With 4 flights on United last week, it was easy to read the in-flight Hemispheres Magazine from cover to cover.

Two stories that caught my attention were flashback pieces.

First, “Remembrance of Cocoa Puffs Past,” a story about retro marketing. It’s a cool read and it makes the case that especially during a recession, we like to touch the comforts of the past.

The other flashback piece, “Bunker Mentality,” was about Norman Lear and his 1970s and 1980s TV dynasty. The story talked about how Lear altered the national conversation with his provocative shows. Coming out last month was the Norman Lear TV Collection (19 discs) with the first seasons of 7 of his classic shows including All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Good Times, Maude, Mary Hartman, and One Day at a Time.

Tags: retromarketing, hemispheres, norman lear