Power of the past and the (continued) renaissance of nostalgia in marketing

You might refer to it as retro or vintage, but nostalgia will continue to gain credence as a creative canvas in 2024 as brands dig into the archives to better connect with their stakeholders.

 If you google nostalgia, the first definition I came across is a ‘sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past.’ Fair enough.

But it’s the second definition I find more interesting: ‘something done or presented in order to evoke feelings of nostalgia.’ It stretches beyond that moment of yearning and creates a sense of action and tangibility. It whisks us away to an alternative time and place—triggering emotions that connect us and tap into our values. I recently watched The Killer, which is peppered with Smiths (and Morrissey) tunes that drove an extreme bout of nostalgia, and it probably drove my rating of 8/10 stars—well above the IMDB average.

This renaissance of nostalgia is an appreciation of marrying the past with the present—driving entirely new innovations—with Mintel even naming ‘Throwback Nostalgia’ a trend connected to emotional wellness. 

The science behind memories

The power of nostalgia is not merely a gut-feel—it’s science-based, as all communications must be. It's based on insights, sitting well and truly at the heart of culture.

Psychologist Dr Clay Routledge wrote in the Harvard Business Review that nostalgia is a driver of empathy and social connectedness. He states that nostalgia is valued in workplace environments, with research revealing it as an ‘important psychological resource that helps individuals cope with life’s stressors, build strong relationships, find and maintain meaning in life, and become more creative and inspired.’ It can even help reduce staff turnover!

Drivers of the renaissance

Despite the majority being born in the 00s, or indeed very young, more than a third of Gen Z are nostalgic for the 90s. How could that be?

One study suggested that feelings of nostalgia increased during Covid-19 quarantines, serving as a comfort. Perhaps nostalgia is popular right now because people are still reaching for a time of comfort.  

It could be seen as a form of escapism from the unsettled world we live in—a coping mechanism of sorts, spurred on by deeper reflection derived from pandemic gloom. This escapism fuels a way forward through progressive elements that are developmental, not dated or dusty.

Post-pandemic, we are also seeing a roaring return to experience. Mastercard’s survey revealed that as of March 2023, global spending on experiences was up 65%, while spending on ‘things’ is up 12%. What a turnaround that is. Even the hard-hit travel industry demonstrating positive proof of a return to grace in a sort of ‘traveltainment’ era, with concert travel being tipped to be a focus of 2024 vacations. 

This boom in experience and nostalgia is naturally reflected in the interconnected marketing and events ecosystem. During the pandemic, we travelled in our minds, and now that nostalgia is powering our behaviour.

Neo-nostalgia’s brand uptake

Brands are taking note. Let’s take the year’s biggest blockbuster: Barbie.

Barbie isn’t just a doll, the toy has a long history and has played an essential role in many people's childhoods. Photo: AP

On TikTok, searches for “outfit ideas for the Barbie movie” garnered over 25 million views. With swathes of movie-goers dressed in pink from head to toe, we saw how excitement surrounding childhood experience spurred on a cultural occasion. The nostalgia marketing that went into this was phenomenal—from offering up stays in a Malibu Dreamhouse to Barbie’s signature Chevrolet Corvette in a Forza driving game to Margot Robbie’s recreation of iconic premiere outfits. While tapping into familiar Barbie products, it was delivered with a modern cultural twist.

Vintage stores like Good Bad Creative of Hong Kong are uber popular with 8 to 80 year olds that come to reminisce about the bygone era or explore what life was like before their time. Photo: Timeout HK 

And while are seeing nostalgia around Y2K fashion or 80s songs storming the charts—nostalgia is thriving in APAC, too. Hong Kong is seen to be enjoying a boom in reinvented childhood favourites, including old hobbies and film photography. In Singapore, there is only one remaining Kampong (village)—and McDonald’s transformed it into a McDonald’s Kampong to unveil a Nasi Lemak burger for the market’s National Day. This a great example of honouring local heritage that made nostalgia hyper-relevant for today.

Tap into the digital archives… with or without AI

Whether it’s communicating with internal teams or consumers directly, the good news is that we are uniquely positioned to harness the power of nostalgia.

We have a special opportunity to reimagine experiences by understanding the cultural nostalgia our audience values and what fills them with real joy. This could be engineers, doctors, or insurance sales stars: all are moved by the right nostalgic connections.

Digitalisation gives us unapparelled access to multi-generational content that we just didn’t have access to in previous generations. Go and take a look—I’m sure there is some cool stuff that may be ready for a remix in 2024.

Darren Burns is the president of Golin Asia Pacific.