Aren’t childhood memories among the most cherished? Whenever one goes down the memory lane, it is always a treat! Be it the movies you used to watch on a shared television or the outdoor games you used to play in peak summers, old is always gold!

Nostalgia hits you hard and makes an impact like no other stimuli and therefore it is one of the most used marketing tools today. But why is Nostalgia marketing more important than ever and how can brands leverage it to their success in the coming times, let’s find out!

Nostalgia Marketing is a type of strategy that taps into positive and familiar concepts from previous decades to build trust for new ideas and drive energy towards new products/services/campaigns. Nostalgia is often also used to connect with older brand loyalists. This tool is usually always successful as nostalgia gives a feeling of warmth, stability & comfort.

While the lockdown turned everything upside down and people were locked in their rooms, masks and social distancing became the new normal and work from home completely cut the chance of the little social contact that we could have. And with the uncertainty hovering over our lives, people are longing to feel stable and comfortable more than ever. Therefore, nostalgia marketing can be the next best tactic to base your marketing campaigns around. Sitting at home, people rewatching old shows and movies and revisiting songs from their youth is the biggest sign that nostalgia is working effectively to give people a sense of familiarity and in reducing boredom and anxiety.

The biggest of the brands have resorted to nostalgia marketing in the past. ‘Paperboat’ has created an entire brand and its story around nostalgic memories and proved to be a great success as well.

The recent remake of the Cadbury Dairy Milk ad with a gender switch was loved by people all around only because it took them down memory lane and reminded them of simpler and happier times.

Nostalgia Marketing also results in more authentic campaigns that do not set unrealistic expectations, thereby instilling more trust in the brand.

This type of marketing is usually most effective in consumer goods or low involvement products since a quick buck can provide the consumer with instant gratification.

Devising a nostalgia marketing campaign requires you to understand your target audience and their timelines well. What works as nostalgia for Millennials will not work for Baby Boomers. The ad should link indirectly to the consumer’s memories and desires. Most important, however, is to not lose sight of your brand identity and story while making the ad as it might confuse the consumer. The right kind of product placement and promotion through nostalgia should be clear so that it remains at TOP of the mind of the consumer.