Nostalgia and its Impact on the Audience

You didn't think we were going to get through these 12 Days of Content without at least one Christmas story, did you?

I have a guilty pleasure, and that is TikTok. I scroll through it for a bit at the end of many work days to decompress. Last week, A British media outlet (I think it was the Guardian? But I'm not sure) shared an advertisement from John Lewis with the caption: 'It's here! The John Lewis & Partners 2024 Christmas Advert is here!'

Two thoughts immediately struck: How has a brand built such a reputation for its annual Christmas advertising campaign that it has now become an event? Imagine getting this kind of earned media because you've released a .... commercial??!

And then secondly: How is this so beautifully shot?!

I had to watch it. And now, I'm inviting you to watch The Gifting Hour, the 2024 John Lewis Christmas Advert. It's 2 mins of your time, and I promise it's a trip:

Okay, settle in. There are a lot of layers to unpack here.

There are so many storytelling devices in these two minutes that make this work: The overall theme reminds me of the Narnia Chronicles. But it's also how this piece was created - with quick edits, beautiful lighting, a wonderfully nostalgic song in the background (The Verve, I think).

I know it's new, but The Gifting Hour makes me think of the stories I heard as a child, and the vignettes make me think of the moments in my own life... I know I'm the John Lewis target audience here, and dammit the British department store chain has nailed it.

Not only has John Lewis been able to showcase various items throughout the piece (all of which I'm sure are available for purchase), it has managed to show us life. In an attic. No, in a store. In its store!

In two minutes, we feel nostalgic. And using nostalgia is a brilliant move by any retailer.

This is actually a thing: The Nostalgia Effect. The Learning Loop describes The Nostalgia Effect as the emotional or psychological impact experienced when a product, service, or experience evokes memories from the past, often producing feelings of warmth, comfort, and longing.

The scene with her sister and this woman's mother, who I imagine as now dead, brings tears to her eyes. "I wish I could stay," she whispers. How many of us wish we could have that moment back?

All this nostalgia taps into our desire for connection and weakens our desire for money. Think about the Mastercard priceless campaign. It's things money can't buy.

Nostalgia is perfect for your targeted audience/consumer. There are actually studies:

"One of the seminal studies in the realm of nostalgia and its influence on consumer behaviour was conducted by Lasaleta, Sedikides, and Vohs in 2014. Their research found a fascinating link between nostalgia and financial decisions. Specifically, they discovered that nostalgia weakens the desire for money. This insight provides a profound understanding of why nostalgia is so prevalently used in marketing: it has the power to make consumers more willing to part with their money. This effect underscores the persuasive potential of the nostalgia effect, especially in contexts where financial decisions are at play."

I'll be honest - at one point in this story, I thought 'imagine if the woman realizes the gift of time is all she needs to give her sister?' How naive. I got so lost in the story, I forgot its purpose. She needs to buy a gift!

One last layer of this piece: the John Lewis Christmas advert is itself a nostalgic piece. People are waiting for it to come out each year. It has become a part of British advertising yuletide tradition. Is it a marketer's Christmas fruit cake? Perhaps.

The early reviews on this story is that it doesn't have the sizzle of previous years, but tugs at the heart strings all the same.

But it's a nostalgic event that uses nostalgia as a thematic device to get us, the viewers, to act.

Cha-ching. Merry Christmas.

I believe great stories (of any age) should be celebrated. And while a partridge in a pear tree sounds lovely, I'd much rather gift 12 Days of Content into the this December. So here we are.

Here are the 12 Days of Content:

• Day 1: How The Guardian turned a fairy tale on its head to connect with audiences
• Day 2: How 84 Lumber packed a political punch about a wall - and earned brand awareness
• Day 3: How Save the Children told the Story of Need
• Day 4: When a Brand's Manifesto Taps into a National Identity
• Day 5: Telling a Story Without a Narrator
• Day 6: Brands and The Nostalgia Effect on Consumers
• Day 7: Using Music to Move Your Audience
• Day 8: A Genius and Innovative Storytelling
• Day 9: When the Audience Adds Meaning to the Story
• Day 10: Telling a Compelling Story from a Product POV
• Day 11: Words Matter, Even in a Social Video Era
• Day 12: Cheers! To an Epically Beautiful Brand Narrative