I don't Want To Grow Up!

For some it may be an image on the “Abuelita” brand chocolate, that brings back memories of sipping hot chocolate on a rainy Mexico. For others it could simply be a song they used to sing along to back when we were all a bit younger. Advertisers know that we all want to re-live the younger days. We could be 50 years old and want to re-live sharing a coke with that first love or going to dealership for your first car. Or we could be a 22 year old trying to re-live a worry free childhood of barbies. And that is why nostalgic advertising works so well, because it reminds us, the consumer, of a time when life seemed colorful. Advertisers have also realized that modifying products is more cost effective than creating a brand new one that may or may not be successful. If a product is already a success in the market, then the same consumers who bought the product back then, are likely to buy the new revamped model. Nostalgia advertising can however, alienate target groups that were not part of the original consumers group. They may feel left out and may not understand the product. An example of this are the Betty White Tide Commercials. Although Betty Whites name is widely recognized, not everyone knows all her work. I for instance recognize her from the “Golden Girls,” a show I may have fallen asleep to a couple of times. Because she is not so present in my memories, the tide commercials are not very effective on me. I will do laundry but Tide won't necessarily be my first choice. As I was searching for commercials, I came across the 'Toys R Us' Jingle that was been modified from its original 80's form to the jingle we hear today. Adults may not being buying toys for themselves but they will most likely go reminisce while shopping for toys for their kids. To sum it all up, these nostalgic products and ads make us remember a time when we sang “I don't want to grow up, I wanna be a Toys R Us kid.”