redesigned with an upscale image and engineering intended to recapture the magic of the original brand. Like the Volkswagen Beetle and Cooper Mini before it, the Taurus is poised for a major comeback!
 

Ovaltine

Once an icon of popular culture, Ovaltine was a familiar sponsor of children's radio shows like Little Orphan Annie in the 1930's and 1940's. As television gained popularity, the company failed to capitalize on changing media, and by 1990 the brand had received so little marketing attention that few people realized Ovaltine still existed. A new management team took over and used the power of nostalgic ad campaigns, competitive claims and refreshed packaging to drive market share over 30% by 2006. More Ovaltine, please!

Hydrox Cookies

Sunshine Biscuits developed this popular creme-filled chocolate cookie in 1908. Nabsico introduced the similar Oreo cookie four years later, but used its superior marketing and distribution muscle to position itself as the original. The false public image as a cheap Oreo knockoff proved too much for Hydrox, and production ceased in 2003. However, a loyal group of followers still considered Hydrox a superior product, with a less-sweet filling and a cookie that held up better in milk. Their grass-roots lobbying campaign persuaded new owner Kellogg's to bring Hydrox back for a limit run in 2008. If the results are favorable, it may be difficult for Kellogg's to resist the taste of success.
 

Apple Computer

Despite pioneering many now-common computer technologies, an avalanche of commodity PCs took such a heavy toll that in 1997 Michael Dell famously recommended Apple shut down the company and give the money back to its shareholders. Instead, Apple returned to innovation and the founding vision of Steve Jobs. An unparalleled run of breakthrough design and engineering solutions, including the iMac, iPod, iPhone, OS X, Airport, iLife software, and highly visible retail stores have since catapulted Apple into a company with over $29 billion in cash... and a market cap five times the size of Dell Computer!
 

More Rubber Brands to come! Stay tuned...