When you're having a rough day, here's a life hack that may make you feel a little better. Consider a period in high school or middle school when a student you were really fond of smiled at you, gave you their phone number, kissed you, or just recognized your presence in a kind manner. It's likely that simply thinking about it brings a grin to your face. Am I correct?

This is because nostalgia often brings forth pleasant recollections. And the more vivid the memories, the more pleasant the sensation. The great thing about nostalgia is that it works better at particular periods.

During turbulent times, for example, many yearn for the days of stability, when everything made more sense and there was more assurance. Which leads us to nostalgia advertising and how it might help you build brand loyalty.

Don't worry if you've never heard of nostalgic advertising; the majority of people haven't either, so you're not alone. Nostalgic advertising is advertising that appeals to customers via the use of nostalgia.

Nostalgic advertising is a powerful marketing tactic since it brings joy to a certain demographic. What is the reason behind this? Because, as humans, we're drawn to things and people who make us feel good.

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People like nostalgia because it helps them feel better. Those who bring us good news are remembered, and we like them more. We also remember people who broke unpleasant news to us and hold a grudge against them (do your best to avoid being the deliverer of bad news to someone).

So, with that stated, here's how to enhance brand affinity by using nostalgic advertising.

Be a fantastic DJ

If you've ever gone to a really fantastic party, you undoubtedly had a nice time because the DJ had a terrific playlist and was killing it with the tracks that were played. This is due to the immense power of music. It has energy that has the potential to elicit strong emotions. It may assist you in completing an exercise. It might also make you weep happy or sad tears.

Being a great DJ is one method to employ nostalgia in your advertising to promote brand affinity.

That includes defining your target demographic and making sure to include music that will bring back memories for them. "How would I know which songs to feature in my advertising in order to trigger nostalgia in my audience?"

I'm sure you're wondering. What a great question! According to The Verge, guys were on average 14 years old when their favorite music was released. Women, on the other hand, were on average 13 years old when their favorite song was published.

Playing your audience's favorite song is a terrific approach to be a great DJ and make them feel good. Here's an example of how you can accomplish that using the data mentioned above:

Let's imagine you operate a software firm and your target customer is a 32-year-old office manager. In 2003, they would have been 14 years old. That year, 50 Cent's single "In Da Club" was the most popular worldwide.

As a result, there's a good chance it's one of their favorites. If you played that music, or even just the instrumental of the song, in one of your adverts, it would instantly stimulate memories, causing people to love the ad... Even better, they'd be grateful to your company for inventing it.

Include vintage clips

I don't know about you, but I have around five movies that I watch everytime they air on TV — no matter how many times I've already watched them. That's also because such films often bring back memories of the first time I viewed them and help me recall those days.

Have you ever wondered why some television networks always seem to show Home Alone, It's a Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Story around the holidays? The reason for this is because many people find such films to be comforting and nostalgic.

People look forward to viewing such movies on TV every Christmas because it reminds them of their childhood and all the positive sensations they had as a child during the holiday season.

By generating memes and publishing them on your brand's Twitter and Instagram accounts, you may leverage clips and pictures from vintage movies or television series (even cartoons) in your advertising to create nostalgia. Alternatively, you might make gifs from great films and put them on your brand's Youtube and Tiktok sites.

Such who like those films will most likely halt in their tracks to see your work since it will pique their interest.

It's critical to note that whichever clip or picture you choose, it must be from a classic film or television program in order for it to connect with your target demographic...

particularly from a film with a funny or inspiring theme.

Make use of the Rockwell Effect

Norman Rockwell was a world-renowned American illustrator known for his paintings of traditional American society. Because his early works depicted scenes of the idealized way of life that Americans felt embodied the heart of the nation, called "Classic Americana," Americans were drawn to his paintings.

You may use the Rockwell effect in your advertising by creating visuals that depict people in more innocent times, with imagery that portrays how people wish things were now. Remember that the worse things grow, the more people yearn for the good old days. Furthermore, they yearn for days that they have never known...days when everything was simple and everyone got along swimmingly.

Even if such days never existed, people have an intrinsic desire to return to them and imagine that things were once the same. If you can concentrate your advertising on creating and presenting that visual, you'll be able to appeal to a specific demographic's nostalgia. And that audience will love your advertising, which will lead to brand affinity if your brand is consistent.

Conclusion

When you want to develop a ramp to assist customers come closer to your business, nostalgic advertising is a terrific tool to draw out of the marketer's toolbox since it produces a nice sensation. And, although nostalgic advertising may be used to create brand affinity, it is more of a branding technique than a direct sales plan.

However, if applied appropriately, the strategies described above will enhance brand affinity. Consumer desire will emerge as a result of this connection over time. And if your product or service makes the customer feel as amazing as your advertising makes them feel, love will follow.

Thanks to DeJuan Wright at Business 2 Community whose reporting provided the original basis for this story.