The big talk around our office lately is the latest season of the hit show Stranger Things. Don’t worry we won’t let out any secrets if you haven’t watched all the newest episodes yet! If you don’t know much about the show, it is created with a focus on 1980s nostalgia and includes a supernatural twist.
The efforts of the creators of this show to authentically capture the feeling of the 1980s have been successful. Nostalgia is a positive emotion, in which people feel a longing for a time in the past. What’s crazy is that you can even feel nostalgic about things you’ve never experienced.
Take Millennials, some of whom were born in the 1980s but experience nostalgia watching Stranger Things as if they, too, were riding their bikes and watching E.T., rather than toddling around clutching a wet zwieback cookie.
It’s not just television that captures this positive feeling through nostalgia. Food brands often capitalize on nostalgia, using retro soda can and cereal box designs to connect with audiences.
Can nostalgia marketing work for your brand? The key is hitting on the right thing that was well-designed and beloved in its original form. For instance, nobody was ever celebrating New Coke or Clear Pepsi (so weird!), so referencing it now won’t do you any favors.
How can you include nostalgia marketing in your strategy? One idea that’s easy to implement and can also help you meet your engagement goals is to introduce a social media survey:
- Raiders of the Lost Ark vs. Back to the Future
- Smurfs vs Muppet Babies
- Big League Chew vs. Bubblicious
- ESPRIT vs Jordache
You could also have a “Celebrate the 90s” (or 70s or 80s) promotion, where you feature a special product design that still screams your branding but puts all your text and graphics into a look from that decade.
Nostalgia is a powerful emotion, and with a little creativity, you can use it to connect audiences with your brand. Contact us at SJC Marketing if you need some ideas to get started or if you want to talk about what we think might happen on the next season of Stranger Things!