This insights post is a summary of the blog post published by PRohibition. View the full insight at: Nostalgia Marketing: What the Trend Says About the New Consumer.
When Lancôme recently relaunched its iconic lip gloss, Juicy Tubes, it used a Y2K-themed campaign starring icons from the 2000s. The point of the campaign was not just to ‘relaunch’ their product, but to build a campaign that created a cultural revival.
To mark 25 years of Juicy Tubes, Lancôme tapped into early-2000s pop culture nostalgia including enlisting stars Ed Westwick (reviving Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl) and Rachel Bilson who reminisces about winning a Teen Choice Award for best on-screen kiss, claiming “kisses are better with Juicy Tubes.”
The campaign strikes a chord with playful, star-studded stops. However, and most of all, it is perfectly nostalgic.
Nostalgia as a Marketing Strategy
More and more brands are leaning into nostalgic campaigns, but this trend is more than just a fun throwback. It’s a strategic marketing move that speaks volumes about today’s consumer and the current cultural climate.
- Why Does It Work?: Nostalgia marketing is everywhere, and for good reason. In a digital era where audiences feel increasingly disconnected and overwhelmed, familiar references offer comfort, and a sense of shared experience.
- The Rise of the Emotionally-Driven Consumer: Today’s consumer is hyper aware, overstimulated and sceptical. With social media feeds increasingly dominated by sponsored content, AI-generated visuals, and influencer fatigue, emotional relatability now matters more than ever.
- Crafting Nostalgia That Connects: For PR and social media professionals, tapping into the past isn’t as simple as resurfacing old content. That means understanding not just what people remember, but why it matters to them now, and the campaign messaging should reflect that awareness.
What This Tells Us About the Future
As social media becomes less social, audiences are retreating from oversharing in favor of curated self-expression, and brands must find new ways to create an emotional connection. Nostalgia is one way to connect, but the underlying fact is that today’s consumer wants to feel something.
For social media creatives, this is a reminder that the most effective nostalgia content doesn’t rely on the past to do the work; it reworks it for now, with the right mix of storytelling, timing, and cultural relevancy.
To get more details and insights about these campaigns and strategies, read the full post at: Nostalgia Marketing: What the Trend Says About the New Consumer.
