Tapping into the Power of Nostalgia
I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately.
Recently I spent a day in Walt Disney World at EPCOT with a group of friends. It was a memorable day of connection, inspiration, and fun, and I got to wondering – how much of what I love about days like these is the result of the place itself – the rides, shows, food, etc. – and how much are the past memories I’ve made in that place?
It also helps that EPCOT intentionally cultivates feelings of nostalgia, whether through intentional retro graphics and designs, or the latest ride, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, where the story of the attraction is a nostalgic time-traveling adventure, complete with a soundtrack made of a random selection of hits from the ’70s and ’80s, like “September,” “Conga,” “One Way or Another,” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”
In the pre-show, the main character Peter Quill reminisces about his childhood visits to EPCOT in the 1980s. That’s nostalgia!
Nostalgia is Everywhere
You don’t have to look far to see that nostalgia is everywhere - in movies, music, TV shows, video games, products, clothing, and more.
Will Holloway, Creative Director at Fever PR, summed it up nicely in his article about the modern day power of nostalgia.
In times of uncertainty and stress, people often revert back to what they know, to what brings them comfort, or provides escapism – to the perceived safety of the past. This is where nostalgia comes in as a powerful emotional lever for brands looking to connect with their audiences.
I’ve often joked that some of my greatest accomplishments as a father are that my kids know and appreciate Mario, Star Wars, and Chronicles of Narnia. I have such fond memories of these characters and stories as a kid, and seeing my kids experience them in their own way evokes such a good feeling. Am I alone??
Let’s look at what nostalgia is, explore the benefits of leveraging it, and see how leaders like you and I can tap into the power of nostalgia to move our audiences.
What Nostalgia Is
Nostalgia is described as a “sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.” (Wikipedia)
The word nostalgia comes from the Greek words nostos meaning “home,” and algos meaning “pain.” It was originally coined in the 17th century by a medical student treating Swiss mercenaries fighting away from home. Fighting wars abroad, these soldiers longing to return home was described as “nostalgia.” It was considered a medical condition – a form of melancholy.
Today, nostalgia has more positive connotations, even though it retains a “longing for home,” as it were – a positive feeling towards something that once was and might be again.
The Power of Nostalgia
There are many benefits of evoking nostalgia, including:
Improving mood
Increasing social connectedness
Preserving cultural heritage
Providing existential meaning
Shaping consumer preferences
Nostalgia can even be effective when the viewer hasn’t personally experienced the exact memory being evoked.
I wasn’t born in 1943 when Norman Rockwell captured the quintessential multi-generational holiday meal around the table with family in what would become the most famous of a series of four paintings entitled The Freedom from Want.
Above: Norman Rockwell was the master of evoking nostalgia. Freedom from Want was the first of four paintings titled Four Freedoms – “Freedom from Want,” “Freedom of Speech,” “Freedom of Worship,” “Freedom from Fear.”
I may not have “been there,” but this scene of a bygone era still evokes nostalgia for memories past.
But more important than looking to the past, I believe the power of nostalgia comes in helping others to see themselves in the mirror. It provides a vehicle by which we can place ourselves into the story.
Whether we were there or not doesn’t matter. What matters is the emotion of being taken to a place and time that creates connectedness and positive feelings.
Let’s look at how leaders can tap into nostalgia.
Tapping into Nostalgia
A key to tapping into nostalgia with your audience is to consider what memories or experiences I can evoke to enable my audiences to see themselves in the story.
Too many leaders think nostalgia is about their organizations, history, and heritage. But that misses the point. Nostalgia is not about you – nostalgia is about your audience. Nostalgia’s power comes when your viewers, readers, listeners, customers, or donors can place themselves in the story.
The experts know that tapping into nostalgia is about finding those stories, those vivid images that tap into the memory centers of their audience and associate their brand with those memories.
Several years ago, we had the opportunity as a family to go to Disney World. I’ll never forget this moment, with Grandpa and my youngest daughter side by side, having the time of their lives.
Above: Grandpa and my youngest daughter making a memory that will live on. When a brand can help create and tap into nostalgia, that creates an affinity that lasts for decades – generations, even.
It doesn’t take much today for Disney to remind me of that moment. They don’t even know that moment exists, but when I see the latest YouTube short of a daddy and daughter having a moment on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, I’m back to that moment years ago. To my story. It’s a powerful emotion that keeps us coming back.
💡 Takeaway: Nostalgia is a powerful emotion that evokes positive memories about the past, improving mood, increasing social connectedness, and providing meaning. How can you evoke nostalgia in your audience associated with your cause or brand?
Let’s end with a specific example of evoking nostalgia for the cause of funding education.
Connecting Your Story to the Cause
I serve on the board of our local school foundation. The organization’s purpose is to strengthen, protect, and support Christian education in the region for generations to come. We do that by raising funds for an endowment to enhance the affordability, quality, and sustainability of education.
As the marketing and communications effort lead, our entire marketing strategy is founded on stories. More specifically, connecting our audience’s story to the cause. In other words, evoking nostalgia.
Here’s a brief excerpt on why and how we use stories to inspire and motivate our audience.
Stories: Connecting your story to the cause.
Everyone has a story. Our goal isn’t to tell our story, or even the stories of others, but to get each individual thinking about their own story, and then connecting our audience’s story to the story of Christian education.
For example, we might start with telling our story to set a tone of gratitude and vulnerability, but then ask our audience – what’s your story? Or even better, start with their story, and then connect the dots to generations of quality Christian education.
💡 Takeaway: The more your audience can see themselves in your story, the more connectedness you will create. How can you invite your audience to see themselves and their story within the broader story you tell?
Until next week… Surfs Up! 🌊
- Dave
About the Author | Dave Raley
Consultant, speaker, and writer Dave Raley is the founder of Imago Consulting, a firm that helps non-profits and businesses create profitable growth through sustainable innovation. He’s the author of a weekly trendspotting report called The Wave Report, and the co-founder of the Purpose & Profit Podcast — a show about the ideas at the intersection of nonprofit causes and for-profit brands.
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