There’s often a temptation to minimize nostalgia as an easy-to-manufacture emotion of simply pining for the “good old days.” But for retailers and brands, nostalgia-themed campaigns and products — when done right — can be a powerful growth vehicle.
“Nostalgia is the only trend where the customer already knows they love it, because it’s already a part of who they are,” said Ed LaBay, EVP, Merchandise, Marketing, Licensing and Product Development at Hot Topic. “And that emotional connection can significantly increase purchase intent.”
LaBay was speaking on a Shoptalk panel, Winning Customers Through Nostalgia, which also featured Jenica Myszkowski, CEO and President of family experience retailer Camp.
Many ‘Nostalgic’ Customers Have Grown Up (and Now Have Disposable Incomes)
LaBay used the Twilight saga as an example of a nostalgia lifecycle: “In 2008 to 2012, the Twilight movies were a worldwide phenomenon, but by the mid-2010s, they were in a cultural lull. Then there was a TikTok-driven rediscovery in the 2020s, and now those Twilight fans are coming back not just to watch the movies but to buy merchandise — and they’re bringing their kids with them.”
A similar shift has happened with anime, with an “audience that grew up but didn’t outgrow the content — and now have adult-size disposable incomes to spend on premium items,” said LaBay.
Turning Memory into [Sales] Momentum
Speaking of children, they are a key part of creating future nostalgia: “Parents buy items for the memories they want to create with their kids,” said Camp’s Jenica Myszkowski. “Emotion fades, but nostalgia reignites it — and smart brands turn memory into momentum.”
“Kids and parents are now co-CEOs of households, affecting the brands they engage with and the content they watch,” said Myszkowski. “It’s a new consumption model — multi-platform, interest-driven and fast.”
She gave the example of a Little Mermaid in-store experience at Camp: “Millennial parents were coming in singing the songs the way they did when the original film came out. The parent is connected to the franchise. It’s part of cultural nostalgia: ‘I loved this, and I want you to love it, too.’”
Reinvention, not Just Reproduction
Of course, an effective nostalgia-themed product or campaign requires more than simply slapping an old logo on a piece of merchandise. “It’s very important that nostalgia prioritizes reinvention over reproduction,” said LaBay, noting that older, more affluent consumers want higher-quality products than they purchased when they were teenagers.
Even before launching a nostalgic campaign, brands need to do their homework. “Emotion sparks the ideas, but data validates them,” said LaBay, identifying key steps:
- Validating that there’s interest in the intellectual property (IP) by monitoring social media;
- Monitoring the IP’s performance on streaming platforms;
- Assessing the strength of the fandom/community for the IP;
- Analyzing internal search and sales data to correlate internal zero-results search terms with external search volume to find unmet product demand; and
- Looking at resale market signals, e.g. prices and product offerings on Ebay and Depop.
When the nostalgic product finally launches, using streetwear-style “drops” and other tools to create scarcity can help to build excitement (and spur sales).
Finally, as powerful as nostalgia is, it doesn’t sell itself. “Nostalgia is a community sport,” said LaBay. “It requires social engagement as well as IRL events and cosplay. It’s turning customers into both brand ambassadors and loyal [shoppers]. Creator collaborations and in-store ‘storytelling’ are also important. At Hot Topic, we’ve used geotargeted ads and higher levels of inventory visibility to turn store trips into treasure hunts.”
“Nostalgia requires consistency at every touch point, and even the smallest details can drive core memories,” said Myszkowski. “Everyone in the organization has to own the feeling, because nostalgia works best when people don’t just remember it — they experience it.”
