Old Disney movies, cartoons, prizes in cereal, Kool-Aid, Backstreet Boys, flip phones, cassette tapes, and Lip Smackers chapstick are the first things that come to mind when I think about nostalgia. Of course, these are just a few examples of things that evoke nostalgia for me personally. But in the grander scheme of things, anything from old photos to your favorite childhood snack can take you back in time. If you think about it, most of your all-time favorite songs are probably nostalgic for a memory, person, or a specific time period of your life. In a survey of 500 US consumers, 52% of respondents said they were more likely to buy a product if it reminded them of their childhood. Everyone loves to reminisce about the good ol’ days, making nostalgia a valuable tool for marketers to truly connect with their audience.
The word nostalgia is rooted in the Greek word “nostos”, which translates to “return home.” The warm fuzzy feeling that brings you home, right back down memory lane, that’s nostalgia at its finest. Nostalgia is usually described as a sentimental longing for the past. Typically, this feeling revolves around personal associations with a period of time or place. These connections are usually a mix of mostly positive emotions. The complex emotional pull of nostalgia is triggered by a wide range of stimuli. From the smell of freshly baked cookies to the Warner Bros intro song, nostalgia includes any smell, sound, place, or object that pulls on our heartstrings and reminds us of the good ol’ days.
Nostalgia is a psychological phenomenon involving a combination of authentic thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. Although everyone has unique experiences and connotations that bring them back in time, nostalgia hits on these memories. Research suggests that nostalgia is a common experience among people regardless of their age, culture, or gender. Along with the positive effects that nostalgia can have on your mood and well-being, studies have shown that nostalgia instills feelings of social connectedness and improves self-esteem. It is important to understand the role of nostalgia in our lives and to use it in a way that promotes positive emotions and personal growth.
We’ve seen nostalgia at work on our social feeds for over a decade now. Even posting Throwback Thursdays with the hashtag #TBT brings us back to 2017. Instagram introduced hashtags in 2011 and the infamous #TBT hashtag originated soon after. This well-loved hashtag gained popularity throughout the early days of Instagram hashtags. By 2013 #TBTs became the official weekly catalyst for businesses and individuals to share a blast from the past. Now, it’s one of the most popular hashtags on Instagram.
But why does nostalgia marketing work so well? Lauren Friedman points out in her Forbes article how nostalgia helps us escape from the chaos of our everyday lives.
"Alongside hectic work schedules, unrelenting responsibilities, and more, fond memories make us smile — and that leaves us open to brand messaging. When we feel or care for something, we’re much more likely to act.”
Our everyday lives are full of flashes and noise. Nostalgia works because it’s an escape from the continuous hustle and bustle that we all fall victim to. Over 80% of adults in the United States experience feelings of nostalgia at least once a week. Nostalgia takes us back to simpler times when we had no care in the world.
Every marketer is working to promote their products and services. Instead of blending in with the crowded market of buying and selling, nostalgia marketing helps you approach your audience from a new, more personal angle, saying “Hey, remember me?” Pulling on the heartstrings of your audience creates a genuine interest in your brand. Creating this connection leads them to not just pick your products, but want your products. Plus, the numbers don’t lie, nostalgia marketing can increase purchase intent by as much as 36%.
Take Hollywood’s approach to nostalgia for example. Any flashback scene in a movie, where the character is transported back in time through memory, is playing on the idea of nostalgia. Usually, these events lead to some sort of realization for the character. These scenes are all about emotion. Hollywood provides the audience with a deeper connection to the character, which makes the plot more intriguing and the audience more invested in the story.
Ads that incorporate nostalgic imagery are 43% more likely to elicit emotions and are 28% more likely to be shared on social media. Identifying the nostalgic elements of your business requires a mix of the history of your company and the history of your target market. To ensure that your use of nostalgia is authentic and relevant to your target audience, it’s crucial to take the time to think about your buyer persona and your company’s image. When you tie these two together, your nostalgic marketing efforts will be far from a superficial attempt to capitalize on consumers' emotions.
Implementing nostalgia in marketing is about finding and leveraging the collective fond memories of your target audience in a way that is authentic to your business. Encompassing nostalgia into your marketing efforts instills trust and promotes longevity in your brand because your audience sees you as someone who gets them and can relate to them on a deeper level than just the present. Nostalgia shows your audience that you will be there through the thick and thin of it.
Brand history is an important element of your nostalgic marketing efforts. Your brand history shows your audience your roots. The role of your company’s past and history refers to your founding story, evolution over time, and trending role in pop culture. In a survey of 2,000 UK adults by the brand experience agency Amplify, 77% of respondents said they felt nostalgic when they saw an old brand logo or packaging. By highlighting aspects of your history that are relevant to consumers' nostalgic memories you will create an enduring shared experience with your audience.
Nostalgia marketing can be an effective strategy for engaging consumers and increasing purchase intent. After all, the marketing agency McCann found that advertisements with a nostalgic theme performed 28% better in terms of viewer engagement compared to non-nostalgic ads. However, successful nostalgia campaigns are more than just another marketing tactic. The best nostalgia marketing is done thoughtfully and authentically. By playing on the audience’s positive memories and emotions, you can create a sense of familiarity that resonates with your audience.