Abstract:
Communist nostalgia and business initiatives joined hands in the last few decades to revive economic brands such as Eugenia, Brifcor, Farmec, Rom, Pegas or Cheia. Fighting for market share, most of these brands ignored the harsh realities of communism, relied on name recognition and took advantage of the retro vibe of nostalgia and past glamor. This essay addresses the economic and cultural impact the rebranding of some of these items had on contemporary popular consumption habits, with a focus on the (re)branding of the soap Cheia by analyzing its relevance as a beauty product and cultural artefact before, during and after communism. In doing so, the essays shows that the investigation of rebranding of communist goods for the free market can shed light both on the cultural and economic value of those goods during communism and on the cultural taste and economic behavior of present consumers.
