With Oasis on tour, baggy jeans on legs, and even cassette tapes making an unexpected comeback, 2025 felt like a year with Nostalgia in the air. We’re already seeing this year’s crop of Christmas adverts tapping into it and are expecting more to tug at heartstrings in attempts to make us feel warm and fuzzy. We spoke to some real people to understand how nostalgia shows up in their daily lives, what gets them reminiscing, what really wasn’t better in the past.
Summary.
Parents are nostalgic for childhood freedoms they haven’t given their own kids.
Nostalgia is comfort, not compulsion – it arrives quietly.
Music hits the memory switch faster than fashion, food, ads, or other media.
Major life moments trigger the feeling of nostalgia and connection to the past.
We’re nostalgic for life without social media, but not without the internet.
It's defined by the dual forces of individual memories and shared experience.
Senses are the key that unlock nostalgia – especially taste.
Ads that hit the right nostalgic tones are very powerful but get it wrong at your peril.
Parents are nostalgic for childhood freedoms they haven't given their own kids.
Parents look back to their youth fondly: summers free of screens, and full of mischief and imagination. Stuff they wish their kids could enjoy but don’t due to today’s pressures and their own worries as parents. Nostalgia becomes a mix of longing and critique; a way to hold onto simpler freedoms while recognising the world has changed. For campaigns, that tension matters: honour those memories without romanticising risk, and offer present-day options that feel safe, inclusive, and still thrilling.
“I grew up in a village and remember we’d go door knocking for our friends. I wouldn’t let my eldest go out and do that. I drive her everywhere.” - Chez, 34
“My parents say ‘I was out for the whole day and we’d only come back for dinner’. My childhood only had a bit of that, so it’s a bit do as I say not as I do.” – Max, 18
“When I have a look at my children growing compared to my childhood, we didn’t have all the technology they have. We used to find pleasure and joy outdoors.” – Shelley, 47
Nostalgia is comfort, not compulsion - it arrives quietly.
For most people, nostalgia is a soothing presence that takes them by surprise, not actively sought out, like a familiar smell or song. It settles in as a soft reassurance rather than a push to relive the past. It’s not a demand to buy more or chase yesterday, it’s a warm, dependable nudge that makes people feel calm. If brands can evoke this feeling well it can feel like a comforting hug without feeling manipulative.
“People have things that remind them of their younger days and earlier experiences. It’s quite a comforting feeling to be in that moment but later on in life.” - April, 31
“Old photos of my friends make me feel safe, that we’re still great friends. This feels solid and I feel reassured that life’s going in a good way.” – Max, 18
“When I think back to my childhood I have very fond memories. That is my go-to place when I want to relax.” – Shelley, 47
Music hits the memory switch faster than fashion, food, ads, or other media.
Music cuts straight to people’s core, perhaps because it’s the one thing that truly was better in the past. A single melody can unlock memories, senses and identity in a way visuals or ads often can’t. It’s less about trends and more about moments – first gigs, road trips, late nights. Brands can quickly and powerfully telegraph who they’re for by hitting the right notes with a song that takes people back (looking at you, John Lewis).
“Fashion is nostalgic, but it’s the music that really captures the moment and an era.” - Dipesh, 44
“It’s incredible how music from a time period can make you feel a certain way.” – April, 31
“I finally got to see Guns N’ Roses at the tender age of 47. That was my Oasis. It takes you back and it makes you feel young again, and amazingly I still remember all the lyrics.” – Shelley, 47
Major life moments trigger the feeling of nostalgia and connection to the past.
Life’s big events anchor who we are. Weddings feel hopeful, births mark new beginnings, divorces reshape our stories. At these big moments we find comfort in reflecting and reliving shared experiences. These moments fuse personal meaning with rituals that cue the past in ways that feel intimate and universal. Brands can reflect real growth and belonging, supporting people through change at key life moments.
“Looking back, the younger you were, the less responsibility you had. Now you look back and think that was actually a good time in life; I long for those days. Living in the real world, going through a divorce and the rest of it, it all feels quite stressful.” – Shelley, 47
“My bridesmaids are making a playlist for when we get ready, and 90% of the playlist is songs we listened to in the 90s and early 00s. Normally you’re quite nervous on the morning of getting married, but it’s quite a comforting feeling that a new experience will be mixed with the memories of when you were younger. That makes you feel at ease.” – April, 31
“Now that I have kids, I wanted to get them some Matey bubble bath, which I remembered having. The lid was a little hat. It’s not around anymore, it’s just normal bottled stuff that might have a logo of Bluey on it. It’s less appealing and inviting.” – Chez, 34
We're nostalgic for life without social media, but not the internet.
People say they miss the slower, quieter days, when connection felt more crafted and less public, and they are quick to point out the dangers of social media. But people don’t want to (or don’t think we can) put the genie back in the bottle; the internet is vital for work, learning and staying in touch. Brands can tap into warmth and simplicity while promoting mindful online use, showing products that help real, meaningful connections and cut through digital fatigue.
“I’m glad my childhood was without technology and without social media. I was out playing on the field or in the garden, riding my bike… I feel like kids now don’t get that, they think that’s boring, they’d rather sit and play different games on an app.” – Chez, 34
“We didn’t know what was going on, we didn’t have pressure from social media. We were completely clueless. You entertained yourself and found joy and happiness in things. You didn’t have to rely on social media to see what you should be doing. You just interacted with everybody. It was better.” – Shelley, 47
“I don’t think I could even operate an A-Z now, but I remember being able to navigate myself around to my first job interviews in a car without the internet. Do I want to go back to a world without the internet? No. The world has moved on and technology definitely helps.” – Dipesh, 44
Senses are the key that unlock nostalgia - especially taste.
Taste sticks. A familiar dish or a grandmother’s recipe can instantly bring a moment back, along with the people and warmth around it. Food nostalgia travels across generations and cultures, making it a potent hook. When we asked people for a product they felt nostalgic for, nearly everyone reached for a childhood treat, or a meaningful meal. Campaigns and activations that awaken people’s senses will quickly transport them to a different era.
“No judgement please, but Billy Bear Ham. I remember on a Wednesday when I was a kid, I’d have that in my sandwiches at school, and every now and again I’ll think about it and buy a packet when I do a food shop.” - April, 31
“Angel Delight and Birds powdered custard. That brings back memories, because it’s the sort of childhood stuff, your mum would make for you. Tasting it or even just seeing the branding on the packaging brings back memories.” – Dipesh, 44
“I haven’t seen them in years, but I remember gobstoppers. Me and my friends would always buy 5 of them. They’re rock hard like marble, and you’d slowly eat them. Those remind me of good times; little rabbit holes of being with your friends.” – Max, 18
Ads that hit the right nostalgic tones are very powerful, but get it wrong at your peril.
Well-timed nostalgia builds trust and warmth, nudging people from interest to action. The right cues – sound, visuals, context and characters – feel true and respectful. Miss the mark, though, and it can seem twee or exploitative, tearing credibility apart. The antidote is sincerity: avoid clichés, respect nuance, and tailor memory to real lives and diverse audiences.
“BA Baracus was in a chocolate ad. I was laughing my head off and my daughters were looking at me going “who is that weird person?” I immediately related to it and found it funny, but I worry if the industry overdoes it I’ll just be rolling my eyes thinking ‘not another thing about the 90s or 80s.’”- Dipesh, 44
“I like the VW adverts where they they’re growing up and seeing the versions getting more and more recent compared to the first one the parents had when they first met. The father gives the car to his son. They do it quite well appealing to your heartstrings. You remember it. It stands out.” – Shelley, 47
“There was always that Sauvage one with Jonny Depp. I think that’s definitely more aimed at people from maybe 30 to 50 who would remember him from Pirates of The Caribbean and Edward Scissor Hands. People below 30 would think of the court case with Amber Heard!” – April, 31
