Research on nostalgia helps us understand why it can be such an effective advertising tool (Holbrook, 1993). When an advertisement conjures up positive associations of a past self, people are more favorable to that product. This is why ads often pair products with cues that were nostalgically popular among those likely to be purchasing the product (e.g., classic rock music with commercials for mini-vans) and create explicit “throwback” campaigns, like this one for Pepsi-Cola.

[PR NewsFoto/Pepsi-Cola North America]