5 Businesses That Have Been Resurrected

Last updated: Sep 30, 2026 3 minute read Inspiration: Start-Up Stories
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Daniel Tuckey
Written by: Daniel Tuckey

Struggling doesn't have to mean the end. Some of today's biggest, most recognisable brands were once written off entirely, only to come back stronger with a new message, a new look, or simply rediscovering an audience they didn't realise was still there. Here are five, and what's worth taking from each.

Key Takeaways

  • Apple's turnaround came from bringing back genuine leadership, Steve Jobs' return in 1996 set the stage for its eventual dominance.
  • Burberry recovered from a damaging brand association by making bold, unpopular decisions rather than waiting for the problem to fade.
  • English football's reputation, and its finances, were transformed almost entirely by a single structural change: the formation of the Premier League.
  • Mini Cooper proved that genuine nostalgia, paired with a modern update, can revive a brand that had otherwise gone under.
  • Old Spice's rebrand shows that a clever, low-cost campaign can outperform a much bigger marketing budget.

Apple

It's easy to forget Apple wasn't always the dominant global brand it is today. Through the 1990s, the company was genuinely struggling, playing second fiddle to Microsoft with no clear direction. The turning point came in 1996, when Apple acquired NeXT Computer, the company founded by Steve Jobs after he'd resigned from Apple back in 1985, bringing Jobs back into the fold. What followed reshaped the company entirely, but it took a real reckoning before that became possible.

Burberry

The Burberry check is instantly recognisable today, but through the late 1990s and early 2000s, the brand had picked up a reputation it struggled to shake off, closely associated in the UK press with a negative stereotype that damaged its image considerably. Turning it around took genuinely difficult decisions under CEO Angela Ahrendts, including closing factories and restructuring manufacturing to bring production under tighter control. The brand's recovery since has been thorough enough that it now works with major film and fashion figures as ambassadors.

English Football

Through the 1980s, English football's reputation was at a genuine low point. Tragedies at Hillsborough and Heysel, and the wider issue of hooliganism, cast the game in a deeply negative light, serious enough that English clubs were banned from European competition for five years. The turnaround came in 1992, when top-flight clubs broke away from the old First Division to form the Premier League, driven substantially by lucrative television rights deals. The result reshaped English football's finances and reputation almost entirely, into what's now one of the most-watched sporting leagues in the world.

Mini Cooper

The Mini is deeply tied to British cultural identity, its look cemented in films like The Italian Job, but the original manufacturer went under in 2000. BMW revived the brand the following year with a modernised version of the classic design. The relaunch proved genuinely popular, tapping into a blend of nostalgia and modern appeal that resonated well beyond just older fans of the original.

Old Spice

Old Spice had long been viewed as a brand for an older generation, until a 2010 rebrand changed that almost overnight. The company built a campaign around short, funny online adverts featuring former NFL player Isaiah Mustafa, and the approach became genuinely viral.

 

In the 12 months following the rebrand, sales of Old Spice Body Wash rose by 11%, a substantial result driven largely by a handful of low-cost online videos rather than a traditional big-budget advertising push.

It's a genuinely strong example of how a sharp creative idea can outperform sheer marketing spend.

What Can a Smaller Business Take From This?

These are huge, well-known brands, but the same underlying principle applies at any scale: a struggling business isn't necessarily a finished one. A clear-eyed look at what's actually gone wrong, paired with the willingness to make real changes rather than small tweaks, is often what separates a genuine turnaround from a slow decline.

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FAQs

What's the most common factor in a successful business turnaround?

Usually a willingness to make genuinely difficult, sometimes unpopular changes, rather than waiting for a problem to resolve itself.

Can a small business realistically learn anything from these examples?

Yes. The scale is different, but the underlying lessons, decisive action, creative marketing, and rediscovering what customers actually value, apply just as much to a small business as a global brand.

Does a rebrand always require a big budget to succeed?

No. Old Spice's rebrand is a clear example of a relatively low-cost, creative campaign outperforming a much larger traditional marketing spend.

This article is for general information only and reflects publicly documented business history, not professional advice specific to your situation.