Branding that turns back time: striking a chord with nostalgia marketing

Nostalgia is in the air. We know that brands go through specific marketing trends in cyclical peaks and troughs — and the last few years have seen pioneering technologies like AI and augmented reality show up more in advertising (think about that memorable Rita Ora skyline advert for EE). But recently, and maybe even in response to this, the pendulum has swung back round towards a more tried and tested approach: nostalgic marketing that aims to capture the magic of the past. 

So what exactly is “nostalgia marketing”? 

Nostalgia marketing is essentially the practice of associating a brand or product with a period of time or memory — sometimes even a specific event — through visuals, styling, music and other techniques that help bring history to life. It’s a strategy that some of the biggest FMCG brands on the market have used to great success for years, like Coca-Cola’s iconic Holidays are Coming Christmas ads, and it can work wonders for brand image. 

For instance, to remind people of traditional family values, a brand might run a TV commercial with 40s imagery. Take Great Western Railway’s collaboration with the Famous Five, which resulted in a striking campaign that uses heritage advertising to showcase the wholesome spirit of British adventure. 

Why is it so effective? 

More recently, we’ve seen impactful examples of nostalgia marketing from McDonald’s, for its 50th Birthday TV ad. The ad is set in a 70s-style branch of the fast-food chain, and shows a group of children dancing at a classic McDonald’s birthday party in a care-free way, which signals a simpler time of unselfconscious happiness. 

Similarly, for its 200th anniversary, Cadbury’s ran an advert with a storyline of a little girl buying a bar of chocolate for her mum from the local corner shop. As the scene progresses, the costumes and set subtly flash through different eras. Both ads manage to successfully pay homage to the longevity and legacy of the brand, while sending a clear message about the brand values: for McDonald’s, it’s uncomplicated joy, and for Cadbury’s it’s the magic of sharing a little treat with a loved one. 

These ads harness “nostalgia bias” to their advantage — utilising familiar scenery or sentiments to make their audience feel secure, in an effort to influence choice. We see this behaviour across many industries, with holiday-makers going to the same resort year after year, or shoppers returning to their favourite supermarket brands time and again; you can’t underestimate the power of certainty. 

But nostalgia marketing isn’t without its risks. 

It’s vital that brands carefully navigate the (often sizable) gap between the appealing look of an era, and some of the less pleasant facts of the time. Period dramas are all well and good, but we don’t want to live in a world that predates penicillin. Not to mention, what’s nostalgic for one demographic could be traumatic for another. A campaign that romanticises 50s America might alienate people of colour, who were living through the struggle of the Civil Rights Movement at that time. 

Brands also run the risk of isolating their target demographic by harking back to a time they have no memories of, or associations with. The worry here is that a poorly judged campaign might try to whip up a feeling of wistfulness that the intended audience can’t connect with — and may even leave them with a sense of exclusion. The compilation giant Now That’s What I Call Music turned 40 in 2023, and released a celebratory hits album with tracks from across the four decades. But with Spotify’s “Daily Mix” offering a playlist based on individual listening habits — throwback album compilations are fast becoming redundant, in the face of personalised nostalgia mixes. 

Yet this isn’t always a barrier to sales. Think about every millennial with a Fleetwood Mac poster on their wall, or the Gen Zs who wear Thrasher and Metallica tshirts, often having never sought out their music. In fact, rather than embracing the “rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle” these bands preach, our recent New to Brews study found that Gen Zs are drinking 19% less than the next generation up. 

Brands must carefully tread the line to avoid creating a disconnect. 

From this, we can see there’s clearly an appetite for a type of performative nostalgia. This leaves room for brands to experiment with campaigns that capture the best bits of the past, be it an aesthetic or a feeling, even when the audience has no lived connection to that time. But to minimise the risk of a disconnect, it’s vital that brands invest in researching the ideas, imagery and sentiments that their audience connects with the most. 

Gaining an in-depth understanding of how customers will interact with the different applications of nostalgia — and then using this insight for strategy — ensures that campaigns tap into a meaningful feeling that encourages the desired behaviour, rather than missing the mark. 

To find out more about how we can help brands to appropriately leverage the power of nostalgia, get in touch via r.nicolson@trinitymcqueen.com.