Hey 👋🏻 The Crew here.
Ever found yourself tearing up over a retro ad or splurging on something that reminds you of the “good old days”?
Turns out, nostalgia can be a powerful motivator that opens wallets faster than you can say “throwback.”
Vintage vibes. Let’s feel them, shall we?
Reading time: 4 minutes, 25 seconds
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Nostalgia Effect
“Aaaaah… the good ol’ days.”
All of us have said or thought this at least once.
We all miss something from the past. It reminds us of fond memories and faces, and even stirs aspirations and desires we may have forgotten.
And not surprisingly, evoking nostalgia in your marketing can increase your sales…
A study from 2021 shows that when marketers run ads with high levels of nostalgia, they can experience a 35% increase in the consumer’s evaluation of a product.
Whether it’s through music, scents, brands, or movies, connecting your product with a positive emotion from your customer’s past can create a powerful response.
Why? When people feel nostalgic, they experience a sense of warmth and familiarity, which studies show can make them less price-sensitive.
In fact, spending feels justified because it’s linked to emotional satisfaction rather than mere utility.
Here are three ways to apply nostalgia to your own marketing…
Three ways to leverage Nostalgia Effect
1) Partner with brands or people of the past
One of the best examples of this is when Airbnb partnered with Blockbuster:
This is a campaign from 2020, when the world’s last Blockbuster store was listed on Airbnb for three one-night stays.
The initiative bought tons of press coverage, and the story was featured in most major media publications.
2) Use nostalgic symbols or music in your content
This campaign from Microsoft to promote Internet Explorer (R.I.P.) is a great example.
The video includes iconic items from the 90s, like Tamagotchis, yo-yos, and slap bracelets.
This commercial didn’t save Explorer—who could?—but it went viral back then. And it’s a great example of how you can leverage nostalgia in your own ads.
And how could we forget about this Australian Tourism Board ad?
Instead of talking about all the activities and fascinating places tourists can find in Australia, they recreated a trailer of a popular 80s movie, Crocodile Dundee.
Whether you want to recall nostalgia from the 80, 90, or 50s, there are tons of ideas.
Start with your target audience’s average age. If they were born in the 70s, they’re more likely to feel nostalgia from the 90s, since it’s when their memories are easier to recall.
Once you figure out the right era, study pop culture from that time and pick popular symbols you can leverage to evoke those memories and open those wallets.
3) Leverage seasonal nostalgia
There’s no better time to apply nostalgia than during the holidays.
Christmas. Thanksgiving.
We all have sweet memories of our childhood during these holidays, so these are great opportunities to bring your audience back in time.
You can use the Amazon Sweaterman campaign for inspiration.
They brought back the 60s vibe in time for the holiday to make people go to their website to shop for gifts.
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ICYMI, last time we looked at the Rhyme-as-reason effect.
The “nostalgic” Crew
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