Nostalgia and Marketing: The Second Coming of the 90s

I love the ’90s. I’m a Millennial after all. So over the past couple of years, I’ve obviously been overjoyed by the return of cultural gems from my childhood. This summer’s choker necklace comeback? Definitely embraced it. Britney Spears performing at the VMAs for the first time in nine years?  Definitely watched it. While the second coming of the ’90s may seem like it’s just a pleasant coincidence to some, nostalgia marketing is very much an intentional tactic. A tactic that, might I add, has worked its magic on me more than a few times.

Nostalgia marketing leverages our natural emotional connection to the past to induce what I like to call “the feels,” bringing us back to happy memories from our past. If a brand can garner positive feelings from a consumer that can then be directly attributed to their brand, their mission is accomplished.

There are many ways brands and companies are using the past to influence us in the present. While I would love to list them all, here are some of my favorites.

Backstreet’s Back, Alright!

Not much has made me happier than the comeback of the best-selling boy band of all time. While I may not be kissing a Nick Carter poster goodnight still, I am undoubtedly looking into going to Las Vegas to see their residency show.

Pokemon GO

I was one of the millions to try and catch’em all in this revamped version of the Pokemon craze. The way the Pokemon brand was reinvented from playing cards into an full-on augmented reality game qualifies as the pinnacle of #marketinggoals.  Speaking of #hashtags…

#TBT and #FBF

Brands have jumped on board the social media trend of posting throwback pics every Thursday and Friday. These photos are a great way for consumers to learn a bit more about the history of the brand itself, as well as potentially spark a memory of the past that resonates with their target audience.

Crispy M&Ms

I’ll be the first to admit these aren’t my go-to M&M flavor of choice. However, I totally support brands bringing back popular items that have previously been discontinued. And M&M isn’t the only brand doing it. Crystal Pepsi also jumped on the nostalgia bandwagon with its return this summer.

I’m Still waiting on the return of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Froyo, Ben and Jerry.