The power of Nostalgia.
Behind-the-scenes image of me, capturing a nostalgic moment between friends (shot for Richa).
More than any other type of marketing, video marketing has the power to evoke an emotion from a viewer.
Video is a combination of different ingredients (storytelling, music, visuals,…) and therefore is stronger than one single ingredient. The importance of triggering an emotional response from your viewers can not be overestimated:
“Videos which elicit strong emotions from viewers — whether positive or negative — are twice as likely to be shared as those that provide a weak emotional response.”
So even when you’re producing a corporate movie, you should always try to create that emotional bond with your viewers.
KEY INGREDIENTS TO GET YOUR VIDEO SHARED
Emotions and arousal play an important role in video sharing.
Creative quality is the ‘icing on the cake’ for getting shared.
Videos that exhibit high-arousal emotions cut through clutter and are most remembered.
Overt branding has no impact on the degree to which a video will get shared.
Using poorly branded advertising is like throwing away your marketing budget.
(source: marketingscience.info/viral-marketing)
What’s more, the study says videos with a strong positive emotional response are 30% more likely to be shared than videos with a negative emotional response.
“That means as a business, you want to create content that makes people feel intense, but positive emotions.”
That’s not an easy task. Video ads selling a specific product rarely create these kinds of responses — few people get teary-eyed about breakfast cereal or an extra-smooth shave.
But branded videos can elicit powerful feelings, whether by telling a story with compelling characters or tapping into nostalgia.
Being a bit of a nostalgic person myself, I thought it would be interesting to dive into this matter more profoundly.
What is Nostalgia?
According Oxford Languages, nostalgia is “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past”.
To put it short, this sentimental longing to a past period is everywhere when it comes to video. The nostalgic feeling can be created by music, sounds, story, look & feel, or a combination of those elements.
Nostalgia has the power to bring us back to our childhood. By tapping into sentimental memories of the past, marketers can evoke a sense of longing and emotional connection with their audience. Because people feel connected when they are reminded of things they love from their past. Whether it's through retro aesthetics, familiar cultural references, or iconic music, nostalgia has the power to transport viewers back to a simpler or ‘better’ time.
One of the primary effects of nostalgia in branded videos is the establishment of an emotional bond between the viewer and the brand. When consumers reminisce about cherished moments from their past, they become more receptive to brand messaging that aligns with those memories. By associating their products or services with nostalgic imagery or themes, brands can foster a sense of trust, familiarity, and loyalty among consumers.
The popularity of shooting film
If we think of the Nostalgia look & feel, first of all we think of
the look of film stock.
A year ago I wrote a blog post about the comeback of Super 8 film. What I didn’t know at the time of writing, was that Kodak was working on a brand new Super 8 camera, which was released in November 2023.
Source newsshooter.com.
“This new release is the ultimate proof of the popularity of the film aesthetic and the nostalgia factor.”
Super 8 is known for its distinct, grainy look and the unique color palette produced by the film stock. Although I’m a big Super 8 fan myself, I didn’t have the chance yet to test the new Kodak camera. Honestly it also feels a bit overpriced, 5500 € is a lot of money for a camera that was used for ‘home movies’ in the 1970s.
Of course, not all videos that have the film look are actually shot on film. With some color grading skills you can do a pretty good job in mimicking the look of film stock (although it’s rarely 100% similar).
In addition to that we should also add that recreating the aesthetics of film stock is not the only way of giving that vintage/nostalgic look & feel to your images. The use of old lenses is also something that is very common in modern videos.
“The imperfections of vintage lenses make them perfect for
a nostalgic look.”
In the following examples we only care about the nostalgic look, how the look was created is less relevant.
Examples
Nostalgia in the look & feel (and music)
A short compilation of three branded videos with the ‘film look’ for three different brands: Diadora, Orbea, Mercedes Benz.
Notice how all three branded videos in the example above not only use the nostalgia factor of the film look, but also a nostalgic sounding voice over, combined with a nostalgic soundtrack. All elements together create a sense of timelessness and strengthens the feeling of ‘belonging to a community of like-minded people’.
A hybrid visual style
For Richa’s lifestyle collection (a Belgian moto apparel brand) we created a vivid hybrid visual style, combining high-end digital footage with super 8 images. This results in a very interesting contrast that evokes different feelings. The digital footage transcends high quality and a modern touch, whereas the film stock gives the feeling of an established brand that has ‘always been there’.
RICHA 2023 LIFESTYLE COMMERCIAL.
Short video for Richa’s social media with the famous pastéis de nata in the lead role.
Nostalgia in the storytelling
The famous series of Calvé pindakaas with different kids (Pietertje, Esther, Lieke,….) and different sports are a perfect example of nostalgia in storytelling. Probably almost every Dutch kid grew up with ‘pindakaas’, so the product itself will remind a lot of viewers to their childhood. All the commercials have to do is wrap this feeling in a nice story that will warm the viewer’s hearts and make them feel nostalgic and happy about Calvé pindakaas.
It’s cliché, even the soundtrack, but it works. The surprise in the end finishes it very well.
Nostalgia in the props
Even in videos without a nostalgic storyline, often nostalgic props are used. Think of old cars, clothes, TV sets, walkmans, VHS tapes, vintage cameras, old toys, motorcycles, floppy disks, telephones,…
They make us think of ‘the good old times’.
Are there any downsides to using nostalgia?
It's essential for brands to wield nostalgia with care and authenticity. While nostalgic content can evoke positive emotions and foster brand loyalty, it can also backfire if perceived as fake or manipulative. Consumers are adept at detecting insincerity, and any attempt to exploit nostalgia for commercial gain can undermine trust and damage brand credibility. Therefore, like all emotion-driven content, brands must approach nostalgia-driven marketing with honesty. Anything that doesn’t feel genuine and authentic will be noticed immediately by the viewers and will not result effective at all.
More great examples
Bouygues Telecom: Max & Romain
Café du cycliste: Seven Majors
FC Internazionale home game images
Inter is the most beautiful football club in the world, with the best fans. To prove this they’re publishing these amazing fan pictures after their recent home games.
Uhu, shot on film.
Cynthia Bolingo charity project
Video project for ‘Bolingo Embracing Diversity’ with a hybrid visual style and a sparkle of nostalgia.
If you’re into creating a video with a nostalgic look or storyline, feel free to contact me, the nostalgia fan in me will be delighted to help you!
Bruno Keustermans
