Super Bowl Ads Prove Nostalgia Still Sells – Boomers Buying Memories
Posted on Friday, February 12th, 2010
Did you watch the Super Bowl? Not a football fan? Me neither, really. Although, I must admit, I was drawn in by the sentimental favorite, the New Orleans’ Saints. I even surrounded my beverage with a black-and-gold Fleur de lei embellished Saints koozie, one I actually caught from a Mardi Gras float. So, yeah, Who Dat wearin’ the black ‘n gold? Me Dat. Sorry… couldn’t help myself.
I admit, I got sucked in and I’m guessing a lot of people did who don’t know a tight end from a linebacker. But, besides the sentimental aspect, what struck me was the heavy hitters using nostalgia to sell their products during the infamous Super Bowl commercial spots.
Does nostalgia still sell? Or are those of us who remember “real” commercials no longer interested enough to care, or worse yet, to buy?
There is a strongly held belief on Madison Avenue that when we are smack dab in the middle of a rough economy, folks are drawn to images that are familiar, comforting, and with little risk. In other words, please don’t try to impress me with something NEW… I want my fuzzy slippers and scruffy robe, thank you very much.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of my favorite commercial spots that aired during the Super Bowl – moments that reminded me that laughing is ageless, and nostalgia stills sells.
- Two wonderful legends from the era of classic television – Betty White and Abe Vigoda – in a Snickers ad that made me laugh out loud! (That’s lol to you youngsters.)
- Funny insult genius Don Rickles, in a Teleflora ad where he does the voice for a box of talking dead flowers. Classic Rickles.
- Volkswagen does a whole schtick using that old “spot a Volkswagen, slug your buddy” thing. (In the old days, we spotted a Volkswagen Beetle, punched our buddy, and said “slug bug.”) Stevie Wonder gets a jab in on his buddy when he spots a red Volkswagen… yeah. That elicited a few groans and a much appreciated lighthearted look at ourselves.
- I believe the movie “National Lampoon’s Vacation” should be considered a National Treasure. In an ad for HomeAway, a vacation home rental agency, we are once again treated to Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo in their classic roles as travel weary Clark and Ellen Griswold. Brilliant.
- Even the stodgy old Census Bureau got into the act with their commercial directed by Christopher Guest and featuring easily recognizable actors and similar themes from his films like “This Is Spinal Tap” and “Best In Show.”
- When nostalgia is mixed with self-deprecating humor, it’s always a winner. Take the up-down-up-down-up-again Brett Favre. That poor guy’s got to laugh at himself, and his appearance for Hyundai was evidence of that. Priceless.
- Other things from our childhood elicited those warm and fuzzy feelings; things like the weirdly fascinating Sock Monkey featured in the Kia commercial. Did I say weird? I meant very weird.
- And, speaking of warm and fuzzy feelings, there’s nothing like a baby Clydesdale and a baby bull growing up together to become best of friends, no matter what the obstacles… even a pasture fence can’t keep them apart. Kudos to Budweiser for giving us that sweet, okay teary, moment.
- Music, like food, brings back memories, sometimes more than an image will. To review, we heard from Kiss, Electric Light Orchestra, Cheap Trick, Bill Withers, and of course, The Who at halftime.
Does nostalgia still sell? Well, we’ve got a huge population of folks born between 1946 and 1964 that clearly appreciate a nod now and again to those sights, sounds, and smells from the past. And when we recognize something, when something is familiar to us, and that something is attached to a new product, we trust that product. We trust what we know, even if by association only. Make sense?
Yes, we love our nostalgia and yes, it sells. Thanks for the memories, Super Bowl advertisers.
p.s. We nostalgia lovers are not alone by any means. As I mentioned, Madison Avenue knows that when times are tough we need comfort, and familiar things are comforting. My friend Susanne Myers, The Hillbilly Housewife, has embraced a return to the old days especially in homemaking and all things frugal. Click here to take a tour around her website and see if some of her recipes and topics don’t spark a bit of nostalgia in your heart.
Susanne is also curious about your opinion of the Super Bowl ads. She’s been asking folks via Twitter to weigh in with their favorite Super Bowl ad pick.
Give Susanne a quick shout to let her know your opinion by clicking on the Twitter page you see here.
Then, stop back here again and share your comments with me. I’d love to hear if you think nostalgia sells, or if we’re just having fun with it and nothing else. Thanks for reading!
Subscribe to RemarkableWrinklies.com by Email
