Do you want your business to reach consumers from other generations? Do you want to expand your brand by using nostalgia marketing?
It’s not easy to create a successful nostalgia marketing campaign. You need the right amount of cultural memories and a positive connection to them. That way, it’ll be easy for your audience to get interested and invested in your product.
Below are 10 great nostalgia marketing examples you can learn from.
1. Apple’s iPhone 6 Ad
Let’s address the question of what is nostalgia marketing. It’s a marketing strategy that focuses on the consumer’s emotional association with a product or brand. You’re tapping into their happy memories, first times, and sentimental affection.
A lot of middle-aged adults today remember the Sesame Street TV series from childhood. Apple knows its ideal target customers now have the means to buy its products. This is why the 2016 iPhone 6 S commercial featured Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster.
2. The Party Circa 1957 – Bacardi
In 2012, Bacardi released a series of TV ads for its 150th anniversary. One of the commercials featured a late 50s party. They researched 50s fashion and hairstyles to make the ad look authentic.
You can do the same for your nostalgia marketing by shooting a similar ad. For example, for an 80s vibe, you can design your own patches for the outfits. Don’t forget to add a filter to get that true nostalgic feel.
3. Geico Caveman Commercial Revival
Here is another one of the best brands that use nostalgia marketing. If you grew up in the 90s or early 2000s, you may remember the Geico cavemen. These commercials came long before the gecko became Geico’s mascot.
In 2018, Geico pulled out its old ads from its archives. They asked people to vote for their favorite Geico commercials. The cavemen ads were the popular picks from their audiences.
4. Doritos’ The Backstreet Boys Super Bowl Ad
You’ll find that a lot of pop culture references go back to The Backstreet Boys. As one of the biggest boy bands in the world, it’s not surprising. Doritos’ 60-second spot for the 2019 Super Bowl featured the same iconic group plus Chance the Rapper.
Why do so many people feel drawn to ads that use nostalgia marketing? One reason for this is because nostalgia puts rose-tinted glasses to their memories. It makes the “good old days” seem so much better than the present and worth focusing on.
5. Coca-Cola’s Holiday Ads
The Coca-Cola Company has been around since 1892. Its long history puts it at a great advantage in using nostalgia marketing for its products. Its long history makes it a reliable and trustworthy product.
This is why nostalgia marketing works well with Coca-Cola’s brand identity. It knows that 81% of consumers say that trust impacts their buying decisions. That’s why it optimizes its holiday ads to the nostalgia of the viewers.
6. “Joy of Sketching Series” by Adobe
Not all companies have a long-standing reputation like Coca-Cola. Yet, you can still use nostalgia marketing campaigns to promote your products. Take a look at Adobe’s Joy of Sketching series.
It made use of the memories of the generation that grew up to Bob Ross’ soothing voice. At the same time, they displayed what their Sketch program can do. The company even hired a Bob Ross lookalike to throw you back into the memory of Bob Ross’ actual tutorials.
7. Pokemon Sun and Moon Trailer
If you haven’t seen this 1-minute and 11-second ad yet, hop onto YouTube right now and watch it. It’s one of the best nostalgia marketing examples. It’s an excellent way to market using nostalgia, and all brands and marketers need to take notes.
It visualized how a young Pokemon enthusiast’s life evolved when he became an adult. Yet, it also shows the viewer parallels between his childhood and his present life. It is what brings forth that sudden hit of realization and nostalgia in him and the viewer.
8. Feel Something Again Ad by KIA
Steven Tyler made a Superman-like comeback in KIA’s 2018 Super Bowl commercial. The ad consists of Tyler hopping into a KIA Stinger and driving backward. He drove back so fast that the world and time went back 40 years.
Add Aerosmith’s ballad Dream On in the background, and you drown a lot of 70s-era fans in nostalgia. Let’s not forget that they showed Steven Tyler stepping out of the KIA looking young again.
This works well because of the combination of the visuals and the audio. The time-turning reference to the 1978 Superman movie is also a big factor.
9. Disney Lion King Remake and Other Remakes of Classic Movies
Disney understands that it’s selling a feeling to the audiences that are now older. It’s why it puts a lot of effort into recreating that sense of wonder in its trailers for The Lion King remake. Disney does its nostalgia marketing research well.
It’s why Disney’s remakes of classic films did well the first few times. The problem with the actual film remakes is that they lost the essence of the originals. Still, Disney does a phenomenal job at selling you the feeling of reliving your childhood, doesn’t it?
10. Microsoft’s “Child of the 90s” Ad
Another one of the most memorable nostalgia marketing examples is the Child of the 90s ad by Microsoft. It features a lot of the things that Generation Y grew up with. It mentioned items like yo-yos, diskettes, and Tamagotchis.
The ad is for Internet Explorer, which was infamous for its bugs and slow speed. Microsoft paints it in a new light by focusing on what we had in the past. It’s the tech company’s way of saying that Internet Explorer is better and more reliable.
Take Cues From These Nostalgia Marketing Examples!
Those are our ten nostalgia marketing examples that you can learn from.
You don’t need to own a 50-year-old business to use nostalgia marketing. You only need to be creative and attentive to your target audiences.
That ends our top examples of nostalgia marketing. We hope this guide helps you with your nostalgia marketing campaigns. If you want to see more content on digital marketing, feel free to read our other posts.
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