The Power of Nostalgia in Advertising: Building Brand Love Across Cultures
Insights from a Cross-Country Study

Grappi, S., Pauwels, V., Pedeliento, G. and Zarantonello, L. (2024), "How nostalgia in advertising increases brand love: a cross-country study", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 33 No. 7, pp. 869-887. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-12-2023-4857
What is Nostalgic Advertising?
  • Definition: A marketing strategy that taps into consumers' sentimental longing for the past
  • Two main types:
  1. Personal Nostalgia
  1. Historical Nostalgia
The Resurgence of Nostalgia in Advertising
  • Recent comeback in advertising strategies
  • Reasons:
  • Comfort during challenging times (e.g., global pandemic)
  • Fin de siècle effect
  • Aging of baby boomer generation
  • Examples: Disney, Gucci, Netflix, Coca-Cola
Brand Love
  • Definition: Intense emotional attachment consumers develop for a brand
  • Characteristics:
  • Passion
  • Positive emotional connection
  • Anticipated separation distress
Research Question
  • Does nostalgic advertising increase brand love?
  • How does this relationship differ across developed and developing countries?

Pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental study
  • Participants:
  • 277 British consumers
  • 255 Indian consumers
  • Randomly exposed to:
  1. Personal nostalgia ad
  1. Historical nostalgia ad
  1. Non-nostalgic ad (control)
Key Findings
  • Nostalgia in advertising increases brand love in both countries
  • Effectiveness varies by country:
  • UK (developed):
    Personal nostalgia > Historical nostalgia
  • India (developing):
    Historical nostalgia > Personal nostalgia
Cultural Differences
  • Developed countries (e.g., UK):
  • More individualistic
  • Emphasis on personal experiences
  • Developing countries (e.g., India):
  • More collectivistic
  • Emphasis on shared history and heritage
Implications for Marketers
  1. Consider nostalgic advertising to build brand love
  1. Tailor approach based on target country's development level
  1. Developed countries: Focus on personal nostalgia
  1. Developing countries: Emphasize historical nostalgia
  1. Be culturally sensitive in global campaigns