Nostalgia: a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.
When the Superbowl halftime show played, we were transported back to a specific time in our past. We could remember buying the albums, hearing the songs play in the background of crowded bars, singing in the car and hoping the person beside us at the red light didn’t look over to catch the jam session. The halftime show got us thinking about nostalgia in modern marketing.
If you’ve been following along with our work, you know this is something we try to incorporate often – whether it’s encouraging event attendees to add their artistic flair, gifting folded paper fortune tellers to friends and family, or breaking out a mini stick tournament in the middle of happy hour. We pull these moments into our company culture and into our work often because they are special. They make you FEEL in a way that a home insurance commercial just can’t. Nostalgia triggers a child-like response, and let’s be honest, we’re all just big kids trying to figure life out.
One of the most popular hashtags on the internet is #ThrowbackThursday where people post photos and videos from yesteryears. Reflecting on the past and invoking those memories is like stepping into a time machine. It allows an escape from the 9-5 hustle; either to numb ourselves from the events of the day or procrastinate on our daily routine. Nostalgia is authentic, down to earth, and it’s human. We can’t be the only people not feeling a connection to the fragrance ads with parting seas and flying tigers...
Aligning marketing strategies with emotion has proven to be a successful tactic (duh), but tapping into those fond, feel-good memories – that is an invaluable tactic.
What is it about nostalgia that makes us buy in? The answer is simple. Reliving positive memories from the past feels good, and when we feel or care for something, we are more likely to act.
Wanting to bring an element of nostalgia to your next campaign or event, but not sure where to start? Give us a call. We are experts in making you feel all the feelings 😉