The power of nostalgia in branding

We’ve all listened to our grandparents or an old guy at the end of a bar longingly talk about the old days. This generally includes phrases like “it was a simpler time” or “we were tougher than you people today are”. But as we get older we all reminisce about the old days, whatever we consider that to be. We love things that make us feel nostalgic. My son had his first Happy Meal recently. That box definitely brought back memories.

The thing is, “a simpler time” is all relative. Sure the late eighties and early nineties were a simpler time for me. I was a kid. My favorite TV show was ALF. How complicated could my life have been? But my parents might not have thought of it as a simpler time as they tried to raise three kids and navigate an ever changing world. Our nostalgia typically brings memories of innocence and times where stress wasn’t really a thing for us. It makes us smile and feel happy. It’s familiar. And because of that, it makes for an effective marketing tool.

If you’ve seen the new Walmart holiday ads where they revive the classic comedy “Office Space” you know how effective nostalgia in advertising can be. The real Michael Bolton is even in the ads. Adobe has used Bob Ross footage in its commercials, Motorola brought back the Razr, Nintendo has show commercials where brothers reunite as adults to play Nintendo Switch, their memories of playing the original gaming box in their youth fueling their enjoyment. Nostalgia is an effective way to connect with an audience.

So how can you incorporate this into your branding? There are different ways in which you can use nostalgia to connect with your customers. Logo design can utilize retro themes in order to invoke a reminiscent feeling. I talked about the term “debranding” in a previous post. Companies are going simpler and sleeker and changing logos to look almost like they did decades ago. There are subtleties within a logo that can bring out certain emotions and a good designer can help you get there. (PS, we have a great designer here if you need one.)

You can also incorporate nostalgia into your social media posts. You can riff off of any number of pop culture references from whatever decade you are wanting to showcase. Fun videos for Reels and TikTok, ads on YouTube, or even just the color choices you use in static images can provide that retro feel. Using #TBT (that’s Throwback Thursday for anyone who doesn’t know) is still wildly popular on social media. You can also pull elements into your website design and even your office setting, if you still have one.

It is important not to force something like nostalgia in your branding. Make sure it’s relevant to your audience and that you can use it effectively to connect. Consumers are smart and can spot something that doesn’t feel natural. The last thing you want is for your audience to roll their eyes when seeing your branding and say, “As if!” But when used correctly it can be an awesome way to showcase who you are.