Retrostyling as a historical narrative strategy of culture brands: the case of Burger King and Pepsi in Instagram

Abstract

This study explores retrostyling as a strategy for managing visual identity and brand storytelling, comparing how Burger King and Pepsi recover old versions of their logos (instead of updating the latest logo, as is usual in restyling), remodel them, and communicate them on Instagram, and how the public reacts. A mixed case study design is adopted for the official profiles in Spain, organized into three milestones: M1 (first unofficial appearance of the new vintage logo), M2 (official announcement), and M3 (last appearance of the modern logo). Methodologically, two sample units are combined: single post (specific event per milestone) and evolution window (time window between milestones). The procedure consists of four steps: 1) digital strategy analysis (volume, formats, and coexistence of identities); 2) semi-narrative analysis of key posts; 3) sentiment analysis of comments and 4) public reaction (likes and comments) using descriptive metrics: interaction rate and dialogue index. In reference to the results, we can see how in M1, Burger King anticipates the change with more posts and generates a humorous and participatory tone; Pepsi, with fewer posts, achieves greater corporate consistency and curiosity with a low volume of comments. In M2, the official announcement causes polarization in both brands; at Pepsi, a controversy with an ambassador diverts the conversation from the visual aspect. In M3, Pepsi does not overlap identities (its latest modern logo immediately precedes the announcement), while Burger King maintains logo coexistence for weeks, suggesting a more gradual transition. In terms of contributions, retrostyling is defined as a practice that goes beyond the merely aesthetic, articulating historical brand signals within contemporary narratives. Likewise, a sample framework applicable to social media (single post/evolution window) is proposed to study CVI transition phases. Finally, two operational indexes are introduced: coexistence consistency (to quantify the transition between logos) and dialogue index (to capture conversational depth). Both are useful for future rebranding analyses in digital environments.