Q&A: The Challenges of Authenticity in AI-Driven Nostalgia Marketing

In branding and marketing, nostalgia has long been used to create emotional connections with audiences. A number of brands took advantage of the 90’s trend last year in unique ways that stood out beyond the usual product lines, such as Red Robin, Liquid Death, and Jack in the Box.

Some critics suggest that marketers are over-relying on 1990s themes due to the rise of artificial intelligence-driven advertisements, suggesting a lack of fresh ideas.

It is interesting to see that 37% of Gen Z feels nostalgic for the 1990s, a decade they did not live through and only discovered it on social media and films that took place during that period. But how does this strategy resonate with Gen X and Millennials who actually lived through it? In contrast to Gen Z’s cultural touchpoints, these older demographics often prioritize rising costs and family-building.

To explore this trend further, we spoke with Tanner Graham, CEO of General Idea, who shared his perspective on the overuse of nostalgia in marketing and whether it risks alienating key consumer groups.

The following Q&A has been condensed for clarity and flow.

What role does nostalgia play in building emotional connections with audiences across different generations, and why do marketers continue to rely on it?

Since forever, marketers have relied on nostalgia to connect with audiences, and as generations age, marketers have found success in reminding people of the things that once brought them joy or relief. Nostalgia is a way to bridge generations together by reminding older audiences of fond memories and creating a sense of exclusive knowledge for younger audiences who may understand the reference. Bringing an original creative idea into the world is high risk – it’s impossible to know how audiences will respond to it. As budgets have become more scrutinized and marketers are under pressure to deliver short-term results there is little appetite for the initial risk and long-term investment required to build a new idea into something iconic. 

With Gen Z showing a strong affinity for the 90s and 2000s, how can brands leverage nostalgia effectively without alienating Gen X and Millennials, whose priorities and experiences differ?

Today, what alienates older generations are campaigns that reference or feature famous personalities who have no personal or cultural connection to a brand. If your favorite drama actor from the 90s showed up in an ad today for an insurance company, you would question its authenticity, right? However, if you’re a Gen Zer, you probably wouldn’t blink twice. Audiences are smart and can tell when a brand is being inauthentic. Finding the sweet spot between cultural relevance and entertainment can be challenging, but most of the time, audiences will tell you what’s working and what isn’t. In other words, don’t overcomplicate it. 

Are brands overusing nostalgia as a creative crutch, and how does this trend impact innovation in marketing campaigns? 

It’s less that marketers are overusing nostalgia and more that they are misappropriating it. Nostalgia should trigger a fond memory instead of being an off-the-cuff reference that dilutes the meaning of a simple message. 

How has the rise of AI in advertising influenced the way nostalgia is incorporated into marketing, and does it enhance or dilute its effectiveness?

AI has been and will continue to be a part of advertising. For some brands, it has become a crutch. However, for others, it has helped with efficiencies that don’t require creative strategy. 

Consumers are drawn to nostalgia by the naivety of a bygone era, the sense of a world that was handmade, where things were in limited supply – the humanity of the past. This is fundamentally at odds with the instantly generated overabundance of AI. Recreating something organic through synthetic means will always feel slightly off.

What strategies can brands use to balance nostalgic appeal with relevance, ensuring they engage multiple generations without relying too heavily on past trends?

In marketing, you are never going to appeal to all audiences. Therefore, when developing a creative campaign or activation, brands should focus on the perceived reception of their core audience. When I see brands get it wrong, they often jump on the bandwagon of outdated trends that audiences are tired of hearing about. Instead, brands should ask themselves, what does my audience care about, and how can I [the brand] deliver my product or service to them in a way that sparks joy and creates meaning? 

What are the risks of “nostalgia-washing” in marketing, and how can brands avoid missing opportunities to connect with more forward-thinking or diverse audience segments?

It is pretty well acknowledged in the creative industries broadly that there is a lack of genuine creativity and a reliance on rehashing old ideas – its a short-term, low-risk approach but with ultimately low reward. Sometimes, an ad won’t land with its intended audience due to various factors, such as timing, relevance, etc. Reviving a classic theme (i.e., Western/Cowgirl aesthetic) with a modern twist can win over an audience just as quickly as it can turn one away. As with any trending theme in marketing, nostalgia-washing is beginning to broader on oversaturation, which might risk a negative response from the public as we’ve seen in the past (i.e. Coca Cola AI-generated ad).