Nostalgia is proving to be a powerful marketing tool that allows brands to establish a quick and deep connection with their target audience. According to Kantar, the use of nostalgia is one of the major marketing trends for 2025. This approach evokes positive emotions and pleasant memories in viewers, which increases the memorability of the advertising message. Nostalgic elements activate neurological processes associated with sensory experiences, similar to looking at old photographs and recalling specific people and places. Television advertising that evokes such feelings acts as a kind of time machine – transporting viewers back in time and strengthening their affinity for the brand.
Companies use nostalgia in marketing in various ways. Some refer to icons of popular culture from the past, others explicitly revive old advertisements, slogans, logos and sometimes even products. On a broader level, this trend is reflected in the more frequent use of retro and vintage style symbolism. This is perfectly illustrated in Coca-Cola’s marketing, which can be described without exaggeration as a pioneer of these strategies. For example, every year at Christmas, it uses its legendary Christmas trucks as a symbol, emphasising its long tradition, which is extremely popular with consumers. Technology giant Apple often relies on the contrast between modern technologies and retro visuals.
The retro style works in television advertising because it evokes memories of “better times,” which are naturally often distorted in our memory in favour of positive emotions. Many studies confirm these findings and further claim that nostalgia frequently helps people cope better with anxiety and adapt to major life changes. In these dynamic times of rapid technological progress and uncertainty, these elements become a kind of refuge and safe haven where we can hide from the realities of life, at least for a while. The use of modern technology to evoke these feelings is a subject worthy of its own discussion.
Betting on retro
It would be a mistake to consider nostalgia merely a defining marketing trend. In the hands of corporate marketing departments, it is an important strategic tool that allows them to deepen their relationship with consumers. So why do so many companies like to return to the past so often? There are many reasons, but most of them can be subsumed under one of three main ones:
- Emotional connection with consumers. Nostalgia evokes positive emotions, which is an indisputable fact. In most cases, these emotions can strengthen the relationship between a brand and its customers. When consumers see or hear something that reminds them of their childhood or a significant moment in their lives, they are more open to the message being conveyed. Simply put, they remember it more easily. Nostalgic advertising creates an emotional bond that is much more intense than the usual rational argument aimed at convincing them of the benefits of the product being offered.
- Building trust and a sense of authenticity. Companies use nostalgic elements because they want to build trust and appear authentic to consumers. They deliberately rely on the somewhat irrational sentiment that the world used to be much simpler and more reliable. Many customers are convinced that the past was somehow better than the present we live in, and brands that manage to tap into this atmosphere can gain customer loyalty thanks to shared values. A perfect example of this is Coca-Cola’s marketing strategy, which is based on the use of traditional visuals and characters such as Santa Claus.
- Targeting specific generations. Members of specific generations are united by their collective memories. The era in which they lived and grew up provided them with a wide array of pop culture symbols, including favourite television programmes, as well as various products and brands. Thanks to nostalgia, companies can precisely target a specific age group by reviving the visual and cultural symbols of their youth. It is quite likely that people who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, for example, will respond positively to advertising messages from brands such as Nintendo, Lego or Pepsi. These companies often return to this era in their advertising. Their target group is therefore clear, but the fact that nostalgia is largely trendy also helps them attract younger customers.
These are, in brief, the main reasons why many companies embrace nostalgia as a key marketing strategy. The result is clearly not just a return to tried-and-tested visuals and jingles, but rather a systematic effort to create an intense emotional bond that helps brands differentiate themselves, build trust and appeal to specific consumer groups. Furthermore, a recent study by System1 shows that good advertising does not become stale – on the contrary, if it is of high quality from the outset, its long-term repetition intensifies its effect and increases the likelihood that people will associate it with the brand. Consistent communication is therefore not just a question of visual identity or slogan, but also of emotional connection with consumers.
According to a study by Compound Creativity, brands with the highest creative consistency not only perform better in building awareness, but their advertisements also become stronger year after year. Nostalgic elements in campaigns further enhance this effect, as people find them easier to remember and have a stronger emotional connection to them. This approach has proven successful not only for traditional brands that revive their iconic advertisements or mascots, but also for modern brands using retro aesthetics and elements of the past to create a stronger place in the minds of consumers. In addition, repeated and consistent creativity also brings practical benefits.
According to System1, brands that are inconsistent in their advertising have to invest significantly more resources to achieve the same growth as those maintaining a consistent style. The cost of constantly changing creative is estimated to reach £3.47 billion over five years. This clearly signals that the relentless pursuit of innovation solely to prevent advertising from becoming ‘stale’ can be not only ineffective but also costly. Brands should therefore not be concerned that their advertising will become stale. If it is based on strong creativity and evokes positive emotions, its repeated use can bring increasingly better results over time. And when nostalgia is added to the mix, offering consumers a feeling of familiarity and comfort, success is almost guaranteed.
Building blocks of nostalgia
Not every advertisement that opts for an old-school design ends up successful. In fact, it is a relatively demanding discipline that requires its authors to combine a plethora of elements appropriately and harmoniously. Only when they reinforce and balance each other does a nostalgic atmosphere emerge. Marketers must therefore pay attention to visual style, music, pop culture references, and narrative concepts. Only when they manage to organically connect all of these elements can they hope to achieve the desired result in the form of a stronger bond with the consumer.
1. Visual style
In this regard, the goal is to return to the aesthetics of the past. Retro style in advertising usually responds to the social demand for better and simpler times. Different consumer groups’ ideas of what this means can, of course, vary significantly. For example, if a brand returns to the 1950s and 1960s, it will most likely rely on bold colours and an optimistic mood. For the 1980s and 1990s, neon colours and analogue technologies are more natural. Many traditional brands are therefore returning to classic visual identities, and car manufacturers, for example, often refer to iconic models from their production.
- Coca-Cola uses traditional illustrations of Santa Claus in its Christmas advertising, which refer to its original ads from the 1930s.
- Volkswagen often returns to popular and iconic models such as the VW Beetle or Transporter in its retro campaigns.
- Apple often uses retro visuals in its adverts as a bridge between the past and modern technology.
Video: Coca-Cola Holidays Are Coming 2020
Video: The Transporter is back
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2. Music and sound
In this regard, brands strive to create a kind of emotional time capsule. Music is inextricably linked to nostalgia – it can quickly and effectively transport listeners back to a certain time and evoke strong emotions. Many companies, therefore, rely on famous songs from past decades or sound effects associated with a particular era in their campaigns. Classic jingles, which were designed to be memorable when they were first introduced, work similarly. If a brand has such a soundtrack in its archive, it is likely to pay off to reuse it creatively.
- In 1992, Pepsi launched an advert featuring Cindy Crawford, using a newer version of its traditional background music to heighten the nostalgic effect.
- McDonald’s often returns to its original jingles used in the past in its campaigns.
- Nike often uses a combination of vintage sports footage and iconic songs from the 1980s and other decades in its retro campaigns.
Video: Pepsi Super Bowl Commercial 2018 Cindy Crawford, Britney Spears
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Video: Eliud Kipchoge | Ready to Run NYC | Nike
3. Pop culture references
Television advertising is an integral part of consumer culture, which in turn is subordinate to the broader concept of popular culture. Successful nostalgic advertising understands this relationship and leverages it to the fullest. Many ads therefore revive iconic products, slogans and visuals, which already had a specific imprint in pop culture media in their day. In this respect, companies with a long tradition, spanning several decades, have a logical advantage. References to pop culture phenomena also clearly indicate that the brand – or rather the people behind it – share a kind of reference memory bank with consumers, which is another reason to strengthen mutual solidarity.
- Walmart used iconic film vehicles in its advertisement for the Grocery Pick-Up service, such as those driven by the Ghostbusters or the gang of detectives from the Scooby-Doo cartoons.
- Post-it labelled its sticky notes as the first social network in its advertisements, thereby achieving a humorous connection between the past and the digital present.
- After launching the NES Classic Mini console, Nintendo capitalised on the nostalgia of gamers who have fond memories of the original 8-bit generation of game consoles.
Video: Walmart, "Famous Cars" | "Grocery Pickup" | Super Bowl Commercials 2019
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4. Narratives
At this level, it is particularly important to build a relationship with the consumer on a personal level – advertising must simply represent the recipient’s subjective reality as much as possible. A large proportion of marketers therefore resort to family motifs, emphasising friendship, but period aesthetics also works well. On a psychological level, nostalgia is an ideal tool for connecting viewers with their own memories and experiences. Advertising thus becomes more than just a business strategy; it also becomes a catalyst for emotions, further strengthening brand identity and creating deeper bonds with end customers.
- Coca-Cola is once again the ideal example – regularly drawing on classic family motifs that evoke a distinctly old-world atmosphere, not only in its Christmas campaigns.
- LEGO often uses popular sets from the past in its adverts, targeting not only new child customers but also adults who grew up with these building sets.
- In one of its campaigns, Ford used the theme of family history linked to different models of cars from the same brand – nostalgia is used here to emphasise personal continuity.
Video: The World Needs More Santas | Coca-Cola
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When it works
Some retro advertisements rely heavily on the audience’s nostalgia for times gone by. Some brands have managed to exploit this emotional potential so effectively that their advertisements became iconic at the time of publication and retained this status long afterwards. A typical example is the Coca-Cola Christmas trucks. This advert, which has been broadcast since 1995, has become a global symbol of the Christmas season and continues to evoke the feeling of comfort and family atmosphere associated with Christmas.
Video: Coca-Cola Christmas commercial (Holidays are coming) (1) Long version
Similarly, in 2009, competitor Pepsi revisited its roots and launched a limited-edition drink with the original recipe and retro packaging from the 1970s. This campaign appealed not only to fans of retro design but also to those who wanted to taste the drink made according to the original recipe again. The fast-food chain McDonald’s chose the same strategy when it launched a limited edition with retro packaging and toys from past decades in its Happy Meal anniversary campaign. This strategy targeted adult customers who associated the brand with their childhood, evoking a wave of nostalgia.
Video: McDonald’s – “Introducing...The Happy Meal” (Commercial, 1979)
Other adverts base their creative identity mainly on retro aesthetics and a return to popular products from the past. These adverts revive products and brands that were popular in previous decades, aiming to appeal to both original fans and new customers who crave authentic experiences. This was the approach taken by Nike, for example, when they revived the iconic Air Max 90 trainers, emphasising their timelessness. The global boom in instant cameras, which were first popularised on a massive scale by Polaroid in the 1980s, worked in a similar way.
Video: Back For The Future Nike Air Mag 2015
Some advertisements can be fully anchored in the present and use nostalgia for marketing purposes only through cultural references and pop culture phenomena. These advertisements rely heavily on recreating more intense creative experiences associated precisely with culture and other social events. For example, in its 2011 advert, The Force, Volkswagen featured a little boy dressed as Darth Vader trying to use the Force on various objects until he finally controls a Volkswagen Passat. The advert, which referenced the Star Wars series, appealed not only to its fans. Similarly, in 2011, Nike launched a limited edition of ‘magic’ trainers inspired by the 1989 film Back to the Future II. Cadbury’s gorilla, which plays Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” on the drums, evokes nostalgia for the 1980s and the cult soundtracks of that era.
Video: The Force - Volkswagen Commercial
Finally, some companies use nostalgia to emphasise their own tradition and the longevity of their brand. This appeals to viewers who know that these products are part of their lives. For example, British bakery Hovis created a touching commercial capturing the fact that their bread is an integral part of national history and that several generations have grown up on it. The legendary car manufacturer Cadillac has the equally legendary 1915 advert “The Penalty of Leadership” to its credit, which demonstrates how long a brand can be associated with luxury and innovation, which is nostalgia linked to traditional values.
Video: Hovis’ iconic 1973 Boy on the Bike advert digitally remastered
Nostalgia, Czech style
Czech companies apply their own, often very distinctive approach to nostalgia. Many domestic brands benefit from their long history and strong local identity, appealing to customers who have a deeper personal connection to their products.
One of the most striking examples of nostalgia in Czech advertising is Kofola’s iconic Christmas advert featuring a father and daughter searching for a golden pig. First aired in 2003, this advert has become an integral part of Czech Christmas celebrations over the past two decades. It is not just an advert – for many people, its annual broadcast is a signal that the Christmas season has truly begun. With this campaign, Kofola has cleverly linked its product to traditional values and family rituals. Breweries work with Christmas nostalgia similarly. Pilsner Urquell often reflects on returning home for the holidays, friendly gatherings and memories of the good old days in its advertisements. Budějovický Budvar emphasises the honesty of Czech brewing and its connection to a tradition dating back to 1895 in its communications.
Video: Kofola – Christmas advert 2020, CZ
Another way Czech brands are tapping into nostalgia is by returning to their original packaging and recipes. Chocolate maker Orion has successfully employed this strategy, occasionally releasing limited editions in their original design. Figaro, meanwhile, capitalises on retro visuals and recalls its historical roots in the Slovak chocolate tradition. The footwear brand Botas has similarly worked with its past, returning in 2008 to its iconic 1960s model under the name Botas 66. This redesign not only appealed to older generations but also attracted the younger ones, who appreciate high-quality Czech design.
Video: BOTAS 66 Forever Second 1
Many Czech companies base their communication on longevity and tradition. Mattoni, whose history dates back to 1873, regularly recalls its origins and connection to Karlovy Vary. Zetor, a traditional Czech tractor manufacturer, often uses archive footage in its advertising campaigns and emphasises its heritage linked to domestic agriculture. Another example is Tatra, whose iconic trucks have strong historical value. In recent years, the brand has returned to its original logo and uses visual references to legendary models, appealing to both vintage enthusiasts and new customers.
Video: Advertisement – Mattoni (CZ, 2019)
Beer brands often return to nostalgia because for Czechs, beer is not only a drink but also a symbol of tradition and social life. Gambrinus recalls old pub customs and the friendly atmosphere of Czech pubs in its campaigns. Velkopopovický Kozel draws on the legend of the goat as a symbol of the brewery and its original craft roots. Braník also offered an interesting example of nostalgic advertising. A few years ago, it opted for a retro visual and recalled the atmosphere of old times through a television commercial full of period details and humour.
Video: 2006 Gambrinus pub
Everything in moderation
Nostalgia can therefore be a powerful marketing tool, but it does not guarantee success on its own. If an advertisement focuses only on retro elements with no added value, it risks coming across as outdated or empty. Similarly, inauthentic or incomprehensible references to the past can confuse the target audiences rather than appeal to them.
The important thing is to strike a balance between the past and the present – successful campaigns succeed in combining nostalgia with a modern context and the relevant needs of consumers. In the age of streaming platforms and technological development, nostalgia is a powerful force; however, the key to using it effectively is authenticity and the right dosage. Only then can brands remain relevant in the future.