The sun used to shine brighter, the grass was greener, and a dollar cost 30 rubles. Agree, it was better before! Or so it seems… Let’s figure out the secret of the popularity of the nostalgia trend.
Escape from reality
People often remember the past to “escape reality” and recharge with the energy of happy moments. This is nostalgia, that is, a longing for the past, a desire to return to where things used to be good. The term comes from two Greek words: nostos – “returning home” and algos – “pain”. Literally, it is pain associated with the desire to return to a place where a person was happy.
Nostalgia Marketing
The past unites. We are connected by common memories, common difficulties and common moments of happiness. Therefore, memories have become a point of contact for several generations. This is how nostalgia began to be used in marketing. The technique of using nostalgia is called nostalgic marketing – it is based on an emotional connection with the audience through memories of the past.
Nostalgia is a powerful emotional trigger that helps brands connect with their audience. In turn, influencing emotions makes consumers more loyal and motivates them to make purchases.
The trend of memories
It is quite easy to evoke nostalgia in the 90s generation. But it is more difficult to do so in the younger generation.
But it is interesting that with the help of marketing tools you can evoke nostalgia even for those times in which we have never lived. That is why nostalgic marketing works for zoomers too. The younger generation is guided by the past and is inspired by its aesthetics. They are nostalgic for a time in which they will never find themselves. Thus, nostalgia becomes a trend that works for almost all target audiences.
Nostalgia has become popular due to its strong emotional impact. Currently, marketers actively use it in advertising because it allows them to attract the attention of consumers on an emotional level, – Denis Sigutin, co-founder of PENA GROUP.
Simon Reynolds, author of Retromania: Pop Culture Captive to Its Past, writes that nostalgia is the main feature of modern pop culture. The author argues that it is not just a fashion trend, but a deep social phenomenon. It is a universal emotion that has engulfed people since the mid-20th century.
Simon Reynolds identifies two main reasons for this phenomenon:
1. Crisis of new ideas
There are not enough new ideas in culture, so people are constantly rethinking the old – films, music, fashion.
For example, this is clearly visible in the film industry. Recently, quite a few sequels of old series have been released. For example, “Univer. 13 years later”, “Kostya – Vera” (a sequel to “Voronins”), “Daddy’s Daughters. New”, “Twin Peaks: The Return”, “Molodezhka. New Shift” and others.
2. Dissatisfaction with the present
Crises and unstable situations around us make us yearn for the past, which seems calmer and happier.
For example, the collaboration between Periodika and Mates takes us back to childhood. We all remember moments of carefree and happy summer holidays at grandma’s dacha. Oh, it was good…
The brands took this memory as a basis and made everyone remember these happy moments. In this way, the advertising collaboration hooked consumers because it evoked warm memories from their childhood.
Nostalgia in Advertising
Psychologists note that when nostalgic, people can easily recall tastes, smells, images and sounds. Thus, memories can be evoked using the senses.
For example, the handmade candle brand Lemongrass.XO has built its entire product line on the reception of nostalgia. The company produces candles with the aromas of favorite childhood cartoons. In this way, the smells of childhood take us back to a happy and carefree time and evoke warm feelings.
And the clothing brand Sela together with Soyuzmultfilm created a joint clothing collection with characters from Soviet cartoons. The company decided to remind about the good cartoons that more than one generation grew up on. The collection evoked bright emotions in consumers. It literally brought people back to the joyful moments of their childhood.
Beauty companies also appeal to nostalgia. For example, Golden Apple released the game “Beauty Tamagotchi”. This is a reference to the old game “Tamagotchi”, in which you had to take care of a pet. In “Beauty Tamagotchi”, users also have to take care of their alien pet. In this way, the game sends users back to their childhood.
It is important for brands to remember that not all memories evoke warm feelings in people. For example, images of political figures or some negative events do not evoke pleasant emotions. Moreover, such memories can cause negativity and irritation. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to what images and events you mention in your marketing strategies.
Escape from reality
Nostalgic marketing reminds people of a time when they were happy. Brands don’t have to come up with anything new because all the images are already fixed in people’s minds. All that’s left is to use these images correctly and evoke the necessary ones.
Nostalgia is an escape from reality. We experience this feeling when we are uncomfortable in the present. Everyone sometimes wants to escape from the present and plunge into happy dreams about the past. But it is important to remember that our life is here and now. Therefore, you should not live only in the past.