Nostalgia – it’s just as good as it used to be

As the reunions of Take That, Blur, The Stone Roses and countless other bands have shown, consumers are jumping at the chance to re-engage with their past and wrap themselves in the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from nostalgia.   

Comebacks don’t always equate to success (East 17 anyone?) however, the marketing and PR industries have successfully used nostalgia to play on the emotional connections consumers build with brands. When this is done well it is possible for former glories to be restored.   

Take, for example, Cadbury’s Wispa bar. I was never really a huge fan the first time around, but felt compelled to join the ‘Bring Wispa Back’ Facebook group because to me, this chocolate bar was a symbol of my childhood. Somehow, this relatively simple campaign had made me feel it would be some kind of victory against all those new fangled chocolates if an 80s favourite was back on the shelves again, and I was sure I wanted to be a part of this movement.  

Heinz caused public outrage some years ago after suggesting that its salad cream could be discontinued. This led to the Daily Mail launching a ‘Save our Salad Cream’ campaign, after citing the product as a national institution and aligning the product with family picnics and childhood sandwiches of years gone by. Of course, the product stayed.  

Some brands have taken a different route to successfully re-embed themselves into contemporary culture. Sports footwear and clothes brands Gola and Dunlop both took somewhat of a nose dive after riding high in the 70s and 80s but emerged again in the ‘retro cool’ bracket after being adopted by the indie crowd.        

It is important to assess what actual level of demand there is for a product comeback. For example, there has been talk of the famous Lada ‘tin can’ car returning to UK showrooms following its great success in the 70s and 80s. For many, the car evokes fond memories of the past, but whether this could be enough to get people buying it again remains to be seen – I predict that in this case, the Lada is best left in the past.

What is clear is that in times of doom and gloom, there is comfort to be found in the ‘good old days’ and if you can capture that feeling in a brand, product or even a musical comeback, you could well be onto a winner.