Friends-nomenon: The One With The Nostalgia

2019 marks the 25th anniversary of the first season of Friends, the 1990’s must-see NBC show. It ended in 2004 but still earns Warner Bros reportedly 1 billion dollars per year from syndication revenue and it’s responsible for 4 percent + of Netflix’s total views. This year that number may be markedly more as Friends is uber trendy once again. 

Streaming media wasn’t even a thing in 1994 when the show first aired, but by capitalizing on its popularity, streaming subscriptions (Netflix and, in 2020, HBO Max) are bringing the show to an audience whose members weren’t even born when Friends aired its last episode. Which is to say that Friends currently offers a huge demographic for retailers, from 40 to 70 somethings who adored the original run, and their children, and even their children’s children. Friends is one of the most popular shows for the under 16 set, who ironically prefer to watch it on their phones, alone.

These new viewers are willing to forgive how the show can’t live up to 2019’s wishes for “woke” content. The show’s characters and plotlines can be sexist, homophobic, transphobic, and even acknowledged in the time, not body positive. But its pre-internet, and relationship-based storylines resonate with many who are experiencing new-stalgia and can take away life advice and emotional connections from the show

“She hates Pottery Barn?!?”

Retailers are cashing in on the trend and Friends licensing has made some smart moves.

In a fun, self-referential way, Pottery Barn is offering the famous apothecary table from the episode, “The One with the Apothecary Table,” where Rachel convinces Phoebe that her Pottery Barn table is really a flea market find from “the days of yore.”  It retails for $1099 and PB says, “this iconic piece was recreated down to the last detail, from the antique-inspired hardware to drawers originally designed for CDs.” CDs, how quaint!

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf released a Central Perk (the coffee shop in the show) blend of beans, as well as “six in-store drinks, (created) after each of the core characters from the show.” The beans were exclusively available in store and online but now are carried by Amazon.

“I KNOW!”

The logo itself appears on shirts at major retailers like Old Navy, Hot Topic, and Target. The originally handwritten typography has been recast in a free font enabling any Etsy seller to create custom “Friends”-like merch to sell.

“Friends is retro, so its logo.” Vox took a deep dive into why it resonates with so many. “I can’t think of anything typographic that says ‘1994’ better than loosely spaced brush caps separated by primary colored dots,” says Stephen Coles, curator at the Letterform Archive in San Francisco.” Never mind that products may not make sense with the show’s episodes or origins, people are hot on the graphic and its cultural cache.

Brooklyn Nets basketball wonder, Kyrie Irving, who has a Friends tattoo, teamed up with Nike to offer his Kyrie 5 shoe in a Friends colorway, complete with logo. The launch photo of the shoe features it on the iconic Friends orange Central Perk couch. The shoe is sold out.

“Ladies and gentlemen, wind your toys!'“

LEGO’s Ideas team released the Central Perk, a 1070 piece, 360º “Nostalgic Construction Toy” featuring all six of the show’s main characters as well as the famous grumpy barista, Gunther in its iconic coffee shop.

The LEGO site shows a 30+ year old woman sitting at a coffee table, building the set. LEGO’s Central Perk reportedly sold out within 2 hours on the first day and is temporarily out of stock.

Could We Be Any More Excited?

The 2019 Friends tour de force keeps rolling with pop-up experiences all over the world. 

AT&T and Warner Bros have teamed up in NYC to bring a “month-long, immersive pop-up Friends experience” to life. Fans relished the opportunity to pop their head through Monica and Rachel’s  purple apartment door, yell “pivot” as they hoisted a sofa around a staircase, sit in Chandler and Joey’s apartment, and dance with a turkey on their heads.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s Central Perk pop-up, similar to Primark’s, a Irish fast fashion retailer, allowed patrons to pose on the orange couch and sip from the show’s jumbo mugs

In another stunt, a Friends’ orange couch replica will travel all over the world to cities and landmarks including Stonehenge, the Grand Canyon, and Dubai.

The One Where We Say Goodbye

This year you can feel a part of the Friends-i-verse and celebrate the 25th anniversary in ways we never imagined. Friends continues to “be there for you” at whatever stage, where ever you are in life.