Nostalgia marketing: why it isn’t growing old
By Creative and Research teams. Top image: Chris Imlay (Adobe Stock, Microsoft)
Nostalgia isn’t going away - here’s why, and how you can harness it to drive campaign success
Nostalgia is more than just a sentimental recollection of the past; it’s a complex emotional reaction that can evoke feelings of comfort, security, happiness, and optimism. In marketing, tapping into nostalgia enables you to link consumer’s positive memories with your brand.
Fostering this bond can be incredibly powerful: generating significant brand uplift, substantial earned media, and higher purchase intent. Surprisingly, nostalgia marketing is a powerful tool for reaching Gen Z consumers, too, as they increasingly leave their carefree, childhood days behind.
Why nostalgia marketing works
77% of Americans view nostalgia as a source of comfort when life is uncertain and challenging - on a personal, economic, or societal level.
59% believe that nostalgic memories offer guidance when they are unsure about how to move forward in their life.
84% say nostalgic sentiments remind them of what they value most e.g. memories of good times spent with family, partners, and close friends.
It’s multi-generational. Every generation has their favorite decade. 56% of Gen Z feel nostalgic for the 2000s and 42% feel the same about the 2010s. Millennials are 61% for the 1990s.
Psychologists cite evidence that nostalgia is a valuable emotional response that protects our well-being against negative mental states such as sadness, loneliness, and a lack of meaning.
Partly that’s because nostalgia allows us to bond over shared memories - deepening our connection with others and thus recharging our optimism.
Moreover, looking back revitalizes creativity by enabling us to reimagine the present using the touchstones, ideas, and aesthetics of previous eras.
Critically, nostalgia marketing works not because it casts a brand as stuck in the past, but because it enables a callback of the brand’s cultural relevance and staying power, remixed with contemporary values to create a fresh approach.
Why it’s happening
23% of Americans think life is better today than it was, while 58% think life was better in the past.
Whatever the reality, perception is colored by heightened fears of political polarization, national decline, geopolitical competition, economic inequality, the blistering pace of technological change, and the climate crisis.
Older generations seek solace by thinking of simpler times when they were younger and less burdened by responsibility. Meanwhile, Gen Z are attracted to vintage and offline experiences that conjure an idealized age less governed by the strictures of social media.
Ironically, social media plays a huge role in fueling and sustaining the nostalgia marketing trend.
Gen Z TikTok stars went viral making fun of aging Millennials. But the old-hats laughed loudest as Gen Z fell in love with Y2K fashion and other throwback items.
Of course, Gen Z were the first generation with lifelong access to the entire back catalog of popular culture. Multiply that by the emergence of user-friendly tools enabling people to remix retro fashion, film, music, and gaming references into new forms at will. Mash-ups that TikTok’s algorithms spread like wildfire.
Marketeers responded to those organic initiatives, and now everything from burgers to digital cameras to tax software and videogame brands are enjoying success thanks to the strategic use of nostalgia marketing.
Why it matters
While legacy brands have traditionally been vulnerable to challengers disrupting their market, nostalgia marketing offers potent fightback potential:
81% of Gen Z consumers like it when brands rejuvenate products and trends from their childhood, according to research by Kantar. Indeed, 52% of Gen Z prefer classic brands.
Over 70% of Millennials experience nostalgia when engaging with pop culture properties from their childhood days. This fuels demand for reboots and retro products, say Eventbrite.
A Spotify study found nostalgic music from a person's youth can lead to a strong emotional response. Over half of people listening to flashback tunes felt energized and optimistic afterwards.
Over 80% of American Millennials said they enjoy the revival of vintage trends in fashion and design products, claims a Harris Poll survey.
4 textbook nostalgia marketing executions
The most effective nostalgia marketing creatively fuses past and present. The case studies below are all brilliant examples of this “newstalgia” phenomenon - utilizing the iconography of earlier eras to create an emotional connection while subtly reinterpreting the experience to meet contemporary needs.
Product revival: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Classic Edition
The NES Classic Edition was designed to look nearly identical to the original NES, but smaller - eliciting powerful feelings of nostalgia in those familiar with the original console.
The console came preloaded with 30 classic NES games, including fan favorites like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid.
This curated selection hit all the right retro notes for long-time Nintendo fans and sparked interest in classic Ninty characters among younger players.
Nintendo produced the NES Classic Edition in limited quantities, creating a sense of scarcity and urgency among consumers.
At a price point of $59.99, the console was priced affordably, making it an attractive purchase for both nostalgic adults and curious younger gamers.
Rebooting a legend: Tourism Australia’s Crocodile Dundee campaign
A series of teasers were released in the weeks before Super Bowl LII, building anticipation and speculation about a supposed new Crocodile Dundee film titled "Dundee: The Son of a Legend Returns Home."
The movie would apparently star actor and comedian Danny McBride as Brian Dundee, the American son of the beloved original character, plus Chris Hemsworth as his Australian guide.
The truth was revealed when the campaign culminated in a 60-second Super Bowl spot: there was no new Dundee movie. Instead, the "trailer" was a cunningly disguised tourism ad encouraging viewers to visit Australia.
Happily, the ad was an entertaining blend of comedy, action, and scenic shots of Australia's breathtaking landscapes - so Tourism Australia was forgiven for the misdirection.
Indeed, the bait-and-switch play created a viral moment that drove widespread discussion, reaction, and earned media coverage.
The campaign proved to be a fantastic success as it tapped into the deep well of fondness for the original movie while introducing a global audience to the possibilities of new adventures Down Under.
By casting Chris Hemsworth alongside Danny McBride, Tourism Australia cleverly created a cultural stepping stone from America to Australia while engaging younger viewers who might not have been familiar with Crocodile Dundee but were attracted by the humor and star power.
The power of heritage: Adidas Samba
The Adidas Samba comeback is a superb example of how nostalgia marketing can be effectively executed to revive a classic product.
Adidas has consistently maintained the Samba's presence in its lineup, but the brand’s strategic marketing efforts in the last few years have particularly focused on the shoe’s nostalgic value as consumers increasingly sought products with significant cultural heritage.
This resurgence was not sparked by a single campaign but rather by a series of deliberate marketing moves, collaborations, and cultural moments that reintroduced the Samba to both older consumers who remembered the shoe from their youth, and younger generations drawn to its vintage appeal.
Adidas’ strategic insight was that the Samba could be positioned at the intersection of retro fashion and streetwear culture. They collaborated with designers like Grace Wales Bonner and style icons like Jonah Hill to create limited-edition releases that played on the shoe’s classic look but renewed with modern elements. For instance, Wales Bonner’s collaboration reimagined the Samba with unique materials and colorways, attracting fashion-forward consumers while still honoring the shoe’s past.
The Samba was also strategically placed in the wardrobes of celebrities such as Bella Hadid, A$AP Rocky, Rihanna, and Frank Ocean, ensuring that the shoe was seen in the right cultural contexts.
Social media was utilized to share the Samba’s history - featuring user-generated content, throwback images, and stories from longtime fans - building community and further enhancing the shoe’s retro credentials.
Finally, the Samba Vegan - made with animal-free alternatives to leather - was launched to update the product in line with contemporary eco-friendly values.
Experiential: The Hi-Chew Dessert Mix truck campaign
Hi-Chew, the popular Japanese candy brand, devised the Dessert Mix truck to introduce America to their new range - inspired by classic desserts such as strawberry ice cream and key lime pie.
The experience was designed to conjure the golden age of ice-cream parlors (as per the film Grease) and kindle memories of childhood treats.
Naturally the campaign was launched during the summer: primetime for multiple generations enjoying outdoor fun together, and a nostalgic hook for older consumers thinking back to the family days out of yesteryear.
The truck attracted coverage from local news outlets as it visited various cities across the country, stopping at popular landmarks and events along the way.
Visitors could taste the new flavors, participate in activities, and take photos with the colorful, Instagrammable dessert-themed truck.
By combining the allure of nostalgic dessert flavors with the immersive experience of a food truck tour (and an influencer-led campaign), Hi-Chew successfully connected with both long-time fans of the brand and new customers, while reinforcing its identity as a fun and innovative candy maker.
Critically, the dessert-inspired flavors perfectly complemented the ice cream parlor concept, creating a beautifully aligned and cohesive campaign.
Riding the trend
Sometimes you just want to jump on a trend without going to the lengths required by our case studies above. Not a problem.
Microsoft recently released this Windows XP wallpaper jersey taking you back to an era of Minesweeper, Internet Explorer, and low-rise jeans! It sold out in days.
Some of Sony Electronics’ most successful Instagram posts fall under #sonyretro - showcasing products of yesteryear.
We helped Logitech celebrate the 10th anniversary of their G502 gaming mouse with this interactive tribute to videogame history. We also commissioned limited edition custom versions of the famed mouse to generate social media buzz.
This ad for Tax Slayer related the idea of filing your taxes to defeating a retro-game boss: a concept with obvious appeal for their target demographic. To ensure success, our focus in this type of scenario would include ensuring the nostalgic link authentically applies to the brand’s positioning and values.
Nostalgia marketing’s key ingredients
Now that we’ve seen some concrete examples of nostalgia marketing, we’ll finish up by highlighting the core components that should be considered when implementing the strategy:
Understand your demographic’s nostalgic triggers: Use deep audience insight to uncover what your target consumers find nostalgic. This requires opening the time capsule of cultural reference points, media, products, and experiences that shaped their past.
Timing is everything: Employ nostalgia strategically to tie into anniversaries and cultural milestones - those are the perfect moments to release a retro edition product. Or perhaps you own a legacy property that chimes with a rising trend. Now is the time to dust it off.
Use multi-sensory approaches: Nostalgia can be triggered through visuals, sounds, smells, and tastes. Think about how you can engage multiple senses in your campaign.
Keep it simple: Following on from the above, it doesn’t take much to evoke the past. Think about how it happens on a personal level simply through a few bars of a song. Similarly, you can develop effective nostalgic hooks through retro motifs, classic product lines, or a familiar jingle.
Combine the old with the new: The best nostalgia marketing doesn't replay the past - it creatively reinvents it for the present. Take classic elements and styles then rework them using today’s tech and values.
Tell a story: Nostalgia content goes viral because it helps people express their identity, display knowledge or taste, and reach out to others via shared memories. Help drive the narrative by recalling your brand’s past cultural moments and anchoring it in a world that people long to remember. Dearchive pictures, recreate sounds, share clips, design physical, analogue interactions and creatively bring your history to life to support your campaign.
Made it relatable: Intrigue new and younger audiences by emphasizing your campaign’s relevance to their present day interests. Think Adidas’ creator collabs and environmentally conscious options, Hi-Chew’s summer fun experiential, Tourism Australia’s clever casting, and Nintendo’s selection of characters with ongoing cultural currency.
Given nostalgia’s hard-wired role in the human psyche you can bet nostalgia marketing isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. Get in touch if you’d like some ideas on using this strategy to re-energize your brand and expand its appeal.
If you would like to discover more about our integrated approach and work together on a project, get in touch.
