We are living in one of the world’s largest economic crises. With a war going on and the economy sinking, we have seen happier times in our lives. It makes sense that we live in a time when idolizing the past is valued.
The New York Times recently wrote that Gen Y is already nostalgic for past years’ products and technology. Nostalgia for better times, specifically the heydays of the 1990s, is not necessarily specific to one generation. I think the current nostalgic feeling is simply an appreciation of supposedly simpler times in our lives when technology was not overbearing and we were not connected every moment.
We have pushed ourselves into a constant loop of self and societal reflection.
We live in a time of consistent reflection of the past. VH1 idolized the 1980s and 1990s in their popular “I Love the '80s” series. We have multiple TV specials, award ceremonies, and concerts that reflect on the most popular content and art each year. Top ten lists of songs, movies, and TV clips are compiled every season. The media spends the month of December reviewing video clips and speeches. We are obsessed with compiling and reflecting on the past.
Even our own content drives self-reflection and nostalgia. We take video and pictures and immediately review them. Our past selves are stored digitally and are instantly accessible. Want to look at a video from 3 months ago? Pictures from the vacation 2 years ago? Play your wedding song? It’s all at our fingertips.
We are living in a time of constant self-reflection through our digital baggage.
So, of course both younger AND older generations are nostalgic for better times. It’s how we use this feeling of nostalgia for products and services to tell our current brand story that makes a difference.
-Carla
Photo Credit: maczter
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tagged as connectedness, gen y, Marketing, nostalgia
I think it's interesting that we are in a constant state of self-reflection with our digital "possessions." It's not a long-term solution, but nostalgia is definitely something to be considered if it adds to the brand's value and story.
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