{"id":1685,"date":"2015-09-01T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-01T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thefreemancompany.com\/sparks\/articles\/nostalgia-event-marketing\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T15:52:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T15:52:50","slug":"nostalgia-event-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thefreemancompany.com\/sparks\/articles\/nostalgia-event-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Use Nostalgia in Event Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Nostalgia is the oldest anti-depressant on the planet: Research shows that our brains are programmed to resurrect fond memories of the past to reignite feelings of contentment.<\/p>\n

Event marketers can use environmental inputs to trigger feelings of nostalgia. Any one of our senses can set off a wistful reaction\u2014a familiar smell, a favorite song or a memorable taste<\/a>. Just bake some chocolate chip cookies in your booth and wait for the \u201cI remember when…\u201d stories to pour in. It\u2019s a powerful response and although we each respond to our own set of environmental inputs, we all feel nostalgic sometimes.<\/p>\n

Iconic brands can be part of our bittersweet yearning for the past. Baby boomers wax poetic about their Levi\u2019s jeans and Volkswagen Beetles. Gen Xers still listen to U2 while they drive around in their Saabs. And millennials probably still have a Beanie Baby or two hiding in the back of their closet behind their collection of old Skechers and Vans.<\/p>\n

Even if your brand hasn\u2019t been around for long, you can still tap into nostalgia marketing to create brand awareness. Clever graphics, period imagery or era-defining typography help newly-minted brands evoke another time. The MOMA agency in Brazil<\/a> created a series of 1950\u2019s inspired ads for Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Skype to drive Baby Boomers to use these new technologies. It worked. After they were released, baby boomers became the fastest growing user segment<\/a> on social media.<\/p>\n

The easiest way for mature brands to develop a nostalgia marketing campaign is to reprise an earlier, successful campaign. The Budweiser Clydesdales made their debut in 1933 and Anheuser-Busch has been using them in print ads, televised commercials, and live events ever since. Their recent back-to-back-to-back appearances in Super Bowls 2013-2015 put Budweiser at the top of ad meters everywhere, winning formal awards and racking up internet accolades. The trilogy of ads worked because it combined continuity\u2014same characters in similar settings set against heart-tugging music\u2014with new elements and an evolving narrative.<\/p>\n

Experiential events have an obvious advantage when it comes to triggering nostalgic responses in attendees. But technology levels the playing field<\/a> and may even amplify the reach of a retro marketing campaign. Who doesn\u2019t want to \u201cshare\u201d their warm and fuzzy feelings with friends?<\/p>\n

Dos and don’ts:
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