How brands can use nostalgia to connect (without looking like they’re trying too hard)
A guide for colourful brands ready to make emotional impact across generations
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. And it led me straight back to jelly shoes, Lip Smackers, and those rubber coin purses your nan probably had.
But this isn’t just about personal memories or a sudden urge to rewatch My So-Called Life (though, honestly, you should, it still holds up).
It’s about what works right now in branding and marketing.
The research backs what my creative gut’s been telling me for a while: Nostalgia isn’t just trending, it’s converting.
From Pinterest trend reports to Gen X spending data, the signs are clear: People are craving things that feel emotionally familiar. And that doesn’t mean dated. It means human, warm, colourful, and layered with feeling.
So how can brands do that well? Without falling into kitsch, pastiche, or an endless sea of low-res ‘throwback’ filters?
Let’s break it down.
Why nostalgia works right now
Before we get into the how, here’s a quick refresher on the why:
- Gen X has the highest disposable income per capita in the UK (Experian, 2023), and 77% of them say they feel ‘underrepresented’ in marketing (Wunderman Thompson, 2022).
- They’re the last analog generation, which means they deeply value tactile experiences, visual storytelling, and things that feel real.
- Gen Z, meanwhile, is mining the 80s and 90s for style, music, and visual cues. They’re nostalgic for an era they never lived through, an era before the overwhelm of the internet. They’re drawn to its rawness, rebellion, and colour.
- A Pinterest Predicts 2024 report confirmed a 37% year on year increase in retro visual aesthetics, with ‘eclectic nostalgia’ rising across beauty, fashion, and homeware searches.
- Across both groups, nostalgia builds trust, engagement, and, most importantly, emotional resonance.
That sweet spot between irony and intimacy? That’s where the magic is.
How to use nostalgia in your brand (without going full costume party)
Here are 5 ways brands can connect with nostalgia in a meaningful, strategic, and beautifully visual, way:
1. Tell micro-stories that spark memory
Instead of saying ‘This is 90s-themed!’, zoom in on the textures of memory.
- A still life with a used lip gloss and sticker-covered mirror
- A lunch tray in bright colour and a note with scribbled song lyrics
- A birthday card that reads, ‘You’re the Angela to my Rayanne. Let’s cry about it in the girls’ bathroom.’
These details build a world. And that world feels emotionally true.
Don’t copy the era. Capture the feeling.
2. Make it colourful, not just retro
Too many nostalgia campaigns fall back on sepia tones and fake film grain.
But the 80s and 90s were bold. Playful. Sometimes chaotic. That’s the charm.
If your brand already uses colour, lean even harder into it. Let your visual language feel like a Care Bears acid trip collided with a half-finished teen scrapbook. Or like your product was left in a bedroom drawer since 1996 and only now rediscovered with glitter and angst intact.
3. Reference without replicating
Draw on the cultural moments we all remember:
- The chaos of Claire’s Accessories
- That time you burned a hole in your jeans with a curling iron
- Jordan Catalano leaning against anything
Use these as emotional anchors, not literal recreations.
It keeps the work fresh, surprising, and doesn’t alienate newer audiences.
4. Speak to the OG generations with respect (and a wink)
Too often, Gen X and Millennials are marketed to like they’re already fading out, when in fact they’re creative, powerful, independent, and proud of it. They don’t want ‘quiet luxury’ or to shrink themselves into beige minimalism. They want fun. They want joy. They want to feel seen.
Create content that speaks with them, not down to them.
For example:
‘You didn’t spend the 90s recording mixtapes and soul-searching in a choker just to be sold beige now’.
Trust me. It’ll land.
5. Hire visual storytellers who get it
It’s not just about what’s in frame, it’s about who’s behind the camera. Working with photographers, stylists, and creatives who understand the era means the nostalgia will hit different. It’ll be joyful, not gimmicky.
I help brands create bold, colourful still life and campaign imagery that speaks fluently to both Gen X’s memory and Gen Z’s fascination. And I do it all in a way that still feels current, impactful, and commercial.
The TL;DR
📍Nostalgia sells when it’s done with care, colour, and cultural nuance.
📍Gen X has money, influence, and taste. Speak to them like it.
📍Gen Z wants connection and story. Nostalgia gives them that in spades.
📍Brands that get this right are building emotional equity.
Want help bringing this to life for your brand?
I’m a photographer and creative director who specialises in colourful, high-impact visuals for nostalgic, joyful, human brands.
Let’s make something that feels like Angela Chase’s diary, only shinier, bolder, and with a commercial return.
📩 Get in touch. I’ve got concepts ready.
Marianne
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