Nostalgia and Memory

"Every time an advertisement or commercial appears, the objective is to have the reader or viewer learn something … and remember what he learned" Britt 1955

“Nostalgia has been described as a bitter-sweet emotion, where the past is viewed with both sadness and longing.” Solomon 2000

Nostalgia is used in advertising to trigger happy memories around the product that is being sold. This can be done through the 5 senses; music or particular sounds can act as trigger, images such as iconic fashions, smells like perfumes, touch and taste. Sensory branding creates a link between the consumer and the product as senses are linked to our memories. Here is a mood board of things that make me nostalgic

One example of nostalgia being used in advertising is the Nicorette adverts that were released this month. They have copied a series of classic movie moments with the leading characters inhaling an anti-smoking aid instead of a cigarette. The narrator introduces Nicorette inhalators as the closest thing to smoking without smoking, and suggests that it helps when cutting down gradually or quitting all together.

Another way nostalgia is used in adverting is by reminiscing on the brand itself and how it has changed through the years. This is certainly the angle that Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO took for this Heinz's advert.

The montage of familiar Baked Beans ads from the past aimed to reinforce the brand's traditional British values, and remind consumers of its long and illustrious history.

The idea of reminiscing about "the good old days" also proved effective for Hovis last year, when an ad by Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy took a nostalgically sentimental look at key periods in Britain's history. It allowed consumers to remember a number of pertinent moments from the
20th century, such as both World Wars, England's World Cup win and the miners' strike.

Johnny Hornby, the managing partner of CHI & Partners, says: "We're finding that in the recession, consumers are getting back to basics and going with what they know. They are purchasing items that give them warmth and a sense of security, which is why these nostalgic ads appeal."