using the power of fond memories, Marketing & Advertising News, ET BrandEquity
It’s not a moment that would have prompted ACP Pradyuman to tell his deputy, “Daya, kuch toh gadbad hai.” Yet, when a series of brands go on a trip down memory lane, you can’t help but take notice.
Colgate Max Fresh recently invited ACP Pradyuman and his entire CID team for a partnership. The team that’s famous for solving mysteries in the crime thriller series, was now investigating errors that crept into the making of a Max Fresh ad.
In another scene, straight out of the sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Urban Company reunited the family that made the audience laugh out loud with their ‘upper class vs middle class’ antics to introduce its ‘Native RO Water Purifier’.
Meanwhile, Aamir Khan and Darsheel Safary got together on screen, 17 years after their movie Taare Zameen Par, for the latest ad of Thums Up Charged. And Ranbir Kapoor and Konkana Sen Sharma reprised their roles as Sid and Ayesha from the movie Wake Up Sid for an Oppo India ad.
So, what’s happening here?
Utilising the magic of nostalgia through advertising has been a captivating strategy, resonating with audiences of all ages.
It’s therapeutic to unwind with a trip down memory lane, whether it’s looking at old photos of when you had a unibrow or a funny haircut or even that one TV show that reminds you of a simpler time.
Soumya Mohanty, chief client officer, South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar, mentions that the concept of nostalgia took off post-Covid. She says that the surge in nostalgia-based advertising gained traction because people sought comfort in familiar things during uncertain and volatile times.
In 2020, during the lockdown, audiences were glued to their TV screens, often revisiting popular shows. Like everything, the idea of igniting nostalgia in advertising came back with a bang, like the Cadbury Dairy Milk ad featuring the iconic ‘Kuch Khas Hai’ moment. “Nostalgia advertising peaked around 2021. It has since levelled off, so it’s not as prominent a trend today,” she says.
There are exceptions. Mohanty points out to the Wake Up Sid campaign, saying, “Brands like Oppo, which are relatively new and lack a long history, use nostalgia as a clutter-breaking device.”
On the other hand, brands with a rich history, like Thums Up, Maggi or Dairy Milk, may use nostalgia to remind consumers of better times, tapping into the idea that the past was better than the present, adds Mohanty. It’s also a way to connect with a newer generation.
Emotional associations
Studies show that ads that evoke emotions are more likely to be remembered and influence behaviour. That’s where nostalgia steps in. “By revisiting iconic moments, characters or cultural references, brands can transport their target audiences back to times when life felt simpler, more fulfilling and joyous. This has deep emotional resonance, making the brand more recognisable in a crowded market,” says Rahul Tekwani, managing partner, Branding Edge Strategies.
Juneston Mathana, executive creative director of WPP@CP, the specialist agency for Colgate Palmolive, says, “In advertising, it’s a tool to connect with a wider audience through content that they believe is part of their lives. It’s an attempt at making popular culture, popular again.”
Mehul Gupta, co-founder of SoCheers, states that nostalgia is a powerful tool, fostering positive emotions and strong brand recall.
Tekwani says that bringing back beloved characters creates a sense of comfort. “When brands use nostalgia, they’re building a bridge between generations to make themselves relevant across age groups,” he adds.
Finding the right fit
So you’ve got a killer brand with turn-back-time campaign and you know it can succeed — providing you get it to the radar of the right people, in the right place, at the right time.
Anuya Jakatdar, co-founder of Bare Bones Collective, the agency behind the Sarabhai ads for Urban Company, says, “The target audience for Urban Company is millennials. Urban millennials grew up watching Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. That was the last sort of family show that people watched together on TV. All the mannerisms of the characters became memes. So, it made a lot of sense to do this with its cast.” The biggest challenge was in reuniting the old characters for a new ad, she reveals.
For oral care brand Colgate, the key message was about being super fresh and alert for a goof up free morning. “The idea of CID collaboration came from an impromptu brainstorming session during the pre-production phase of the original Colgate MaxFresh brand film, one with the sleepy doctor. A crazy thought struck us then. What if the ad that talks about preventing morning goof-ups had goof-ups in it? Ta-daa! We made it even more interesting,” said Mathana.
Speaking about the idea of reuniting Wake Up Sid’s star cast for the Oppo ad, Mithila Saraf, chief executive officer of Famous Innovations, says the concept came from satiating “every millennial’s need to be transported to simpler times. The iconicity of Ranbir Kapoor’s character Sid became the perfect bedrock to position Oppo Renoll series’ camera as a true outdoor portrait expert,” Saraf says.
Technology-driven sectors can be cluttered and complex. Nostalgia then simplifies things. “When your category is inherently complex, with rapidly evolving technologies and uncertainties about the future — such as concerns over staying relevant with the rise of AI — nostalgia can be a powerful device. It allows people to view the past through rose-coloured glasses,” states Mohanty.
Add-ons in advertising
The advertising landscape is constantly evolving. Gupta says, “Quirky ads often take a familiar situation and give it an unexpected twist, keeping viewers engaged and guessing about what will happen next. Humour, wit and short, impactful messaging are all hallmarks of this trend. Many brands are incorporating celebrities, influencers or even nostalgia to boost the reach of their campaigns.”
Jakatdar believes that the idea is still the king. “Just because nostalgia is working right now as a trend for someone, doesn’t mean you blindly hop onto it. You have to be selective about the reason — which lies in your target audience or in your idea itself,” she adds.
Mohanty calls nostalgia a double-edged sword. It works brilliantly if you’re targeting a generation that has lived through the era you’re referencing. But in the case of Gen Z, there isn’t much nostalgia to draw on. Brands therefore need to be clear about the generational cohort they are targeting, otherwise the connection could fall flat.
Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Dabur, and Godrej Consumer Products (GCP) are enhancing their influencer marketing strategies to boost customer engagement, brand loyalty, and awareness. The rise in short-form content on platforms like Instagram and YouTube has led to companies engaging with macro, micro, and nano influencers to drive brand visibility. A recent EY report predicted India’s influencer marketing industry will reach INR 3,375 crore by 2026, largely due to the growing use of social media influencers for sales and brand engagement.
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