I recently came across this ad for Internet Explorer 10 that is marketed directly to my age group and demographic. Watching the ad brought a huge, goofy grin to my face as I remembered my own childhood experiences with each item mentioned. I think this is an extremely successful use of nostalgia in advertising, but that might be because it is so clearly based around my own childhood memories. Nostalgia is a very personalized form of advertising, which is an advantage since it makes consumers feel something near to their own hearts, but it can also be a disadvantage because it must focus on a very specific demographic to have the most impact. Still, if a nostalgic ad can make you relive joyful memories, it's done its job.
However, this works in the opposite direction, too. People want to forget the pain they've felt in their pasts. When nostalgia in advertising goes awry, it stirs up traumatic memories and can avert consumers' attention from that brand entirely. This is another result of nostalgia's personalization, because what brings up happy memories for one person can bring up sad memories for another.
This ad for Dodge Ram trucks debuted at the 2013 Super Bowl, and was even voted the best Super Bowl spot of the year by YouTube's Ad Blitz competition. I can absolutely see how it appeals to the memories of an older demographic of Americans. I find it to be a very raw and even beautiful remembrance of traditional farm life, which is an important part of countless Americans' identities. But, on a personal level, it reminds me of my father's stories of growing up on a farm in Upstate New York. As a child and teenager, he was overworked and not paid as the youngest of seven on an operating dairy farm. And at age five, a farm mishap left him in a body cast for six months. These stories make me extremely sad as I think about my father in pain, and thus, watching this ad stirs up that sympathy inside and makes me sad, rather than proud.
Nostalgia is undoubtedly a powerful advertising tool. When it's used successfully, it brings a new level of personalization and warmth to a brand identity. But there are many brands that fail to realize the full power of nostalgia. I think this is largely the fault of new brands that have no history or backstory for people to relate to, or even brands introducing innovative new products that are meant to "be the future." There's a great deal of pressure on brands that use nostalgia to keep the memories light and the shadows hidden. When nostalgia works, it really works; when it fails, it really fails.
-Saige
However, this works in the opposite direction, too. People want to forget the pain they've felt in their pasts. When nostalgia in advertising goes awry, it stirs up traumatic memories and can avert consumers' attention from that brand entirely. This is another result of nostalgia's personalization, because what brings up happy memories for one person can bring up sad memories for another.
This ad for Dodge Ram trucks debuted at the 2013 Super Bowl, and was even voted the best Super Bowl spot of the year by YouTube's Ad Blitz competition. I can absolutely see how it appeals to the memories of an older demographic of Americans. I find it to be a very raw and even beautiful remembrance of traditional farm life, which is an important part of countless Americans' identities. But, on a personal level, it reminds me of my father's stories of growing up on a farm in Upstate New York. As a child and teenager, he was overworked and not paid as the youngest of seven on an operating dairy farm. And at age five, a farm mishap left him in a body cast for six months. These stories make me extremely sad as I think about my father in pain, and thus, watching this ad stirs up that sympathy inside and makes me sad, rather than proud.
Nostalgia is undoubtedly a powerful advertising tool. When it's used successfully, it brings a new level of personalization and warmth to a brand identity. But there are many brands that fail to realize the full power of nostalgia. I think this is largely the fault of new brands that have no history or backstory for people to relate to, or even brands introducing innovative new products that are meant to "be the future." There's a great deal of pressure on brands that use nostalgia to keep the memories light and the shadows hidden. When nostalgia works, it really works; when it fails, it really fails.
-Saige
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