Blast from the past: Why are brands revisiting old ads?

Last month Reliance Industries launched the 90’s beloved drink Campa Cola, making everyone reach out to their childhood memories. Pepsi too launched a campaign with Ranveer Singh with the ‘Jo Jeeta Vahi Sikandar’ song track rehashed into ‘Yaha Ke Hum Sikandar’. And now Dream 11 brought back the cast of the 2009 hit ‘3 Idiots’.

Brands are making an effort to evoke nostalgia through retro music, iconic movie characters, references and slang, all for making a brand come alive again.

Last year, Cadbury brought back its iconic cricket field dancing girl ad from the 90s but this time the audiences were cheering for women athletes. Even in the recently released Navratna campaign, the brand has used music that reminds one of the iconic ‘Sar Jo Tera Chakraye’ song. Another example would be Lays’ recently launched ad featuring Rajkummar Rao and Dolly Singh, again an attempt to get audiences to get nostalgic via old musical hits.

So, why are brands getting people nostalgic and evoking emotions of the ‘good times’?

According to Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director of PUMA India, “Going back to heritage or going back in time might seem counterintuitive but even as trends, for instance, we dwell in fashion, it keeps coming back. It's a smart strategy because it follows what consumers want and consumer wants to look back in history and that's why brands do that.”

Sharing similar thoughts was Rasika Prashant, Chief Marketing Officer at Tata Consumer Soulfull. “We are a country, which is at that stage of development, where we have actually crossed multiple layers of a developing economy unlike other economies went through because of the digital age. We have managed to get a lot of exposure to digital content but when you get that much exposure and modernization, you realise the moment of truth or your moment of emotion, what you really hold that is your roots or the value system.”

“What you remember is ‘my mother told me this’ and today's 25 to 45-year-old Indian consumer has become aspirational. They are taking responsibility for their own lives and what they hold on to the thing that resonates with them which is the value system. Now people understand the importance of value so they want to go back to them. While they want to go back to the goodness of the old, they are still people who are progressing and moving ahead hence they want the goodness of the old but packaged in a modern format and they want the best of both worlds,” Prashant added.

On the other hand, Saurabh Garg, Marketing Consultant, and Partner at C4E says, “Early millennials are now about 40. They are rich, affluent, discerning, well-travelled and believe in consumption. And when they were 18-20 and growing up, they had limited exposure to media (limited availability). They have strong memories and recollections of things and characters like Lalita Ji, the music in the Raymonds’ commercials, the Liril lady and others. Nostalgia is the easiest way to create positive emotions and tickle the memories. These are memories that are now a part of the culture.”

“It appeals to generations and creates conversations between older and newer generations. When Cadbury refreshed its iconic ad on the cricket field in the new avatar, the newer generation that saw it spoke to their elders. And vice versa. Think of why films create sequels and seasons and chapters. Even after years.  We are seeing a redux of ads! Old music has always been used in contemporary settings.”

Instigating nostalgia is becoming an enraging trend and many brands are creating their communication effectively to trigger the nostalgic nerve and lure consumers. An industry expert hailing from the creative side, however, has a word of caution, “Nostalgia, at its best, is a novelty gift item. It rarely sustains beyond the first curious flush of interest.”