Nostalgia Fueled Marketing

Lock down has made many of us revisit the past. From going through old albums to dusting off old board games, even television channels have started broadcasting and rerunning old TV series. Thanks to technology, it has become easier for people to stay in getting in touch. With Video calling available on Zoom and Whatsapp calls virtual reunions have become a way to relive the good old memories.

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Nostalgia by definition is a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past. So why is nostalgia so important? In this fast-paced life of hectic work-life balance and responsibilities, Gen Y and Gen Z like ourselves in yearn for comfort, and happiness. Just like a smell of certain food reminds you of moms cooking or a romantic song reminding you of the special moments, a movie that reminds you of your childhood vacation, or even the delicious cake that reminds you of birthday; it’s the senses that evoke the feeling nostalgia.

In today’s world, nostalgia marketing is like a warm blanket in the cold winters – Comfort. Rather than taking risks and experimenting with new ideas, the marketing agency uses existing ‘templates’ that we already know is great. A most common example of nostalgia-based marketing are remixed versions of songs and relaunch of favorite Disney movies like Jungle Book, Lion King, Aladdin and many more

Ask any millennial of the 2000s about the Motorola’s Flip phone. Not only the Razr became a fashion statement but the phone proved to be convenient and handy as well. A decade later, thanks to technological advancements, Motorola was successfully able to launch its touch screen flip phone highlighting nostalgia and brand evolution. Marketing is mainly about connecting with the audience on a personal level. This nostalgia-fueled generation is easily able to trigger with a blast from the past. In India, nostalgia was successfully implemented by brands such as Paper Boat, Saregama’s Carvaan and even the Jawa motorcycle by Mahindra.

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Nostalgia marketing done correctly can do wonders as people just don’t buy products, they buy the emotion behind it. But there are risks involved too. If the campaigns are not done right, it shows that audience that you willing to adopt any strategy to get them to buy items whether it aligns with the business or not.

Netflix brought in the nostalgic pop culture of the 80s by streaming Stranger Things created by The Duffer Brothers. In doing so, they were able to re-engage millennial consumers with their childhood memories of the show. Bollywood left no stone unturned while remaking old classics such as Don, Agneepath, Golmaal, etc. In India, with an increase in TV viewership during the lockdown, Doordarshan hit a masterstroke relaunching the famous Ramayana and Mahabharata. With the lack of new content being telecasted shows such as Shaktimaan, Srimaan Srimati, Byomkesh Bakshi also saw a huge increase in viewership.

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Not only with products, but these days nostalgic dining has become a new trend. By creating environments of a certain era,the curiosity draws people and evokes memories of another time and place through food. Nostalgia marketing is old wine in a new bottle. But with social media these days, it doesn’t take long for ad campaigns to go viral and connect directly with consumers.

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory." – Dr. Seuss