Trend Hunter Report Encourages Brands to Tap into Nostalgia

February 14, 2020 | TrendHunter.com’s latest free monthly report for Toy Association members centers on a trend that may never go out of style: nostalgia.

“This Trend Hunter report explores how fond memories can help fuel a consumer’s desire to bring the past into the present through their purchases,” said Anne McConnell, senior director of market research & data strategy at The Toy Association. “Toymakers are encouraged to use this report to dig into the past, help develop stronger emotional connections with their audiences, and create products that evoke memories.”

Featured consumer insights include:

• Nostalgic Bonding – Brands that today’s Millennial parents grew up with are being reinvented to strengthen bonds between parents and kids and allow parents to reminisce about their own childhood pastimes. This is seen through experiential themed cafes such as Shanghai’s The Place, which offered a co-branded Haagen-Dazs/My Little Pony pop-up, or how Doodle Bear was reinvented with digital experiences to appeal to a new generation.


• 90s Ubiquity – The fashion industry has long looked to the ’90s for inspiration and other industries are now following suit for everything from ad campaigns to TV programming. Examples include a KFC Famous Bowls promotion with a pop-up that offered “branded bowl-shaped" haircuts; a Google Assistant ad inspired by the 90s Christmas classic, Home Alone; and even a limited-edition release of the Nickelodeon Rugrats Movie soundtrack on vinyl.


• Nostalgic Pop-Up– Combining pop-up experiences with nostalgic references is proving to be a winning combination for brand marketers. Marvel Studio’s “Stanley Video,” for example, is a scavenger-based film pop-up that offers familiarity through its nostalgic VHS store design, while AGWE & Midnight Studios' Midnight Rave Series highlights a '90s theme.


• Gaming Renaissance – A resurgence of retro gaming is exposing younger generations to games of yesteryear, as older generations relive their youth. Examples include Tastemakers’ series of Arcade1Up consoles and a rebirth of retro-style arcade bars such as the Logan Arcafe, which features nostalgic gaming and drinking experiences.


• Retail Play – There is an explosion of brick-and-mortars reinventing the retail experience to make shopping in-stores more playful, such as CAMP’s highly interactive stores for kids, Krispy Kreme’s donut-themed playground pop-up in London, or Chanel’s branded arcades in Tokyo that merge retro games and makeup counters.

This report is the latest in a series from Trend Hunter offering in-depth perspectives and trends in various areas related to the toy industry and youth markets to help spark unique ideas. For additional relevant trends, toy companies can click on the report’s consumer insights examples, scroll down, and click the images for further information.

Members are encouraged to send topic suggestions for future trend reports to The Toy Association’s Anne McConnell.

TrendHunter.com has accumulated nearly 3 billion views from more than 100 million visitors. The data research company helps clients “Dive Deeper,” “Work Smarter,” and “Save Effort” in order to increase the overall success of their companies and brands.