Nostalgia makes the heart grow fonder.

Nostalgia marketing has been used successfully by a number of brands, i.e Coca Cola, Mini Coupe, Volkswagen, Converse, Michelin, etc. The use of nostalgia usually works like  charm, since it triggers (hopefully positive, but sometimes negative) memories associated with that product. Triggering [fond] memories associated with a specific product is especially effective, because those episodic memories are emotional, powerful, and could thus override any negative associations one may have with that product. This reaction to a product creates a very dedicated brand loyalty and involvement, and often cult-like following. Take, for instance, the Volkswagen Vanagon, which has been brought back to resemble its earliest models (much like other cars have been brought back, i.e. the Ford Mustang, and the Mini Coupe), and the returning customers are loyal to their product, and very involved with the brand do to a nostalgic attachment. James Bond has also had great success with nostalgia. The franchise has faded out of existence, and revived many times, but remains consistent to its original elements. Bond's character always wears suits, has a very sophisticated charm, drives a beautiful car... the personalities M and Q remain consistent... Bond's relationship with women is constant, detached and always ends badly... "James. James Bond." No matter who is playing bond, these certain elements keep you in touch with the same spy character you, or you grandparent know and have grown to love.

Go look at this cool site that exemplifies the consistency of these iconic elements in the James Bond franchise: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20026367


However, there are some products that would only be killed by an attempt at nostalgia. As a consumer, it is hard for me to look back on any older version of a computer and long for the sweet (slow, error prone) times we had together. Apple, though brilliant, couldn't sell a throwback campaign based on this:

Apple's, and many other computer brands, are based o n evolution and progress, so its hard for them to successfully use nostalgia in their marketing. I will say though, that Apple manages to make a nostalgic reference with the release of their latest iMac. The evolution of the iMac has always been quite iconic and astounding, and they use this image, depicting that evolution, on apple.com and in the keynote that introduces the new product:

Although its not the traditional nostalgic approach, seeing images of these machines generates pretty much only positive memories of the machines. While depicting progress, the image reminds you of how great each of these innovations were at the time of release, especially the iconic 1998 desktop, and the iMac of 2002, which was the gateway for a whole new era of computer design.

I am curious as to whether or not nostalgic marketing would work for cigarettes in the US. Cigarettes are evolving as a product, not in favor of the classic images with which one might associate them. They are advertised less, and as cleaner. In many places, you cannot freely smoke wherever you like (in a restaurant, bar, or even right outside a building). Cigarettes used to be a symbol of freedom and rebellion, but the negative associations they have with major health defects has played a role in dwindling advertising, and way less positive imagery associated with cigarette smoking. I wonder, if Marlboro brought back the Marlboro Man, would it trigger fond associations with the connoted rebellious lifestyle of the iconic cowboy, or would it make smokers sad they aren't actually free to do what they want with their cigarettes anymore? 

The Harley Davidson Community

Here is quick look into the Harley Davidson lifestyle. This commercial even conveys the sort of community lifestyle Harley owners and bikers are all about. #StereotypicalHarley



Harley Davidson made great use of the already existing communal feeling motorcycle owners tend to have with each other. Often these biking communities take the form of bike gangs, and not everyone wants to be a part of that environment. There are also bike clubs, and huge rallies, for which bikers travel across country. Harley took a little something from all of these elements in biker communities and made them their own. The H.O.G. is a more friendly to motorcyclists not of the vagrant lifestyle, while also giving them the opportunity to share in that novelty with a group of people who share something in common with them. That the posse ride gives Harley owners the chance to bond with other Harley owners is a great way of creating brand involvement and identification. They ride with each other, tell stories, have their own oath--like a real biker gang... These posse rides enable the bike owners to make friends who they may share more experiences with outside the posse ride, but most likely revolving around their bikes--involvement. Sharing [fun] experiences with a group of people who also own Harleys definitely makes the Harley owners more attached to their bike and the brand.

Harley getting involved with the ride shouldn't dilute the effect it has on the riders. As long as the participants still get the same experiences, mostly revolving around them interacting with other participants, Harley involvement should enhance the experience and make customers feel even more trustworthy of the brand, who will be directly showing concern for their customers' needs. Initially I thought the extra involvement my get a little cheesy, but seeing as how most Harley employees are probably very much like the consumers who buy the product, their participation should only enhance the experience. In fact, if Harley staff participated in the ride, as customer participants did, while also doing their job and taking care of their customers, it would make riders feel very at home, and more attached to their brand. If bike owners see Harley staff members as buddies, not just salesmen, the posse ride would be made that much more meaningful.

Its difficult to suggest that Harley do anymore to increase brand involvement. They already offer several community opportunities. There are group rides everywhere, and all the time; events geared toward women who own Harleys; learn-to-ride courses... This company has done a lot to increase brand involvement, making sure that owners always feel they are a part of an exclusive community. The best part is that these events are very accessible--there are local events everywhere.

Go to this link to view the learn-to-ride courses: learn-to-ride

Go to this link to see a calendar of local events: events

Taste the Possibilities

I do believe Coca-Cola made the right choice in differing the Coke Zero campaigns the way they did in  North America from the rest of the world. As this "diet" soda was meant to widen the target market (to young-adult men) on diet soda, it was clever to eliminate "diet" from the campaign in North America. Young men in North America tend to see Diet drinks as being meant for older women. This strategy seemed to create great success in the areas they were targeting, and more, in the US. Without removing "diet" from the campaign, I don't think it would have had the same success. We, in the US, would have written it off as just another Diet Coke--why do we need that? By simply not calling it a diet soda, Coke lowered the age of the general target audience, including men, and even roping in young women.

The fake blog in Australia doesn't seem at all unethical to me, from a business stand point. Coca-Cola was looking for a new, different approach to getting their product out there--as they are known to do. Lying to consumers? Please. Everyone does that. Is something as trivial as a blog more unethical than the ads in the US, wherein they used lawyers who didn't know they were being recorded to fane a lawsuit against themselves? It was simply a campaigning strategy, and it worked. It simply appealed to peoples' interests, and connected them to Coke Zero. Sure it was done in a very personal way, but isn't that just all the more clever. Would you say Sony's fake website for the movie 2012--where it had a sign-up so you could be safe at the end of the world--is unethical? In a paranoid age, such as this, that fake website appealed to people's emotions, just as Coke Zero's fake blog did. It worked, and nobody is hurt.

Another product like Coke Zero: Pepsi Max. Maybe a little before Coke Zero, Pepsi launched a zero calorie soda targeted at young men. In their campaigns, the beverage is more explicitly geared toward men, not always successful at including women in their market. They also eliminate the usage of "diet" from their ads and brand name, which is clever and successful. But, as with many Pepsi products, Pepsi Max is not nearly as successful as Coke Zero. For one thing, I see hardly any evidence of an international campaign on Pepsi's part, and certainly not one as powerful as any of the Coke or Coke Zero campaigns. Pepsi Max does not touch on the consumers' emotions like Coke Zero, or even Classic Coke has done. If anything, Pepsi Max enjoyed a short lived spark of success, and has faded away to the point where I only thought of it from an internet search, because I couldn't think of an example other than Dr. Pepper 10--that will also eventually fade into the same abyss. As Coke Zero is not so explicit with showing who their new target market is, they do not limit themselves in terms of new campaign possibilities. Pepsi Max does, almost immediately move away from the Man theme, but with campaigns that hold little theme. The closest they come is with "Don't worry, there's no sugar!" Basically this, and other Pepsi Max ads imply that, with this no sugar soda, you can do things you normally couldn't.

Prop P: Outlaw Planking

PROP P: OUTLAW PLANKING

Planking is a danger to society. Always the catalyst to bad decisions and general lameness, the act of planking has finally taken a life. Recently, an Australian man in Brisbane plummetted to his death whilst planking on a 7th floor balcony. Even ignoring that planking offers nothing productive to anyone of any race, gender, age, or religion, is the death of an innocent man not enough to convince us to outlaw planking!

As we can see clearly from the images above, planking leads to debauchery, encourages obesity and even has even been a method of attempted suicide! Planking must be stopped! If we act now, and ban planking, we can save thousands of lives, and save thousands of people from wasting their time and losing IQ points.

Outlaw planking. Save the world.