American Marketing Association. (2024, February 13). The power of nostalgia: How vintage typography can build emotional connections. American Marketing Association. https://www.ama.org/2024/02/13/the-power-of-nostalgia

 

Examines how vintage typography enhances brand authenticity, trust, and emotional connection. As the leading nonprofit authority on marketing research and practice, the AMA provides reliable and highly credible insights. This supports No Strings’ use of retro-style typography not only in logos but also in packaging and merchandise design to evoke nostalgia and strengthen consumer trust.

ArXiv. (2022). Liminal design: A framework for deeper experiences. ArXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.16549

 

Presents a conceptual framework for designing products that foster deeper experiences and emotional transformation through narrative participation. While a preprint rather than a peer-reviewed journal, ArXiv is a trusted scholarly repository. This source inspires No Strings to treat toys as liminal objects that bridge functional play with emotional storytelling, reinforcing brand identity across product design, merchandising, and digital storytelling.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. (2021, April 27). Cas Holman: Design for play. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. https://www.cooperhewitt.org/2021/04/27/cas-holman-design-for-play

 

Showcases how playful, abstract design principles encourage open-ended imagination and narrative building. As part of the Smithsonian Institution, Cooper Hewitt is a highly credible design authority. The insights validate No Strings’ focus on encouraging imaginative, personal engagement, whether through physical products, interactive campaigns, or social media presence.

Eames Institute. (n.d.). Toys & play. Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity. https://eamesinstitute.org

 

Explores toys as pure expressions of design, with emphasis on purpose, materials, and user experience. The Eames Institute is a nonprofit research body continuing the legacy of Charles and Ray Eames, ensuring credibility and authority. This reinforces No Strings’ integration of material authenticity and functional storytelling, influencing product design, packaging, and brand philosophy.

 

Gaatha. (n.d.). Wooden toys – Nirmal. Gaatha: A tale of crafts. https://gaatha.org/craft-of-india/wooden-nirmal-toys

 

Details the Nirmal toy-making tradition, where wooden forms are painted with vibrant imagery inspired by nature. As a nonprofit cultural heritage platform, Gaatha provides credible documentation of artisanal practices. Beyond design process inspiration, this source strengthens No Strings’ ability to connect heritage craft to modern audiences by emphasizing how cultural storytelling heightens emotional engagement and consumer perception of authenticity.

 

Hu, J. (2024). Value-creating practices and barriers for collaboration between designers and artisans: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 17(1), 25–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2023.2251018

 

Conducts a systematic literature review of collaboration between designers and artisans, analyzing case studies and ethnographic data. Peer-reviewed and current, it offers credibility and depth. This supports No Strings’ partnership-driven approach to sustainable production, ensuring design choices reinforce both artisanal craft and cultural preservation across product and campaign development.

 

IJIRT. (2025). Wooden toys of India: Tradition, craftsmanship and cultural heritage. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology, 11(5), 23–30. https://ijirt.org/publishedpaper/IJIRT181633_PAPER.pdf

 

Analyzes wooden toy traditions in India, highlighting craftsmanship, regional identity, and storytelling. The peer-reviewed journal ensures credibility and relevance. This source reinforces No Strings’ emphasis on handmade authenticity, linking cultural heritage to modern branding by showing how artisanal craft traditions resonate with contemporary consumers.

 

McCleary, E. (2025, May 6). Art and crafts and handmade wooden toy design. Aesthetics of Design. https://www.aesdes.org/2025/05/06/art-and-crafts-and-handmade-wooden-toy-design

 

Discusses the importance of simple, recognizable forms and tactile qualities in handmade toys. Published by Aesthetics of Design, a respected design education collective, this source has authority in craft-focused design insights. It supports No Strings’ minimalist product forms while linking design decisions to safety, nostalgia, and personal connection across both toys and branded merchandise.

 

Patwardhan, H., & Balasubramanian, S. K. (2013). Brand romance and brand love. Journal of Customer Behaviour, 12(1), 73–84. https://doi.org/10.1362/147539213X13590258637660

 

Empirical study using consumer surveys to explore how emotional connection and passion lead to long-term brand loyalty. As a peer-reviewed journal article, it carries scholarly weight. This research supports No Strings’ goal of fostering deep consumer-brand relationships, not only through collectible toys but also via packaging, social media, and campaigns designed to evoke affection and trust.

 

Safarov, R., & Prilepskaya, A. (2021). Nostalgia-driven design and digitalization of brand character marketing. E3S Web of Conferences, 258, 05063. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202125805063

 

Conference paper examining nostalgia in character branding, particularly its appeal to younger audiences. While not a journal, conference proceedings offer research-backed insights. This validates No Strings’ use of character-driven storytelling across both product design and digital brand campaigns.

 

The IIDM Blog. (2024, March 21). How brands use memories to connect with consumers. International Institute of Digital Marketing. https://blog.theiidm.org/posts/nostalgia-marketing-how-brands-use-memories-to-connect-with-consumers

 

Outlines how brands leverage nostalgia and storytelling to strengthen emotional bonds with consumers. Published by the International Institute of Digital Marketing, this blog carries credibility as a recognized training and certification body in marketing. This supports No Strings’ strategy of narrative-driven branding, informing product storytelling and campaign messaging.

 

Zhou, Y., & Li, S. (2015). A review of nostalgic marketing. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 5(12), 747–753. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajibm.2015.512073

 

Literature review summarizing research on nostalgia as a marketing strategy, with focus on loyalty and consumer spending. Peer-reviewed, though slightly dated, it provides theoretical grounding. When paired with more recent research, it underpins No Strings’ approach to nostalgia-driven scarcity and limited editions, linking to both product collectibility and emotional brand storytelling.

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