Nostalgia Marketing Examples
India as a fast-growing economy draws much attention from both Indian and foreign brands. As the market is cluttered with lot of players in each product category, there is a dire need for the marketer to know how Indian consumer will respond to a particular advertisement or specific marketing strategy. The new trends of consumer engagement from television to online channels and the rise of mobile social media compel marketers to explore more effective marketing efforts. At this cusp of new age of marketing where data science, research, analytics are creating more refined ways of targeting and serving the customers, creative and engaging story created by marketer inspires the customers and the organisation both. One of the most basic and primitive way of creating an interesting story is to add nostalgia in it. Nostalgia has very recently generated interest in marketing.
It is a proven fact that humans love to relive past moments. This is a very strong emotion that humans experience and enjoy. At a time when most marketing focuses heavily on the future, nostalgia marketing transports the audience back to a simpler place away from the hustle and bustle of modernity. Instead of anticipating the next great thing, nostalgia marketing urges the viewers to focus on the things they already know are great
Studies suggest that nostalgia inspires consumers to spend their money because it promises an immediate return in the form of happy memories and comfort. This is why nostalgia marketing campaigns have grown increasingly popular in recent years, as brands begin to discover the value of connecting with their customers on a more in-depth, emotional level.
Typically, nostalgia marketing is the strategy of evoking a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, in order to build brands for the future. It’s the tactic of associating a company with a period or place that triggers happy personal associations for the ideal customer, for the purpose of marketing goods and products in the present.
Cadbury ‘Kuchkhashai’
Cadbury is known to make heart-warming ads. A few years back it made a lot of headlines with its brilliant re-rendering of one of its classic ads. While the brand retained the essence of the ad, one person of a couple congratulating the other for hitting a fantastic shot in cricket, it changed genders. The original had a man hitting the shot on a cricket field and his lady friend dodging security and dancing in delight, becoming a cult hit and helping Cadbury become the “adult” chocolate, which had for a long time been seen as something only for the kids. The new version had a girl hitting the shot and her male friend doing the same dance routine dodging the guards. It was a brilliant version that also reflected the changing times. The ad along with its reprised version of the classic jingle hits the right chord and the audience is instantly transported back to the 90s, when life was simpler and happier.
Nirma Washing Powder
Who doesn’t remember the famous jingle of this ad that revives childhood memories? The iconic Nirma girl, along with the memorable four ladies ‘Hema, Rekha, Jaya aur Sushma’, was famous in every household. In 2011 this ad released a revised version of the iconic ad with a different take on the otherwise similar portrayal of the characters. When an ambulance is stuck in a ditch and all the onlookers including a good number of men stand watching instead of helping and afraid of getting dirty, ‘Hema, Rekha, Jaya aur Sushma’ step forward to help. They are of course, unafraid of the dirt since they are users of Nirma washing powder. The women step forward, hence, dispelling the ‘damsel in distress’ notion that women need saving, but never do the saving. This ad, especially the jingle lingers in the minds of the consumers and they are taken back in time with lots of fond memories attached to it.
Coca-Cola
Few years back Coca-Cola launched a new campaign to promote its cherry, vanilla, cherry vanilla, and orange vanilla flavoured beverages. As part of the hugely-popular NCAA basketball tournament March Madness, which was cancelled last year due to the Coronavirus, Coca-Cola created a series of ads featuring the most iconic moments in the tournament’s history.The brand used 3D technology to digitally insert images of Coca-Cola flavours into the hands of past players, coaches, mascots, and fans during memorable sports moments, such as North Carolina State’s infamous victory over Houston in 1983. By invoking nostalgia about iconic sports victories, Coke managed to tap into sports fans’ sentimentality. The use of rendering technology was also a clever way to evade restrictions on live filming during the pandemic.
Pizza Hut ‘Newstalgia’
Most of us remember the popular childhood game PAC-MAN. In a modern twist, Pizza Hut created a limited-edition PAC-MAN pizza box featuring an augmented reality game where people could win a custom PAC-MAN game cabinet. The brand encouraged customers to order a large pizza, scan the QR code on the box, play PAC-MAN, and share their score on Twitter using the hashtags #PizzaHutARcade #Sweepstakes. Actor and comedian Craig Robinson was the face of the campaign. The Super Bowl commercial showed him playing a retro PAC-MAN game while enjoying a $10 Tastemaker pizza just like in the old days dining in at Pizza Hut. Playing on nostalgia, the brand promoted the campaign heavily on social media, writing on one Instagram post, “#tbt to when it wasn’t rude to play games at the table”. Their customers seemed to be loving the PAC-MAN throwback, with one enthusiastic user even commenting, “My favorite game as a kid!”
Motorola Razr
In the early 2000s, prior to smartphones, one of Motorola’s most popular cell phones was a stylish tiny, flat flip phone called the Razr. Despite its number-based keyboard and a small screen, people loved it for its design and simplicity. In 2019, Motorola gained buzz when it re-introduced a new and improved Razr, which featured a folding touchscreen when opened. In the commercial, it featured an old-school Razr lifting off of a table and flying through the air as its old layers peel off to reveal a new design. The phone then opens to reveal the Android-like touch screen.
Spotify
In 2016, music-streaming service Spotify unveiled a new spokesperson, which was technically a dragon in a 30-second ad produced by Wieden + Kennedy New York. Falkor and his boy companion Atreyu, who is now a heavily bearded 44-year-old man are both characters from the beloved 1984 fantasy film The NeverEnding Story. W+K even got the original actors to reprise their roles. The pair appear just as the film left them over 20 years ago – gliding through the clouds while the movie’s dramatic theme song plays in the background. “I can’t believe people still listen to this song!” Atreyu exclaims. His dragon agrees, they share a laugh, and the two speed off into a grainy, ’80s quality CG sky.
The key to executing nostalgia marketing effectively marketers need to understand what motivates the target audience, their background, and where their deepest interests lie. Like top marketing agencies in Delhi and around the world, all marketers should know that detailed research or developing buyer is important to successfully execute such campaigns.
