Kimberly Wilson at Essence recently captured the cultural moment perfectly: from the Millennium Tour to the Barbie frenzy to Bath & Body Works bringing back old scents, nostalgia is everywhere—and it’s paying off.
Data from GWI shows that Gen Z are the most nostalgic generation, with 15 percent preferring the past over the future, followed closely by 14 percent of millennials. That nostalgia shows up in media habits too, with half of Gen Z and nearly half of millennials saying they feel nostalgic about the content they consume. Nostalgia, Wilson writes, has become one of the easiest ways for brands to cash in.
The Business of Nostalgia Can Do More Than Sell Products
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Research from the University of California, Riverside, suggests it can also help organizations hold themselves together during times of transition.
Professors Boris Maciejovsky and Jerayr Haleblian found that nostalgia serves as a stabilizing force in moments of disruption, acting as a bridge between employees’ pre-change identity and their new reality. In other words, what we often dismiss as “looking backward” can actually strengthen loyalty and commitment when people feel vulnerable.
Externally: Nostalgia as a Market Strategy
Legacy IP as a living asset: Instead of viewing catalogs and old campaigns as spent, marketers can repackage them with fresh relevance for new audiences.
Remix, don’t just re-release: Nostalgia works best when it honors the past while layering in novelty—think limited drops, experiential tie-ins, or co-branding with artists who defined an era.
Cross-generational connection: Nostalgia bridges audiences. Millennials get to relive their formative years while Gen Z discovers cultural moments they only know through clips and hand-me-down stories.
Internally: Nostalgia as a Change Management Tool
Stability during disruption: In mergers, acquisitions, or restructuring, nostalgia can anchor employees by connecting what they loved about “the old days” with the vision for the future.
Identity continuity: Communicators can use nostalgia to honor legacy while framing what’s next, showing employees they don’t have to abandon their identity to embrace change.
Cultural trust-building: Internal storytelling rooted in shared history can make transitions feel less like rupture and more like evolution.
The Bridge for Marketers
Externally, nostalgia drives product adoption and brand affinity. Internally, it strengthens organizational culture in times of flux. Put together, nostalgia is a bridge between brands and audiences, between employees and employers, between past and future.
The lesson for marketers and communicators is to use the business of nostalgia as connective tissue to build what’s next.
