Nostalgia Marketing: Re-inventing Vintage To Sell Anew
“Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi” is a nostalgic show many of us have enjoyed growing up. It is once again on the Indian television and OTT platform, Jio Hotstar, as “Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi”. The original show drew over 31.1 million viewers, while the reboot attracted over 15 million viewers per month. Now, the question arises: what made a show released in 2000 gain even more traction in 2025? The answer is nostalgia.
Nostalgia, often described as a “bittersweet” memory, is the idea that the past was more beautiful than the present, even if it wasn’t true at the time. Nostalgia has now become a crucial marketing tool to derive brand recall and conversions. It establishes a brand as authentic and trustworthy. Brands have especially taken nostalgic marketing as a primary medium to connect with their younger audience, i.e., Gen Z.
Nostalgia marketing helps build a positive attitude towards the brand. This strategy combines psychological factors with marketing tools to create a temptation in the audience to visit memories and associate the brand with a positive past. A great example of this is the return of the “Share a Coke” campaign by Coca-Cola. The “Share a Coke” campaign was first launched by Coca-Cola Australia in the 2000s to drive consumer engagement and conversions by developing a personal bond. It gained huge popularity, with a 20% increase in sales. Coca-Cola is bringing this campaign for Gen Z to create a memorable experience that they may have grown up with but couldn’t participate in.
Other brands have also taken part in nostalgia marketing to boost sales and market positioning, including:
- Kylie Cosmetics: Revived Kylie Jenner’s King Kylie era from 2015. The company brought back some of the most iconic Kylie lip kits from 2015 that first put Kylie Cosmetics on the beauty scene.
- Campa Cola: Reliance revived the classic beverage from several Indian’s childhood, Campa Cola. The drink immediately gained popularity again in major cities, with 14% market shares in key markets.
- Re-release of Old Films: Several production houses, including YRF and Dharma, are re-releasing classic films from the 90s to the 2000s. This trend started because of the shift in audience interest towards nostalgic movies, as well as the declining interest in theaters.
Nostalgic market has become a core trend in 2025, with almost every legacy brand trying and nailing it. It proves that the audience, even the younger ones, misses the old media industry; every piece of content had a human touch that made it relatable to their entire audience.
Over time, the industry may have lost audience perception to the game of quick sales. The audience also got attached to the popular campaigns as they became a popular part of their childhoods.
Nostalgia is a truly bittersweet thing. It allows you to remember happy moments, but it can hinder your ability to move with the times. But if you play your cards right, you can just make it sweet.