[MONDAY MINUTE] Nostalgia Was Once Considered a Psychological Disorder | Power of Nostalgia Marketing

Is it healthy to dwell in the past? Before the turn of the last century, nostalgia was still considered by some mental health professionals as a psychological disorder. So then…why have numerous storied food and beverage CPG brands more recently leaned on their decades of history to redesign packaging with elements of their past? Obviously, the understanding of nostalgia evolved over time…now being viewed less as a disorder and more as a natural human emotion. But with nostalgia being perhaps the most active and useful during uncomfortable (or transitionary) states, it’s no wonder why many legacy CPG brands have recently leveraged it when seeking to elevate connectedness towards a simpler era of life. Yet, deploying a “blast from the past” strategy isn’t universally impactful, and I believe today’s consumers are typically more engaged by the future that brand is creating compared to what happened in the past.