With the turn of the decade, many forward-thinking marketeers will be preparing for a swathe of new technologies and trends that will reshape the way they approach marketing. And while many early adopters of Big Data, AI, Quantum Computing, IoT, Voice, Virtual and AR will experience enormous growth or cement their dominance, it’s warmly reassuring to see that many companies are also choosing to look behind them, too. Indeed, way behind them, and in doing so harnessing the incredible power of consumer nostalgia and emotional memory to convey brand messages.
As an agency specializing in emotionally-charged, entertainment-led campaigns, we’ve really enjoyed seeing an increasing number of brands evoke nostalgia by using classic film & TV characters in their marketing. The cultural significance of iconic characters can’t be underestimated and this has been demonstrated by the successful adoption of this strategy by some of the UK’s biggest advertisers. In appreciation of those who’ve remembered to look back fondly, here’s our top picks from 2018, 2019 and early 2020:
Sky x E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Moneysupermarket.com x He-Man & Skeletor
Tesco x Multiple (Mr Blobby, Morph, Wolf from Gladiator, etc)
DFS x Wallace & Gromit
Halifax x Ghostbusters
Great Western Railway x The Famous Five
Amazon Fire TV Stick x Lassie
Jeep x Groundhog Day
The Shining x Mountain Dew
Along the same lines, we’re lucky enough to work on behalf of NBCUniversal, whose library of over 500 classic characters includes beloved franchises Casper the Friendly Ghost, Postman Pat and Where’s Wally. If you’re a brand/agency considering the power of nostalgia as a marketing tool, please do get in touch – we’d love the opportunity to jump back in time with you and your consumers.