There’s a new trend in marketing that has companies looking to the past to make an emotional connection with their customers. And according to a recent article in Adweek, it’s working for brands ranging from Jack Daniel’s to Lego. Connecting with the past, it seems, pays big dividends in the here and now.

Making an emotional connection with your audience isn’t easy, but it’s incredibly effective. Consider how an old song can make you feel. “Lights” by Journey will forever remind me of a summertime slow dance with my first crush. For better or worse, music takes us back to another place and time. I also have a soft spot for manual typewriters, Chevrolet Camaros, and Bit-O-Honey candy.

It’s human nature to view the past through rose-colored glasses, and this works to the marketer’s advantage. Your first car may have been dad’s beat up hand-me-down, but thinking about it now evokes happy memories of life as a carefree teenager.

This sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time is powerful stuff, aerospace marketers. Imagine if you could tap into the emotional experiences your customers associate with their early flying days. What might making that connection mean to your brand?

Targeting your audience with pinpoint accuracy is critical to nostalgia marketing success. Clearly, the things that resonate with a 30-year-old pilot will be very different from what works for a 55-year-old. Skillful and authentic execution is equally important. If you inadvertently taint a cherished memory, your customers will make you regret ever taking a trip down memory lane.

This Adweek article has multiple case studies that are inspiring and informative. Good stuff: www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/seven-brands-are-winning-nostalgia-149174